A crucial step forward: Zimbabwe opens media space

Written by Editor Thursday, 27 May 2010 14:04

First Zimbabwe private daily papers in seven years to hit the streets next month.

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The media space in Zimbabwe has been opened up to new entrants, and crucially, the first new independent daily newspapers are to hit the streets since the Daily News was closed seven years ago.

Transparency is a key element for economic progress, and it is hoped the new media climate will help further investment in the Zimbabwe economy.

The announcement comes as Zimbabwe records its first year of economic growth for more than a decade, a report from the International Monetary Fund said.

Gross domestic product rose 4 per cent last year, the first expansion in 11 years, while prices rose 6.5 per cent. In previous years, by contrast, inflation was measured in millions of per cent and the country’s economy regularly shrank 5-10 per cent.

But the IMF gave a generally downbeat assessment of the state of the country’s economy, urging the coalition government led by Robert Mugabe, the president, to adopt reforms or risk long-term stagnation.

This key announcement is seen as a one of those reforms that could boost confidence in the Zimbabwean economy.

Details of the media licenses

Commission chairman Godfrey Majonga said the media body had received four applications for daily papers, including from the Daily News, which was banned in 2003 and was critical of President Robert Mugabe.

NewsDay, which is owned by local media entrepreneur Trevor Ncube, has also been licensed and the weekly Financial Gazette will also launch a daily.

"The ZMC has accepted to grant all the above registration certificates," Majonga told reporters. "We are here to allow Zimbabweans access to media."

Zimbabwe currently has one national daily paper, the state-run Herald, and the new licenses would see the country having its first private daily paper in seven years.

No announcements on issuing licences for private radio or television stations have been made.

The government has however set a program to repeal and amend tough security and media laws by year-end.

The newly licensed newspapers are expected to start publishing next month.

Majonga said foreign newspapers, like South Africa's Sunday Times which publishes a Zimbabwe edition, should approach the media commission for a license.

"All foreign publications, with typically Zimbabwean content and targeted at the Zimbabwean readership, should be registered with the commission," said Majonga.