Zimbabwe's banned independent Daily News has been licensed, in a develoment that will be seen as a major step towards reform in the country. Hurrah! I've missed the Daily News. The Harare Herald's a dreary government mouthpiece rag...
The newspaper and its sister paper, the Daily News on Sunday, were banned in 2003 after refusing to register under the country's repressive media laws. But a high court later ruled that the government reconsider a fresh application from the Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe (ANZ), publishers of the papers.
I think that was in 2005.
A special committee set up by the government to hear the application on Thursday
That is, four years later...
wrote to ANZ to inform them that their application had been successful. "This letter serves to advise you that your application for registration as a mass media service provider was successful. The special board committee mandated by the then minister of information to adjudicate on your application is satisfied that you have complied with the provisions of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA)," Edward Dube, head of the committee writes. ANZ, Dube says, "is therefore advised to contact the relevant authority for their licence".
That's all very well, and sounds all official and such, but chances are still good that they won't be allowed to operate. I think they've had a web edition going from Zambia, but it's irregularly updated and sometimes isn't there at all.
Dube has also written a separate letter to the Ministry of Information informing the government of his decision. There was no immediate comment from the ministry as to whether the paper would in fact be allowed to operate.
Depending on internal ZANU/PF politix, likely they will be, but then they'll be shut down again in the not too distant future.
Under consitutional amendments agreed as part of the formation of the unity government, the Media and Information Commission, the body that was previously tasked with licensing media in Zimbabwe, is to be replaced by a new commission jointly appointed by the parties to the government.
If the media is licensed then there's really no freedom of press. And probably the reasons for the licensing process look benevolent on paper. Newspapers that don't sling an occasional bit of mud are pretty worthless.