Cablegate: Independent Paper Praises Court Decision On

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UNCLAS HARARE 000906

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/PDPA FOR DALTON, MITCHELL AND SIMS
NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER
LONDON FOR GURNEY
PARIS FOR NEARY
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KPAO KMDR ZI
SUBJECT: INDEPENDENT PAPER PRAISES COURT DECISION ON
MEDIA CONTROL LAW

1. Under headline "A step in the right direction"
the independent daily "The Daily News" dedicated its
May 9 editorial to hailing a recent Supreme Court
ruling that annulled two sections of the Access to
Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA)
impinging on press freedom. Excerpts follow:

2. "All right-thinking Zimbabweans must applaud the
Supreme Court's bold decision to strike down as
unconstitutional Section 80 (1) (b) and (2) of
the government's Soviet-style Access to
Information and Protection of Privacy Act
(AIIPA). That a government in this day and age
could even think of enacting a law that
virtually criminalizes journalism, as the AIPPA
clause struck down by the court did, is
reprehensible in any democracy. Even one as
dubious as Zimbabwe. . . And we urge the
judiciary to continue the commendable process it
has begun and nullify one-by-one the various
provisions of AIPPA that militate against media
freedom. . ."

WHITEHEAD

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