Peter Tanyanyiwa
The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA Zimbabwe) says there are positive expectations for the recently enacted Freedom of Information Act.
The Southern Africa media body earlier this week urged media organisations to put the new law to test through seeking relevant information through the body or any other platforms available so as to disseminate accurate and factual information in conformity with this new information law.
The new Act, viewed as a giant step in the reform agenda, repeals the long-criticized Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) and brings Zimbabwe’s information-related laws into conformity with the Bill of Rights in the Constitution.
MISA Zimbabwe urged media practitioners to test the effectiveness of this new law through seeking for information in their daily routines of doing stories, the body said their doors were open to practitioners who needed help acquiring any sort of information.
“As MISA our doors are open to all practitioners, we can help you seek the appropriate information for different stories you will be working on as we test his new law. We have so many positive expectations if the new law is implemented as it is on paper. This will go a long way in ensuring effective access o information for all,” said the organization.
MISA Zimbabwe hailed the new Act which they said should give effect to Section 61 and 62 of the Constitution.
They say the freedom of Information Act should be continuously evaluated to ensure it gives effect to sections 61 and 62 of the Constitution that provide for freedom of expression, media freedom and citizen’s rights to access to information.
The Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Senator Monica Mutsvangwa recently said the coming of the new law marked a notable milestone in Government’s media legislative reform programme.
The Act provided citizens and media practitioners with the right to access information as espoused by the Constitution through providing the legal frameworks and mechanisms for accessing information from public and private bodies.
It also makes it mandatory for all government departments to have an information officer who is either the head of that entity or a person appointed by the head.
An information officer has up to 21 days to consider each request for information and can refuse to make all or some of the requested information public, but under strictly set criteria, and all these decisions are subject to appeal.
The new law also sets out the procedure for accessing information held by public institutions or information held by any person, which is necessary for the exercise or protection of a right among other provisions.