Way Forward in 2021
•

Government should enact the Cybersecurity and Data Protection law in line with the ACHPR
Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information, among other
regional and continental instruments.

•

The outstanding Broadcasting Services Amendment Bill should be benchmarked on the principles
of the African Charter on Broadcasting.

•

There is need for further opening of the airwaves by licensing more players from different
backgrounds to ensure diversity and pluralism in the broadcasting sector as the guiding principles
in the granting of licences.

•

Newly licensed community radio stations should jealously guard and protect their editorial
independence by ensuring their editorial policies are defined and underpinned in pursuit of an
inclusive social development agenda. Programming should thus be for-by-and about the
community, as envisaged in terms of the African Charter on Broadcasting.

•

The Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe should ensure that the Broadcasting Fund is channelled
towards the viability and sustainability of community radio stations as they are the heartbeat of
development and democracy at community and grassroots levels.

•

Government should seriously consider coming up with a Media Sustainability Bailout Rescue
Package. This can be in the form of tax/duty exemptions and moratoriums (over a realistically
determined period), on newsprint and other mass media production and distribution equipment.

•

The Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) should enforce
the regulations on quality of internet services in Zimbabwe, which include ensuring the availability
of services all the time.

•

Laws such as the Censorship and Entertainment Controls Act, Official Secrets Act, sections of the
Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, Interception of Communications Act, among others,
should be reviewed and aligned with the Constitution.

•

The government including the police and other state security agents, should unequivocally
condemn media freedom violations to ensure the safety and security of journalists by bringing the

18

Select target paragraph3