MISA ANNUAL REPORT 2020 Impact The Minister of Information, Communication Technology Postal and Courier Services Jenfan Muswere agreed to consider amendments on the proposed Cybersecurity law during debate in parliament and that the government would relook clauses 2, 13, 17, 23 and 164 of the Bill. https:// www.herald.co.zw/cyber-bill-to-undergo-amendments/, Zimbabwe Media Commission Bill MISA Zimbabwe together with the Media Alliance of Zimbabwe held engagement and capacity building meetings with legislators notably those from the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Information, Media and Broadcasting Services, policy makers and media stakeholders on the Zimbabwe Media Commission Bill. Impact Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Ziyambi Ziyambi, who was steering the Bill on behalf of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister, Monica Mutsvangwa, conceded that there was no harm in removing the clause that allowed the police to assist in media investigations. This came after protracted and robust debate on the Bill in parliament. Former Chairperson of the Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Committee, Prince Dubeko Sibanda, acknowledged MISA Zimbabwe’s role in shaping the current media reform agenda. “We thank MISA Zimbabwe for their interventions. The Zimbabwe Media Commission Bill was perfected through the interventions of MISA Zimbabwe,” said Dubeko Sibanda. The interventions by MISA Zimbabwe improved the levels of debate and influenced other legislators to argue in favour of progressive media laws and the need for media co-regulation. The MP for Rushinga, Tendai Nyabani, is quoted in The Herald, as having been among the MPs that asserted the need for media co-regulation. “Rushinga MP, Cde Tendai Nyabani (Zanu PF), concurred with Cde Paradza, saying it was agreed during consultations that there be co-regulation through the Zimbabwe Media Council where practitioners played a critical role,” reported The Herald. Among the other agreed positions, was the need for the Bill to recognise the need for co-regulation of the media. This should then set the course for the proposed Zimbabwe Media Practitioners Bill which, if enacted into law, will foster media accountability and professionalism through a media co-regulatory mechanism together with the Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC). Media stakeholders under the auspices of the Media Alliance of Zimbabwe (MAZ), have since come up with the Draft Zimbabwe Media Practitioners Bill, which was widely welcomed by the media sector during nationwide consultative meetings on the proposed law. 11 https://zimbabwe.misa.org