State of the media in Southern Africa - 2003 UPDATE • DATE: September 19, 2003 PERSONS/INSTITUTIONS: Daily News VIOLATIONS: Censored (update) O n September 19 2003, the MIC unanimously decided not to grant a licence to the ANZ, arguing that the group had been publishing illegally. In its ruling, the MIC said the ANZ filed its application for registration eight and a half months after expiry of the December 31 2002 registration deadline. The commission further said that the ANZ openly announced that it would not register, as it considered the AIPPA to be unconstitutional. UPDATE • DATE: September 19, 2003 PERSONS/INSTITUTIONS: Daily News VIOLATIONS: Censored (update) T he banned independent newspaper The Daily News will appeal to the Administrative Court to overturn the Media and Information Commission’s (MIC) decision not to grant it a licence. Gugulethu Moyo, director of corporate affairs of the Associated Newspapers Group (ANZ), which publishes The Daily News, said the group would file an appeal with the Administrative Court. Moyo said the ANZ will also argue that the MIC is improperly constituted, as no media houses or journalists’ associations were consulted when it was appointed. Media houses and journalist’s associations are supposed to nominate three people to sit on the MIC, according to provisions of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA). • DATE: September 19, 2003 PERSONS/INSTITUTIONS: Media in Zimbabwe VIOLATIONS: Victory (positive judgement) O n September 19 2003, the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe declared unconstitutional certain sections of the Broadcasting Services Act (BSA) that gave the Minister of Information and Publicity the power to licence would-be broadcasters. The Supreme Court struck down Section 6 of the BSA, which made the minister the licencing authority. • DATE: September 23, 2003 PERSONS/INSTITUTIONS: Daily News, MISA-Zimbabwe VIOLATIONS: Censored (update) O n September 23 2003, the Associated Newspapers Group (ANZ), publishers of The Daily News and The Daily News on Sunday newspapers, filed an application with the Administrative Court challenging the Media and Information Commission’s (MIC) refusal to grant them an operating licence. • DATE: September 23, 2003 PERSONS/INSTITUTIONS: Daily News, MISA-Zimbabwe VIOLATIONS: Censored O n September 23, MISA-Zimbabwe filed an application with the High Court, challenging certain sections of the AIPPA. The director of the Attorney General’s Office’s Civil Division, Loyce Matanda-Moyo, confirmed that MISA-Zimbabwe had filed the application. So This Is Democracy? 2003 125 Media Institute of Southern Africa