Leo Mugabe. While the MCZ was launched the structure was left unfinished and is now set for completion in May 2007. A draft code of conduct and constitution was compiled, presented and subjected to scrutiny, criticism and further input during more than 40 meetings that were held throughout the country to ensure ownership of the two documents by key stakeholders. The Harare government has however been diving and ducking on its commitment to amend or revisit AIPPA whenever the issue is brought up at the Africa Commission for Human and People’s Rights’ (ACHPR) sessions in Banjul, The Gambia. Only as recently as November 2006 Margaret Chiduku, Director of Policy and Legal Research in the Ministry of Justice advised the Commission that government had consented to a self-regulatory mechanism for media practitioners in Zimbabwe and that the launch of the Media Council of Zimbabwe would go a long way in addressing concerns around the repressive media environment as epitomised by AIPPA and POSA. The government supported the process up until it was about to be launched whenh Hon Leo Mugabe, and the Acting Minister of Information declining an invitation to the launch. This type of behaviour exposes the serious policy inconsistency and hypocrisy on the part of the government vis-à-vis its commitments to the ACHPR. More than anything else the project has proved that Zimbabwean journalists are more than prepared to reclaim the credibility and integrity of the profession through a publicly acknowledged and acceptable accountable mechanism. This was evidenced by the favorable coverage of the project by the state-controlled Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation in the run-up to the convention MISA continues to support journalists unions and press clubs in the region. Lesotho is in the process of negotiating with UNICEF for the funding of the country’s press clubs. Malawi participated and ensured that the Journalists Union of Malawi (JUMA) hold its national consultative workshop where an interim committee was elected. JUMA’s Constitution has been drafted through a consultative process and is awaiting adoption by a general assembly. MISAZimbabwe also continued to support the various press clubs in that country 4.1.1 Unplanned Activities A major activity that MISA held during the year that was not in the work plan was the southern Africa media development consultative forum. The media development conference was held as a follow up the Global media development conference where delegates from southern Africa decided that there was a need for wider consultation on media development issues in the region. The forum was held in conjunction with United Nations Economic Forum for Africa (UNECA) who was holding such consultative forums all over Africa to come up with a strategy on how to strengthen Africa’s media to submit to the DFID. As a result of this process MISA is in the steering committee of the Strengthening Africa’s Media Initiative which is seeking to establish a continental media development Fund. 4.2. Media Awards As a way of recognizing excellence in journalism in the region MISA continued to award those who excelled in the field. In the year under review MISA gave the MISA Press Freedom award to veteran Malawian journalist and long time freedom of expression activist Al Osman of Capital Radio. MISA recognized Osman for his pioneering spirit as he was on of those involved in the crafting of the Windhoek Declaration in 1991. His pioneering spirit is still evident. He is the current publicity secretary of the Malawi Editors Forum. At present he is challenging the Malawi government over the Protected Names Emblems Flags and Places Act which makes it unlawful to undertake any act that may Annual Report 2006 33