Introduction
The Zimbabwe government gazetted the Commentary on the Zimbabwe Media Commission
Bill (hereinafter the Bill) on 9 August 2019. This relatively short Bill seeks to give effect to
Sections 61, 248 and 249 of Zimbabwe’s 2013 Constitution. Section 61 of the Constitution is
on the right to freedom of expression and freedom of the media while Sections 248 and 249
set out the establishment, composition, and functions of the Zimbabwe Media Commission.
In addition to giving effect to the constitutional provisions set out above, the Bill also seeks
to regularise the establishment of the Zimbabwe Media Commission. The Zimbabwe Media
Commission was originally established in terms of the Access to Information and Protection
of Privacy Act (hereinafter AIPPA) when the law was introduced in 2001. The composition
and functions of the Zimbabwe Media Commission are set out in AIPPA.
Chapter 12 of the Constitution lists the Zimbabwe Media Commission as one of the
country’s independent Commissions set up to support democracy in Zimbabwe. Once
passed into law, the current Bill will replace those parts of AIPPA that deal with the
Zimbabwe Media Commission and its functions.

Summary of the Bill
Definition of terms
Section 2 of the Bill is the Interpretation clause which defines some of the terms used in the
Bill. It is important to note that “media” is defined widely enough to include information
disseminated by any media service to the public including information sent over “the
internet or any other electronic means.” Confusingly, a “media service” is defined as “any
public or private service for the provision of information to the general public through the
media.” It remains to be seen whether this wide definition of media will include sharing of
information on private platforms such as Facebook Live, YouTube and Twitter’s Periscope.
Interestingly, the Bill does not define the term journalist; rather the Bill defines the term
“media practitioner.” A media practitioner is defined as “a person engaged in the writing,
editing or transmitting of news and information to the public, and includes broadcaster, a
journalist, and an editor.” This wide definition is welcome and takes into account the fact
that the media freedoms set out in Section 61 of the Constitution are not just reserved for

2

Select target paragraph3