US embassy cable - 02HARARE1564

UNCLAS HARARE 001564 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/PD, AF/S, AF/RA 
NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
PARIS FOR NEARLY 
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, KPAO, ZI 
SUBJECT: ANOTHTER MEDIA TRIAL BEGINS 
 
 
  1.   The trial for independent "Daily News" reporter 
      Lloyd Mudiwa, charged with violating the country's 
      controversial Access to Information and Protection of 
      Privacy Act (AIPPA), opens in Harare on June 20. 
      Mudiwa is accused of having abused journalistic 
      privilege by reporting false information.  His trial 
      comes hard on the heels of Andrew Meldrum's trial that 
      opened in Harare last week, also facing similar 
      charges.  Meldrum, an U.S. national writing for 
      Britain's "Guardian" newspaper, reproduced an article 
      by Lloyd Mudiwa carried in the "Daily News" newspaper 
      in April about a "beheaded woman."  The story has since 
      been disproved. 
 
  2.   Meanwhile, Andrew Meldrum, the first journalist to 
      be tried under AIPPA, yesterday sought High Court 
      permission to have his case referred to the Supreme 
      Court of Zimbabwe as a constitutional matter.  He is 
      challenging the constitutionality of AIPPA.  Yesterday 
      the magistrate reserved judgment on the application, 
      saying she needed time to examine the documents filed 
      by Meldrum before making a ruling. 
 
  3.   In the meantime, journalists from Zimbabwe's 
      private media this week vowed to defy a requirement 
      that they register under a government-appointed media 
      commission.  According to an article carried in the 
      June 20 edition of the independent weekly "The 
      Financial Gazette," members of the Independent 
      Journalists Association of Zimbabwe (IAJ) resolved not 
      to comply with the Media Commission requirements that 
      journalists apply for accreditation.  Zimbabwe's 
      journalists and media houses were given until June 16 
      to accredit or register with the Mahoso commission or 
      risk being prosecuted for violating AIPPA provisions. 
 
  4.   Under headline "Zimbabwe journalism goes on trial 
      today," the independent daily "The Daily News" 
      dedicated its June 20 editorial to the significance of 
      the Mudiwa trial. 
 
      "Today, our reporter Lloyd Mudiwa appears in 
      court, charged under the AIPPA.  It is `The 
      Daily News' on trial. . .  The result, either 
      way, will set a precedent with a potential to 
      change the manner in which we speak or speak out 
      against anything in our beleaguered country. . . 
      The consequences of Mudiwa's case, preceded by 
      that of Andrew Meldrum. . . are set to resonate 
      beyond our borders.  They threaten to change the 
      face of our journalism." 
 
SULLIVAN