Not just SA's media that's under fire

By Levi Kabwato

From a distance, the ongoing debate about the ANC’s Media Appeals Tribunal proposal seems unrelated to the discomforting comments made by Malawi’s president, Professor Bingu wa Mutharika, that he will close down all newspapers (read media) that report and continue to report that at least one million Malawians are facing hunger in his country.

Indeed, the media tribunal debate and its sidekick, the Protection of Information Bill, reflect the sinister motives we have seen in countries like Zimbabwe via the draconian Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act. The truth, however, is that there are gaps in the debates and discussions in these countries.

Such gaps reveal missed opportunities, mainly by regional civil-society organisations to engage with each other and other stakeholders in order to amplify their voices on key concerns arising in the SADC region. The ideal, perhaps, would have been the initiation of a seamless exchange of information and best practices throughout the region against developments in South Africa, Malawi and what we have known all along about Zimbabwe. This exchange would then inform the submission of more coherent, substantive and articulate arguments supporting and highlighting the importance of a free media not only in one specific country but the whole region.

There is no doubt that media, as the “fourth power” in a democracy plays a vital “watchdog” role, although certain isolated cases of bad journalism have, unfortunately, given credence to notions that the media are more “lapdogs” than the former. But to their credit, the media in South Africa, Malawi and Zimbabwe have not objected to being accountable. What is debated is to whom the media must be accountable — certainly not politicians!

This openness to accountability has quashed the idea from certain governments that the media view themselves as institutions whose rights to freedom of expression supersede all other rights. The right to freedom of expression is not absolute; it must somehow co-exist with other rights in society so that the rule of law and order prevail.

What cannot be trivialised, however, is the importance of the unrestricted and uninterrupted flow of information in and out of society so that those who engage with it may be able to make informed decisions should they be brought to a place where such is required.

And, looking at where the SADC region seems to be headed, there will be many occasions where critical information needs to be in ample supply for its citizens to make informed decisions. Take for instance the SADC Heads of State Summit held in Namibia last month. Civil-society organisations were denied permission, by the Namibian authorities, to march peacefully to express their displeasure at how the affairs of SADC are being run. In cases such as these and in a region that is still struggling to join the bandwagon of possibilities presented by new information and communication technologies, the mainstream media become the only alternative to express those views.

But if there are any lessons to be learnt from the Namibian incident they are: the need to have one solid position as a unit and two, the importance of standing in solidarity with each other. A fragmented regional civil society will always fail to coin a broader view and develop sound analyses.

So, if we cannot see President Jacob Zuma as more than just the South African president but lead facilitator in the Zimbabwe mediation process; Mugabe as a man whose reign is equivalent to the existence of SADC itself and Mutharika as Chair of the African Union for instance, engaging these individuals at a lesser level will quickly turn into hot air and yield absolutely nothing while the region burns.

Rather than continuing to dismiss SADC as an “old boys club” and decrying its reluctance to implement agreements and protocols, it’s time for regional civil-society organisations to do some deep and meaningful soul-searching, identify improved ways of managing relationships and counteracting attempts by ill-disciplined governments to erode democratic practices.

Levi Kabwato is the media and communications officer for the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition’s regional office — [email protected]