Thabiso Nxumalo
Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) has urged media practitioners to practise professionalism as the country heads towards by-elections set for March 26 this year.
Speaking during a sensitisation workshop for journalists focusing on media and elections held in Masvingo at Chevron hotel on February 15, 2022, MISA Legal and ICT Officer, Nompilo Simanje said the media can make or break a nation, hence the need for professionalism and unbiased reporting.
“As the media, we must understand the power we possess, as we can sway the electorate and democracy of a country in any direction depending on how we report and as such we call on all journalists to be careful in the way they report especially during the elections.
“We must never at any time be biased and at the same time be bold and desist from the brown envelope syndrome which is a major culprit when dealing with politicians,” said Simanje.
She further said that the elections period is marred with the arrest and persecution of journalists and as MISA they are prepared to meet with various stakeholders such as the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) among others that the media often clash with in order to pave a smooth co-existence during elections.
“We have in the past, had run-ins between the media and ZRP and Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) during the election periods and as a media institution, we would like to see our journalists given space where they can safely and freely practise, that is why it is pivotal to engage these stakeholders as a way of coming up with a solution to this,” she added.
Simanje however urged media practitioners to strictly adhere to the profession’s ethics as well as reminding them of the legal obligations when reporting during elections.
This message comes barely a month after Permanent Secretary for Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Virginia Mabiza said no journalist has been arrested in Zimbabwe for doing their job during the Third Cycle Universal Periodic Review (UPR) by the United Nations Human Rights Council on January 26, 2022 in Geneva.
