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Zimbabwe: Freedom of the Press Long Gone

The government-controlled Media and Information Commission (MIC) has threatened the recently launched independent publication "Weekly Times" that it risks imminent closure for allegedly misleading the commission on the thrust of its editorial policy. - AllAfrica

Zimbabwean journalists caught practicing without being accredited by the Media and Information Commission (MIC) now risk two years imprisonment following the signing of the requisite amendment bill by President Robert Mugabe.. - AllAfrica

The United States has condemned new media laws in Zimbabwe that will see unlicensed journalists jailed for up to two years. - ABC News

Zimbabwe is treated like a pariah state because of President Robert Mugabe's mismanagement of the economy and repressive security laws, opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai said during a regional tour. - Reuters

Zimbabwe is a country where courageous internet writers are likely to be the only ones able to communicate truthfully about the repressive and corrupt government. One such writer who deserves to be read is Cathy Buckle. In her Jan. 8 update she names the long list of notables who won't be participating in the upcoming March election, having been suspended or arrested by the government. "So, as the elections get close and the Zanu PF primaries get closer, Zimbabweans are getting a good look at what has really been going on for the last five years," she writes.

The webmaster of her site has posted a long message describing the tyrannical state of the government and the famine facing its citizens. Here is an excerpt:

Democracy, as understood by the "free" world, no longer exists in Zimbabwe. Huge swathes of the countryside have been turned into "no go" areas by the ruling party's thugs who are now known as "war veterans". This means that no news, other than Government spin doctoring, comes forth. When the ugly truth finally does come out, the world will be horrified. The truth is that there is absolutely no rule of law. The elections which were held in March 2002 were rigged by the ruling party. Currently, ZanuPF are illegitimately "ruling" the country. Human rights abuses have continued unabated. Cathy Buckle is just one of the people who have the courage and conviction to let the world know what she sees and experiences on a daily basis.
The reality is that while you read this, crimes against humanity are in progress and very little, if anything, is being done to stop this madness. State sponsored terror and anarchy continues unabated.....

You may well ask what you can do to help. If you live in a free and democratic country, all Zimbabweans would ask is that you make your concerns known to your representatives in Government and urge them to put pressure on the government of Zimbabwe.

This is a perfect opportunity for bloggers, who want to make a difference, to write about the plight of the suffering and persecuted people of Zimbabwe.

News Sources for Zimbabwe: