Zim 'undermines press freedom'

2005-12-10 10:59

Johannesburg - Print Media SA (PMSA), the publishers' lobby, on Friday condemned the confiscation of the passport of Mail and Guardian publisher Trevor Ncube.

Zimbabwean immigration officials took away Ncube's passport shortly after he arrived in Bulawayo from South Africa on Thursday.

A recent constitutional change passed in Zimbabwe allows the government to confiscate passports of citizens it believes are undermining its "national interest".

"Print Media SA believes that this action is a move on the part of the Zimbabwean government to subdue any criticism against it," the PMSA said.

Ncube is also the publisher of Zimbabwe's Standard and Zimbabwe Independent, two newspapers which have been critical of the Zimbabwean government and its policies.

Under the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, Zimbabwean authorities have arrested journalists and closed down newspapers critical of state policies.

"PMSA believes that this action further undermines the principles of freedom of expression and freedom of the press in Zimbabwe," the lobby group added.

Ncube is a past president of PMSA and a board member, till November this year, of the World Association of Newspapers.

PMSA president Connie Molusi said the move was a flagrant assault on the media and freedom of expression and implored the Zimbabwean government to revoke the action that, he said, virtually put Ncube under house arrest without due process.

"We are very concerned that this action not only interferes with Mr Ncube's rights of free movement as a citizen, but also restricts his activities as an accomplished publisher of several newspaper titles in Southern Africa," Molusi said.

The German dpa news agency reported that Ncube appeared to be the first person to have his travel documents taken away from him under the constitutional amendment.

- SAPA