New media organisation suspends Zim

SOUTHERN Africa’s media bosses have suspended Zimbabwe from an organisation that is yet to be officially established by the region’s editors.

The council of the Southern African Editors’ Forum (SAEF), which met in Windhoek at the weekend to adopt a constitution, kicked the Zimbabwean wing out after the editors of the private media there boycotted the national forum over their government’s clampdown down on press freedom. Eberhard Hofmann, a member of the council, said the SAEF would now send a team to Zimbabwe to investigate what he described as “tension” between State-owned and private media.”They are split,” said Hofmann, who added that only one person from Zimbabwe’s State-media attended the meeting in Windhoek.”The council meeting decided they could not accept the one-man delegation.The council felt this was not representative [of the Zimbabwean media],” he said.Media from other countries were represented on the council by a mix of State-owned and privately run organisations.Hofmann said the visit to Zimbabwe would be aimed at ensuring that the Zimbabwean editors’ forum is restored to SAEF membership.The SAEF council adopted the constitution so that the organisation can be officially launched by the end of the year, after an executive committee meeting polishes up the rest the formalities in August.The SEAF’s council held a two-day meeting at the weekend.Editors of various media discussed media freedom or the abuse of it, the training of journalists, media ethics and HIV-AIDS.Zimbabwe featured strongly in the media freedom discussion because of what is widely believed to be a clampdown on the independent media by President Robert Mugabe.Of the countries expected to be members of the SEAF, only Angola was missing.Eberhard Hofmann, a member of the council, said the SAEF would now send a team to Zimbabwe to investigate what he described as “tension” between State-owned and private media.”They are split,” said Hofmann, who added that only one person from Zimbabwe’s State-media attended the meeting in Windhoek.”The council meeting decided they could not accept the one-man delegation.The council felt this was not representative [of the Zimbabwean media],” he said.Media from other countries were represented on the council by a mix of State-owned and privately run organisations.Hofmann said the visit to Zimbabwe would be aimed at ensuring that the Zimbabwean editors’ forum is restored to SAEF membership.The SAEF council adopted the constitution so that the organisation can be officially launched by the end of the year, after an executive committee meeting polishes up the rest the formalities in August.The SEAF’s council held a two-day meeting at the weekend.Editors of various media discussed media freedom or the abuse of it, the training of journalists, media ethics and HIV-AIDS.Zimbabwe featured strongly in the media freedom discussion because of what is widely believed to be a clampdown on the independent media by President Robert Mugabe.Of the countries expected to be members of the SEAF, only Angola was missing.