Address by H.E. Sten Rylander on the World Press Freedom Day Commemorations in Masvingo

Ladies and Gentlemen, Colleagues and Friends,
It is indeed an honour and great pleasure for me to be the guest speaker at this year’s World Press Freedom Day Commemorations here in Masvingo under the theme, “Rebuild the, media, Rebuild Zimbabwe”. One reason for inviting me may be the fact that Sweden has a very long and admired tradition of freedom of the press in the world today – going back to the 1766 Freedom of the Press Act; a law which has undergone a number of modifications since then, but its fundamental core values have always remained the same.

The World Press Freedom Day was established by the UN General Assembly in 1993. Its decision to set aside the date each year for the event stemmed from the 19991 UNESCO General Conference resolution on promotion of press freedom in the world, which recognized that a free, pluralistic and independent press was an essential component of any democratic society. The World Press Freedom Day reminds us all – governments, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations as well as civil society – of the crucial role a free press plays in strengthening democracies and fostering development around the world.

Freedom of expression is neither a gift nor a political concession; it is a fundamental human right enshrined in article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Restrictions on the freedom of expression hampers the democratic development needed for poverty reduction and human rights for all. It is only through a free press that it is possible to hear the voice of the weak and small. Thus, the observance of the World Press Freedom Day is not only a way of saying ‘yes’ to a free press, but also ‘yes’ to democracy, ‘yes’ to human rights, and ‘yes’ to development.

Colleagues and friends,

We are meeting at a very critical time when Zimbabwe is going through a difficult time of transition. There is a lot of tension, confusion, polarity and anxiety in the country. As we have witnessed, there is a lot of media attention on Zimbabwe. The media in all parts of the world are following the developments and the situation in Zimbabwe with a keen interest. Journalists have a critical role to play during this critical phase in the country. It is important for ideas and information to travel freely and every citizen should have the right to receive and impart information and express her/ himself. In times like now, journalists can give a voice to those who would otherwise remain unheard, tell stories that otherwise would remain untold. They can construct conduits between those trapped in conflict zones and those outside. In conflicts and times of instability, the presence of journalists could prevent atrocities. Journalists can sense a conflict ahead and alert the world to the need for preventive measures to avoid tragedy. During this transition time, the media can positively contribute to providing accurate and relevant information vital for people to make well informed choices and develop informed views. Journalists have a special role in ensuring that every Zimbabwean receives information and has the freedom to express themselves. Denying people accurate and balanced information results in democratic deficits and recessions in development. A free and independent press is the backbone of strong, functioning societies, and a lifeline to progress itself.
It is saddening to note that journalists in Zimbabwe face harassment, intimidation, imprisonment and physical assault. We strongly condemn such attacks and the World Press Freedom Day is also an opportunity for all of us to pay tribute to the media professionals who have faced danger in line of duty over the past year. On this day I salute all the journalists whose pursuit of truth and information has taken them into harm’s way. I applaud their bravery in the face of danger; admire their tenacity in pursuing the facts and pay tribute to their professionalism in very difficult circumstances. Translating the principles of press freedom into practice is no easy matter, and it is sometimes constrained by unlawful confinement, threats and intimidation. We need to strengthen our resolve to ensure the safety and security of journalists throughout the country. The intimidation and harassment of journalists can have a chilling effect on society at thereby stifling dissent and debate. Such attacks must not be tolerated. Their perpetrators must be brought to justice.

Journalism always involves difficult choices but situations of conflict raise the level of intensity, leading journalists into a veritable minefield of issues: objectivity versus propaganda; skepticism versus chauvinism; big picture context versus dramatic images; the struggle by reporters to balance the need for objectivity with the benefits of access from being ‘embedded’ with various sides in the conflict; the need to convey the impact of conflict, particularly on the lives of ordinary people and the vulnerable. Journalists should, however ensure that they are professional and report without fear or favour. I also urge journalists to be courageous in the face of the difficulties and pressures characterizing the present situation in Zimbabwe.

We should use the World Press Freedom Day to call for action on the issue of inflammatory messages or hate media. We have seen that in the past year some sections of the media in Zimbabwe have sometimes used such techniques; and both I myself and the good country which I represent have in some instances been victims of this, e g under the column of Nathaniel Manheru. This has also been extended to other international actors- often misplaced in the category of ‘enemies and detractors’- and to various groups in the country who happen to hold different views. In Rwanda, and in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the world saw genocide and crimes against humanity, triggered, in part, by nationalistic and ethnocentric hate campaigns, propagated through the mass media. Zimbabwe today can certainly not be compared with these other country situations, but we should nevertheless always keep these extreme cases in mind. More recently, during the Zimbabwean election campaign and thereafter, some media outlets began to use what were widely regarded as inflammatory messages, political manipulation, unsubstantiated claims, and incitement to violence against individuals and groups. Such misuse of information can have very serious consequences. This whole situation could have been worse without the concessions made under the SADC mediation efforts.

We applaud the positive changes in AIPPA that were brought about through the mediation talks. It was indeed a positive step for the various political players to be awarded space through various media outlets. It was however disheartening to witness the bias of state owned media. According to studies made by the Media Monitoring Project of Zimbabwe, whereas there was a slight improvement in the coverage of the opposition, there was still strong bias in favour of the government and the ruling party. We were also concerned by the clampdown on foreign journalists; this reversed the gains which had been made under the mediation talks. We strongly believe that the government should have allowed international journalists to come and witness the elections and give an accurate picture of the situation in the country.

Dear Friends,

There is need for continued and more radical reform in the media sector so that Zimbabwe can catch up with the outside world. There is the proliferation of so-called new media, new technologies and new ways of distributing content; information has become far more accessible. It is also becoming more diverse. Mainstream media reporting, for example, is being supplemented by ‘participatory media’ such as blogs. It is important for Zimbabwe to also benefit from these global trends, but this can prove to be a challenge if the legal framework for the media is still repressive. I also note with serious concern that there is a total lack of community based radios in Zimbabwe. The absence of community based radios hinders development and poverty reduction efforts and we take this day to call for the opening of the waves and the granting of operating licenses to community radio stations.

My government strongly supports the freedom of expression and the media in general world. In Zimbabwe Sweden has supported MISA and various other media organizations. We are currently in the process of designing support to the Voluntary Media Council Of Zimbabwe, which we envisage will ensure self regulation within the media sector. We remain committed to supporting media organizations in Zimbabwe and we align ourselves with all on-going efforts by the international community to support the growth and development of a free and professional media in Zimbabwe.

I urge the government to reaffirm its commitment to the right to ‘seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers’, as set out in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. I also would like to assure the media fraternity in Zimbabwe and the generality of Zimbabweans that we are in solidarity with them during these difficult times. Together we will rebuild the media, together we will rebuild Zimbabwe.

Thank you, siyabonga, tatenda!.