MEDIA REGISTRATION DEADLINE POSTPONED

UNCLAS HARARE 002370 SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/PD, AF/S, AF/RA NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER LONDON FOR GURNEY PARIS FOR NEARY NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PHUM KPAO KMDR ZI SUBJECT: MEDIA REGISTRATION DEADLINE POSTPONED ¶1. According to media reports, the government- appointed Media Commission has postponed the deadline for registration of journalist and media organizations to November 21, 2002. The original deadline was October 31. ¶2. According to a report in the October 28 edition of the independent daily "The Daily News," Media Commission Chairman Dr. Tafataona Mahoso announced the new deadline in a letter to the President of the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ). Mahoso's letter was in response to ZUJ questions about the murky registration and accreditation process for journalists and media organizations. ¶3. ZUJ criticized the accreditation process as "intrusive" and sought clarification on why the Media Commission required information about applicants' physical address, fax number, e-mail address, cell phone, passport and drivers license numbers. ZUJ Secretary General Luke Tamborinyoka characterized the application as an "intelligence gathering document." SULLIVAN