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