MEDIA REPORT INFORMATION ACT; HARARE

UNCLAS HARARE 000808 SIPDIS AF/PD FOR COX AND ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR KRAFT AND SCHLACHTER, AF/RA FOR SWANN, INR/R/MR, NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ZI PREL PHUM SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT INFORMATION ACT; HARARE ¶1. THE INDEPENDENT DAILY "THE DAILY NEWS" FACES LEGAL ACTION AFTER ALLEGEDLY CONTRAVENING CERTAIN SECTIONS OF THE RECENTLY ENACTED ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND PROTECTION OF PRIVACY ACT. ACCORDING TO FRONT-PAGE ARTICLES PUBLISHED IN THE MARCH 27 EDITIONS OF THE "DAILY NEWS" AND THE GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED DAILY "THE HERALD," INFORMATION MINISTER JONATHAN MOYO HAS THREATENED TO BRING CHARGES AGAINST "DAILY NEWS" EDITOR-IN-CHIEF GEOFFREY NYAROTA FOR "CONTINUED MISREPRESENTATION." MOYO SAYS THAT THE DAILY NEWS KNOWINGLY PUBLISHED A FALSE STORY IN ITS MARCH 22 REPORT THAT THE JOINT AFRICAN CARIBBEAN PACIFIC- EUROPEAN UNION PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY PASSED A RESOLUTION CALLING FOR A RE-RUN OF THE PRESIDENTIAL POLL IN ZIMBABWE. MOYO HAS ASKED THE PAPER TO MAKE A PUBLIC CORRECTION OF THE "DELIBERATE FALSEHOOD" OR FACE LEGAL ACTION IN TERMS OF THE ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND PROTECTION OF PRIVACY ACT. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THE CONTROVERSIAL ACT HAS BEEN INVOKED SINCE IT WAS ENACTED ON MARCH 15. ¶2. IN RESPONSE TO MOYO'S LETTER, NYAROTA IS QUOTED IN A FRONT PAGE ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN THE MARCH 27 EDITION OF THE "DAILY NEWS" AS SAYING: "I WOULD RATHER GO TO JAIL, IF IT PLEASES THE HONORABLE MINISTER, THAN BE FORCED BY HIM TO PUBLICLY CORRECT A STORY THAT IS 100 PERCENT CORRECT. IF MOYO GENUINELY BELIEVES HE CAN INTIMIDATE 'THE DAILY NEWS' IN THIS MANNER THEN IT IS PATENTLY CLEAR HE FAILS COMPLETELY TO COMPREHEND HOW MUCH THE PAPER VALUES ITS INDEPENDENCE." SULLIVAN UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HARARE 00808 271503Z UNCLASSIFIED >