The Sunday Mail
Leroy Dzenga
THE European Union (EU) has hailed Zimbabwe for implementing media reforms, promising to continue providing support to the country’s efforts to improve its systems and processes in mass media.
Zimbabwe has been making strides in refining the media space and some of the achievements include the repeal of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) and enactment of the Freedom of Information of Act and the Zimbabwe Media Commission Act.
Speaking to The Sunday Mail on the sidelines of last week’s third session of the Zimbabwe-European Union Article 8 Political Dialogue in Harare, Head of EU Delegation to Zimbabwe, Ambassador Timo Olkonnen, said the changes in the media sector are encouraging.
“We had an extensive discussion on those reforms, we do acknowledge that there have been reforms taking place for example in the media sector, giving out licenses, the repeal of some restrictive legislation, but what is important is the consequences of what is happening in practice. The distribution of the licenses has to be free, fair and competitive, they should not favour others over others,” he said.
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Dr Frederick Shava said there is no plausible justification for EU to maintain sanctions on Zimbabwe, as relations between Harare and the EU have improved significantly.
“We want them to agree that their restrictive measures are in fact sanctions and we want them to remove these sanctions because they have no basis at all for them now.
“There are no strong disagreements we have with the EU which justifies the sanctions,” said Dr Shava.
The meeting was Dr Shava’s first political dialogue with the EU in his capacity as Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister.
He said he would continue from where his predecessor, the late Dr Sibusiso Moyo, left in pursuing the re-engagement agenda.
Dr Shava acknowledged the EU and its member states’ assistance in the fight against Covid-19.
The Cotonou Agreement, which is the principal treaty on which the talks are anchored, expires at the end of this year.
However, the EU says processes to bring in a successor agreement are already underway.
