Africa-Press – Mozambique. The Mozambican president wants to broaden the public debate on the legal framework for the press, broadcasting, the professional card system for journalists, and the establishment of an independent regulatory body, an industry source said on Monday.
At the end of a meeting with Daniel Chapo, the president of the Higher Council of the Mass Media (CSCS), Rogério Sitoe, stated that he had left with the idea that, “as the President of the Republic’s working method”, the intention is that “these matters should not remain confined to a group of people, no matter how expert they are, [but] that there should be a possibility of expanding and involving those interested in the processes”.
The Mozambican parliament has been trying for years to debate bills aimed at adapting the legal framework for media in Mozambique to the changes the country has undergone since the approval of the press law, in force since 1991.
In statements at the end of his meeting with the Mozambican president, Sitoe added that Daniel Chapo had demonstrated a willingness to see the media legal package move forward, calling for everyone’s efforts in drafting and presenting legal provisions that will then be debated in parliament.
“Furthermore, the President of the Republic is concerned that, when the time comes to move forward with these processes, the debate should be broadened somewhat so that it isn’t a closed, secretive issue. This is an issue that involves people who work in the media, an issue that involves other people with an interest in the media, so it can’t be something restricted to a group of people,” said the CSCS president.
The Mozambican government wants the new discussions, with the participation of a broad public, to also include reflections on the use of digital platforms, the transformation of the journalism industry, and the challenges of disinformation, which make it imperative to review and modernize the legal frameworks that regulate the Mozambican media sector.
On April 16 of this year, the Mozambican government promised to submit the proposed media and broadcasting laws for debate in the National Assembly, indicating that this is a commitment to improving the legal framework.
In 2021, at least five Mozambican civil society organizations called on parliament to remove several aspects of the proposed broadcasting and media laws, deeming them unconstitutional and a threat to the right to information and freedom of the press.
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