Tinashe Mungazi
NON-governmental organisations in Hwange district have welcomed the enactment of the Freedom of Information Act saying the move will go a long way in facilitating the implementation of development programmes while strengthening citizens’ rights.
Speaking in wide ranging interviews, the organisations told The Zambezi Times that the new law, which replaced the repealed Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA), would go a long way in capacitating them and communities towards developing holistic interventions.
Under the new law, every citizen or journalist can approach public bodies to access information unlike its predecessor, which had many restrictions including criminalizing journalism.
Women’s rights activist and Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe (WCoZ) Matabeleland North chapter chairperson, Catherine Madondo said the Act would ensure communities were capacitated to demand their rights based on the access to information.
“We welcome this move, it’s going to be of great benefit to us as organisations and women’s advocates. We need to see how we can assist our women with the assistance of relevant government departments. When citizens gain access to information they can now be able to participate in development and demand accountability. Access to information will also better prepare and strengthen women in leadership positions,” said Madondo.
Ruth Bikwa, the director of Hwange based child rights organisation, Hopeville Zimbabwe concurred that the Act would ensure that proper planning is done in terms of actual interventions based on correct information from relevant government sources.
“The challenge we were faced with as an organisation in accessing information were the protocols involved that are rather too long and in some cases you feel maybe you are prying into some information that you are not supposed to get when in actual fact you want the real numbers that are involved.
“For example when we want to write our funding proposal we really want the actual statistics and situation on the ground and you know with proposals there are always deadlines. Therefore, if the protocol is long then it means that you might end up giving an average or an assumed statistics which will actually affect the resources mobilization to help,” Bikwa said.
She further said a lot needs to be done to ensure communities also benefit from this law in order to bring development.
“Access to information is just a basic right so you are able to raise your voice against certain things happening around you and deny you the right to access certain services. Without information then you cannot raise your voice. Unfortunately you find that the poorest communities don’t have that information and it affects their ability to exercise all their rights.”
Meanwhile, Bancane Media Trust director, Calvin Manika called on awareness campaigns on the new act to benefit the masses arguing that there was little publicity.
“As an organisation we have noted with concern that after the promulgation of the Act there was little to no publicity to raise awareness of the new law. In my view, negligence can be deliberate to maintain the old system which has caused us to have the same hiccups in obtaining information like before.
“Secondly, 21 days indicated on Section 8 of the Act is a long period which has delayed some of our urgent projects which the information officers would have failed to avail over the counter. Being a research and news agency on children issues our work requires a lot of information, therefore this Act means a new starting point in fulfilling our objectives in a regulated manner. All gaps closed, the Act is a milestone to the research fraternity,” said Manika.
He added that the new law would help his organisation to access official sources and impeccable records relevant to thematic areas thereby creating space for the children to be heard and seek information.
Tag a Life International Trust (TaLI) director, Nyaradzo Mashayamombe said the Act was important in that it sought to promote citizens’ rights to information especially in light of devolution.
“The new Act allows citizens such as women, girls, youths, vulnerable groups and all citizens to have access to information that can promote their rights. It is important to pursue information in the sense of devolution. Resources have been brought to the councils, closer to the ordinary citizen therefore people must have knowledge on how those resources are prioritized and being utilized by the local authorities. If information is shared, there is accountability from councils,” she said. The girls and young women focused organisation with support from FOJO Media Institute, Swedish Embassy and IMS recently launched a “My Freedom of Information (MFoI)” campaign to create awareness and promotion of access to information among the citizenry.
