A ZIMBABWEAN daily newspaper and two international news organisations banned from officially reporting from Zimbabwe have been granted permission to operate legally in the country again by the government.
The Zimbabwean Daily Newswas granted a new licence to operate on Thursday by a special committee charged with reviewing the case of the newspaper, which was banned in 2003 by President Robert Mugabe's regime for its criticism of the veteran leader.
The lifting of the ban came a day after the BBC and CNN were also given leave by the transitional government to officially resume operations. Both organisations were expelled from the country in 2001 for their coverage of Mr Mugabe’s controversial land reform programme.
The BBC’s world news editor, Jon Williams, said he was pleased that news organisations could once again resume operations in the southern African country. “I hope we may be able to open a bureau in Harare and we can report from Zimbabwe as we do from most other places around the world,” he said.
“For now, we’re pleased at being able to operate openly in Zimbabwe once again – our presence there this week [correspondent Andrew Harding was reporting on the healing process] is a welcome, constructive and important first step.”
The easing of media restrictions has also coincided with the first meeting of the National Security Council (NSC), a new high-level committee the transitional government partners agreed to form to replace the Joint Operations Command (JOC), loyal to Mugabe.
The JOC, comprising senior generals and Zanu-PF members, was said to be the driving force behind the political violence that broke out following the March general elections last year and left more than 200 opposition supporters dead.
Under the terms of the powersharing deal, the NSC should meet once a month during the lifespan of the transitional government, formed last February, to discuss security issues. But this has failed to happen because many of the generals loyal to Mugabe are against Zanu-PF sharing power with the Movement for Democratic Change parties.
This week’s meeting was attended by Mr Mugabe, prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai, senior generals and government ministers.
Security minister Sydney Sekeremayi told journalists the meeting “was very warm, very cordial and very inclusive”.
The granting of independent media licences and the formation of the NSC have been received with cautious optimism by some observers, who hope the terms of the powersharing deal are finally being adhered to by Zanu-PF hardliners, who have struggled to abide by the terms of the agreement.
Zimbabwe needs up to $9 billion from donors to kick-start its shattered economy, but western governments are insisting that political reforms need to materialise before money would be forthcoming.