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A ZIMBABWEAN journalist banned from practising for a year by a government commission has launched an appeal in the high court to have the ban lifted, his lawyer said Friday.

Brian Hungwe, a former correspondent for the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) who now is a freelancer, was accused by the government’s media and information commission of practising without mandatory accreditation.

"We have filed an urgent chamber application in the high court for an order to declare the ban null and void and that my client be authorised to practise on the same terms as other journalists," lawyer Selby Hwacha told AFP.

"The ban is clearly unlawful. Our client applied for his accreditation last year but it was denied without explanation."

Hwacha said Hungwe applied for accreditation in January last year and in July he was ordered to appear for a hearing in connection with the application.

But without appearing before any disciplinary body, Hungwe received a letter from the media commission saying it had found him guilty of breaching the section of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

Following the passing of the media law in 2002, several foreign correspondents have been thrown out of the country and journalists from the independent press arrested and detained.

Under the law, journalists can only practise after getting accreditation from the media and information commission. Failure to get accredited carries a jail sentence of up to two years, but there have been no convictions so far. - AFP
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