Sunday Times reported to the police

The chairman of the Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) has deposed an affidavit to police against the Sunday Times.

ZMC chairman Godfrey Majonga recently reported the Sunday Times and The Zimbabwean newspaper to the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), seeking to bar the newspapers from entering and circulating in the country because they were not registered with the statutory media regulatory body.

In an affidavit deposed to police at Harare Central police station, Majonga said the Sunday Times and other foreign newspapers were carrying out newsgathering in the country without registration and licensing.

The ZMC chairperson complained to the police that journalists working for the Sunday Times were using false names and "do not respect the laws of the land".

"The ZMC is charged with the national constitutional responsibility to keep an accurate register of all mass media services operating in Zimbabwe and all journalists carrying out newsgathering in Zimbabwe at any time. Those registered must be accurate and up to date. The ways in which the Sunday Times and The Zimbabwean operate make it impossible for the ZMC to create and keep accurate registers in terms of the laws of Zimbabwe," reads Majonga's affidavit to the police.

Majonga also reported Munn Marketing, the distributor of the Sunday Times, to the police for allegedly playing the role of publisher of the South African weekly.

The ZMC boss charged that Munn Marketing had collected some registration forms on behalf of the Sunday Times from its offices, but the newspaper had not registered with the media policing body.

The ZMC, which issues operating licences to media houses and accredits journalists working locally, first threatened to ban the Sunday Times and other foreign newspapers circulating in the country earlier this month. The threat to stop the Sunday Times entering Zimbabwe signalled a renewed crackdown on the media.

Since 2000, journalists in Zimbabwe have been harassed for allegedly being against the government.

Sunday Times editor Ray Hartley said the newspaper was still waiting for a response to a letter written to the commission last year and delivered again this month.