Zimbabwe Media Commission Accepting Media Applications

Harare, - The Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) said on Friday it was ready to receive applications from journalists and media organisations starting on Tuesday, May 4.

"The Zimbabwe Media Commission wishes to announce to all concerned stakeholders that the 2010 fees for registration of mass media service providers and accreditation of journalists have been gazetted and the Commission is now ready to receive applications," said a statement signed by the chair, Godfrey Majonga.

"The Commission is calling upon all media service providers and journalists to renew their registration certificates and accreditation status in line with Section 66 and Section 79 of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) respectively. The Commission will start receiving applications for renewal of registration certificate by mass media service providers and renewal of accreditation status on Tuesday , 4 May 2010."

Majonga said the deadline for the renewal of registration is Friday June 4, 2010 adding that failure to renew applications and registrations in time will attract penalties according to AIPPA.

The ZMC announced in a government gazette published on Friday that local mass media news organisations will be required to pay an application fee of US 500 dollars, registration fee of US 1500 dollars while the renewal of registration will be US 1000 dollars.

Application and registration for news agencies will be US 1300 dollars per year and the renewal of registration will be US 500 dollars.

Local journalists will pay a total of US 30 dollars to work in the country while local journalists working for foreign media will be required to pay a total of US 120 dollars down from the US 3000 dollars that the now defunct Media Information Commission (MIC) used to charge. Temporary accreditation of foreign journalists is pegged at US 120 dollars.

Foreign media organisations or news agencies who are willing to set office in the country are expected to pay a total of USD 2500 dollars down from about USD 30 000 per year while those from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) will pay USD 1250.