Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (Zimbabwe)

Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act
Parliament of Zimbabwe
  • An Act to provide members of the public with a right of access to records and information held by public bodies; to make public bodies accountable by giving the public a right to request correction of misrepresented personal information; to prevent the unauthorised collection, use or disclosure of personal information by public bodies; to protect personal privacy; to provide for the regulation of the mass media; to establish a Media and Information Commission and to provide for matters connected therewith or incidental to the foregoing.
CitationChapter 10:27
Enacted byParliament of Zimbabwe
Commenced15 March 2002
Repealed1 July 2020
Amends
Official Secrets Act
Repealed by
Freedom of Information Act, 2020
Status: Repealed

The Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) was passed in 2002 by the Zimbabwean Parliament under the majority of the Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU–PF) and Former President Robert Mugabe.[1][2]

Amendments were made in 2003 concerning the definition of mass media services, journalistic abuses and heads of offices (Media Institute of Southern Africa, 2003) and 2005 with regard to the imprisonment of journalists[3] According to the official Zimbabwean government position, Canada’s information legislation served as an inspiration for the AIPPA[4] However, the non-governmental organisation ARTICLE 19 suggests, it was rather the context of the growing opposition party and the nearly electoral defeat of the ruling ZANU-PF in 2000 pushing for more restrictive laws on independent and government media.[5]

The AIPPA shall provide a legal framework for the access and conduct of requesting information from public bodies and privacy as well as for the regulation of mass media by the establishment of a Media and Information Commission.[6] Especially the latter is subject to harsh critique from various governments, non-governmental organisations and the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression because of severe media restrictions.[3] Following the massive critique, David Banisar stated that AIPPA is a rather cynic name for a media suppressing law.[3]

  1. ^ MISA-Zimbabwe and ARTICLE 19, 'The Access To Information And Protection Of Privacy Act: Two Years On' (www.article19.org, 2004) https://www.article19.org/data/files/pdfs/publications/zimbabwe-aippa-report.pdf accessed 18 March 2017.
  2. ^ The Access to Information and Privacy Act 2002
  3. ^ a b c David Banisar, 'FREEDOM OF INFORMATION AROUND THE WORLD 2006' (www.humanrightsinitiative.org, 2006) http://www.humanrightsinitiative.org/programs/ai/rti/international/laws_papers/intl/global_foi_survey_2006.pdf accessed 18 March 2017.
  4. ^ AFRICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN AND PEOPLES’ RIGHTS, 'SEVENTEENTH ANNUAL ACTIVITY REPORT OF THE AFRICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN AND PEOPLES’ RIGHTS 2003 - 2004' (www.achpr.org, 2004) http://www.achpr.org/files/activity-reports/17/achpr34and35_actrep17_20032004_eng.pdf accessed 18 March 2017.
  5. ^ MISA-Zimbabwe and ARTICLE 19, 'The Access To Information And Protection Of Privacy Act: Two Years On' (www.article19.org, 2004) https://www.article19.org/data/files/pdfs/publications/zimbabwe-aippa-report.pdf accessed 18 March 2017.
  6. ^ The Access To Information and Privacy Act 2002, c. 5