The Supreme Court of Zimbabwe yesterday threw out an application by independent journalists seeking to have sections of a tough media law declared unconstitutional.

The Independent Journalists Association of Zimbabwe (IJAZ) had in 2002 sought to have portions of the law struck down, including a provision making it mandatory for all journalists to get accreditation from a government-appointed commission.

But the Supreme Court ruled that the clauses, which compel journalists to get accreditation from the body and allow the media commmission to develop and enforce a code of conduct, were constitutional.

Another section, which makes it a criminal offence for journalists to work without accreditation from the commission, was also upheld by the court.

The court only declared one section - which criminalises the abuse of journalistic privileges - unconstitutional.

But that section had already been amended following a similar ruling on a separate challenge.

Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku said three of the four sections being challenged "are hereby declared constitutional".

IJAZ lawyer Sternford Moyo said after the judgement was handed down, "What the court is effectively saying is that unless you are accredited, you cannot practise as a journalist and that the practice of journalism without accreditation is a criminal offence".

Only one of the five Supreme Court judges disagreed with the decision reached.

IJAZ, which has a membership of more than 60 journalists, had argued that accreditation of journalists was previously a voluntary exercise for purposes of easier identification, and should not be compulsory under the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA), enacted by President Robert Mugabe after he was re-elected in March 2002.

The judgement was handed down just hours before the same court was to decide on the fate of the country's independent Daily News, which is highly critical of the government.

Chief Justice Chidyausiku was expected yesterday to decide on an urgent application by a government-appointed media commission to bar the popular paper from publishing.

The paper was shut down in September last year because it had not registered with the media commission, but resumed publishing two weeks ago after a High Court ordered police to end their occupation of its printing works.

In May 2002 three locally-based foreign correspondents launched challenges against the tough media law under the auspices of the Foreign Correspondents Association (FCA). Their cases have not been heard yet. – Sapa-AFP.