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Mashudu Mambo
ZIMBABWE Media Commission (ZMC) has urged public and commercial institutions to adhere to the Freedom of Information Act and ensure that they become the primary sources of information for the public.
The Freedom of Information Act Chapter (10:23) has been introduced to grant the public the right to access information held by public and commercial institutions for public accountability.
Speaking during an engagement meeting at the Rainbow Hotel in Bulawayo this week, Commissioner Tanaka Muganyi implored organisations to set up teams to implement the act.
“It is important for organisations to set up teams or individuals who are responsible for overseeing that the organisation is in compliance with the Freedom of Information Act.
“The responsibilities of these officers is to serve as the primary sources for individuals or organisations, which need some information. According to the act, requests are going to be made and the people are going to come to the different communication officers because they are entrusted with the information that is needed by the public,” he said.
Commissioner, Muganyi said ZMC will teach the public how to access information from the different institutions.
“As a Commission, we will go to the general public and educate them about the act and how best they can access this information. We started with the organisations because we realised that they need to be informed about their role in providing vital information to the public,” he said.
He added that it was essential for organisations to respond to the different requests from the public in a timely manner. “The role of the information officers is to ensure that they give timely responses to the public. In cases where the organisation has a functional communication team, it is easier for the request to be processed on time,” he said.
Online Reporter