As regards foreign artistic works, any person who imports any film that has been prohibited shall be guilty of an offence and is liable to a fine not exceeding level seven or two years imprisonment. Patel however states that the judiciary has a tendency to insist on following the rules of natural justice in particular with regards to a right to a fair hearing. Therefore, in order to be in compliance with the Constitution, which provides for a right to a fair hearing, the Censorship Board needs to take into account these issues when considering such matters. This is an area for harmonization and alignment of this law to conform to the imperative provisions of the Constitution and international standards of freedom of expression. 2.5 Censorship of literature, pictures, statues and records Part IV of the Act regulates the importation, production, distribution and sale of publications including pictures, statutes and records. Administratively, the Board is the primary control body. The Board under the Act is empowered to examine any publications; if any part is found indecent, offensive or harmful to public morals, such will be declared undesirable. Furthermore, if it is contrary to the interest of defence, public safety, public order, and the economic interests of the state or public health, the Board may still declare the items under this category prohibited. The Board is not under obligation to call for objections except in the case of future periodical publications nor is it obligated to abide by the rules of natural justice.60 In practice however, the Censorship Board has not considered principles of natural justice when dealing with some artistic works. The case in point is that of Tafadzwa Muzondo, the director and producer of the awardwinning theatrical production entitled No Voice No Choice. The applicant was not given the opportunity to appeal before the Appeals Board after his play was examined and declared undesirable by the Censorship Board. He, however, resorted to challenging the failure of the Minister to constitute the Appeal 60Freedom of artistic expression and censorship in Zimbabwe Bharat Patel;http://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/African%20Journals/pdfs/Journal%20of%20the%20U niversity%20of%20Zimbabwe/vol24n1/juz024001005.pdf accessed 1 July 2015 48 | P a g e

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