ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND PROTECTION OF PRIVACY ACT (as amended January 2008) PART VII MEDIA AND INFORMATION COMMISSION 38 Establishment and composition of Zimbabwe Media Commission 38 (1) There is hereby established a commission to be known as the Zimbabwe Media Commission, which shall be a body corporate capable of suing and being sued in its corporate name and, subject to this Act, of performing all acts that bodies corporate may by law perform. (2) The Commission shall consist of a chairperson and eight other members appointed by the President from a list of not fewer than twelve nominees submitted by the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders. (3) Persons appointed to the Commission must be chosen for their knowledge and experience in the press, print or electronic media, or broadcasting. 39 Functions of Zimbabwe Media Commission 39 (1) Subject to this Act, the functions of the Commission shall be— (a) to uphold and develop the freedom of the press; and (b) to promote and enforce good practice and ethics in the press, print and electronic media, and broadcasting; and (c) to ensure that the people of Zimbabwe have equitable and wide access to information; and (d) to ensure the equitable use and development of all indigenous languages spoken in Zimbabwe; and (e) to comment on the implications of proposed legislation or programmes of public bodies on access to information and protection of privacy; and (f) to comment on the implications of automated systems for collection, storage, analysis or transfer of information or for access to information or protection of privacy; and (g) to inform the public about this Act; and (h) to engage in or commission research into anything affecting the achievement of the purposes of this Act; and (i) to conduct investigations in terms of Part IX to ensure compliance with the provisions of this Act; and (j) to receive, evaluate for accreditation and consider applications for the accreditation of journalists; and (k) to review the decisions of public bodies in terms of Part X; and (l) to bring to the attention of the head of a public body any failure to meet the prescribed standards for fulfilling the duty to assist applicants; and (m) to authorise a public body, at the request of its head, to disregard requests that would unreasonably interfere with the operations of the public body; and 38 Substituted by s. 3 of Act 20/2007. 39 Substituted by s. 3 of Act 20/2007. 24