MEDIA MONITORING PROJECT ZIMBABWE
Weekly Media Update No. 01
December 19th 2003 - January 11th 2004

CONTENTS
* General comment- the financial crisis
* While we weren't looking.
* and while we were
* Harassment of the independent media

GENERAL COMMENT - THE FINANCIAL CRISIS

THE unprecedented turmoil sweeping through the financial services sector
following a stringent new monetary policy introduced by new Reserve Bank
Governor Gideon Gono stole the attention of all Zimbabwe's media in the first
days of the New Year.

Indeed, the public too, impatiently awaited every new installment of the
spectacular scandals that have been tumbling into the public domain almost
on a daily basis since Christmas. During the week January 5th to January 11th
for example, the Press devoted 75 stories on the extraordinary events
affecting the financial services sector, 40 of them in the government-controlled
Press. The national public broadcaster however, has provided considerably
less coverage and virtually no real analysis of the developments in this field,
limiting their coverage to bare-bones reports on unfolding events.
The Herald (and sometimes the Chronicle) provided a consistent service in
unearthing new evidence relating to various alleged frauds within a number of
financial institutions. These were evidently brought to light with the extensive
cooperation of the police investigating the cases, but nevertheless,
demonstrates how well the public can be informed when the political
authorities allow the police to provide the media with important public
information.
But a fundamental question that none of the media has managed to answer
was why it had to take the introduction of Gono's monetary policy for the
police to unearth the irregular and criminal activity within the financial services
sector.

WHILE WE WEREN'T LOOKING.

The government media's generally acceptable coverage of the scandals in the
financial services sector was a welcome change from their usual diet of
contrived and gravely distorted news. MMPZ applauds the efforts of all the
media to inform the public of developments in this sector, although the full
political and economic consequences have yet to be properly addressed.
The same however, cannot be said of the government media's coverage of a
number of other events over the Christmas holiday period (while we weren't
looking) where they resorted to their old habits and either failed to report
important stories or published grossly biased and sometimes unsubstantiated
allegations, especially where it was in defence of government intentions and
its blatant abuse of power.

A classic example of this were the reports on ZBC (all stations 19/12) and in
The Herald (20/12) on the Administrative Court ruling ordering that the
Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe be allowed to publish The Daily News
and its Sunday sister paper. Instead of reporting this news fully and fairly, the
government media suffocated the judgment with a long and misleading
statement from Information Minister Jonathan Moyo declaring that the ruling
was "academic" and "of no practical force or effect because it cannot be
lawfully enforced or executed." (The Herald). The ANZ could not enjoy the
benefits of the judgment Moyo is reported as saying, ".because the
judgment has been made by the wrong court."

This arbitrary and defiant opinion of a valid court order followed a similar
declaration from Moyo published in The Herald on the day judgment was due
to be given (19/12) under the headline, 'Government to Resist Backdoor
Approach in ANZ Case - Moyo'. This comment was seen as an attempt by the
minister to intimidate the Administrative Court judge, so it was hardly
surprising that The Herald's Saturday story simply accepted Moyo's
declaration as a government edict. No effort was made to seek independent
expert legal comment to provide a realistic legal context to Moyo's statement.

The next day, The Sunday Mail (21/12/03) was used to regurgitate part of
Moyo's statement and reinforce it with the opinion of the Media and
Information Commission's lawyer. Again no effort was made to provide any
legally balanced context to this story. Worse still, the paper entirely censored
news that armed riot police blockaded The Daily News offices and its printing
plant when ANZ staff attempted to return to work following the Administrative
Court ruling. News of this blatant violation of the rule of law by government
authorities only appeared in The Standard (21/12). The private radio stations
Studio 7 and SW Radio Africa both followed up the story (22/12) with the latter
quoting National Constitutional Assembly chairman, Lovemore Madhuku,
saying the police action against The Daily News was "a blatant example of
the (government's) disregard for the rule of law ."

Indeed, MMPZ condemns government's cynical disregard for laws and
judgments it considers inimical to its campaign to muzzle the country's
independent Press.
The Financial Gazette (24/12) reported ANZ's complaint to the police. It
quoted the company's lawyer, Gugulethu Moyo, as saying: "We asked them
to stop interfering with our staff and property and that they should
uphold the rule of law."
Only later did it emerge that Administrative Court judge, Sello Nare, had
actually received a written death threat minutes before delivering his judgment
(The Weekend Tribune, 03/01/04).

A sinister new twist to The Daily News saga emerged in The Herald on
Christmas Eve that must have spoiled the holiday for Econet's many
thousands of stakeholders and subscribers. The paper published a one-sided,
vaguely sourced and unsubstantiated story claiming that the cell phone
network provider's operating licence was likely to be withdrawn because it was
not repatriating its foreign currency earnings and that these "were being
used to finance subversive activities to undermine the government of
Zimbabwe". Relying on "sources close to the investigation", the story
made reference to an unexplained government directive that Econet was said
to be violating. "This comes amid allegations that Econet
proprietor.Strive Masiyiwa.was using proceeds from the Zimbabwean
company to finance subversive activities." the paper reported. Noting
that Masiyiwa had acquired the Daily News, The Herald listed a number of
activities, including the publication of a special edition of The Daily News at
the recent Commonwealth summit in Abuja, Nigeria that was "meant to
tarnish the image of the Zimbabwean government."

Referring to this event the paper then quoted a "source privy to the
investigations" saying: "It becomes clear that the publisher is using his
mobile phone company to fund the production of subversive material
meant to cause the most damage to Zimbabwe."
But nowhere in the story was there any attempt to obtain any official comment
and nor was Masiyiwa or Econet given an opportunity to rebut these grave
and specious allegations. The rebuttal only emerged in the form of an Econet
advert in The Standard (4/1/04) 11 days later. Studio 7 followed up the story
on Christmas Day.

Other stories illustrating the grossly authoritarian nature of the government
that appeared during the holiday period included the decision by Local
Government Minister Ignatius Chombo to appoint governors and provincial
and district administrators for Harare and Bulawayo. While The Herald's
Christmas Day story simply covered the announcement as an event report, it
failed to seek comment to explain how these appointments would affect the
authority of the MDC-run councils in the two cities.

Studio 7 (29/12) followed up this report - and another one in which Chombo
announced government plans to introduce minimum education levels for
councilors - by accessing comment from Harare's embattled Mayor, Elias
Mudzuri, condemning these measures as an "illegal" attempt to rid councils
in the two cities of the MDC and to erode their authority. ZTV however (26/12,
8pm) justified Chombo's interference, saying it was an "effort to improve
service delivery by local authorities."

On New Year's Day Studio 7 reported the threat by the new armed forces
commander, Constantine Chiwenga, to have striking medical doctors put into
military detention if they didn't call off their industrial action. The radio reported
an unnamed doctor as its source and obtained confirmation from Health
Minister David Parirenyatwa that Chiwenga had attended a meeting the
minister had held with the doctors. The station reported that Chiwenga had
chaired the meeting and asked why he was present. However, it did not seek
comment to support the democratic notion that military interference in the
administration of the country's civic affairs is completely unacceptable and
that this clear demonstration of the armed forces' tendency to take the law
into their own hands represents a gross violation of this principle.

The station reported Parirenyatwa denying that Chiwenga had threatened the
doctors. More details of Chiwenga's threats appeared in the Zimbabwe
Independent the next morning where he was reported telling the doctors that
".we do not respect." a court ruling acquitting the doctors of any
wrongdoing. He reportedly echoed Moyo's earlier comments about another
court ruling, describing the acquittal of the doctors as 'academic'.
"We are the ones.in power and we can choose to ignore that
ruling.We rule the country."
His reported statement on its own provides a terrifying indication of who
Chiwenga thinks is governing the country and his attitude towards authority-
and his lack of respect for judicial decisions.
SW Radio Africa, (05/01) quoted NCA chairman, Lovemore Madhuku,
castigating Chiwenga, saying his threat was irresponsible and unfortunate.
Predictably, none of the government media carried this news.

News of the invasion of a highly productive farm in Odzi by Agriculture
Minister Joseph Made, despite a recent High Court interdict barring
government from interfering in the agricultural operations of the farm also
appeared in the Press during the holiday period (the Zimbabwe Independent,
02/01/04)..An attempt to discredit that story appeared in the government
media as the nation returned to work.

AND WHILE WE WERE.

Once again The Herald (7/1/04) conveniently ignored the High Court ruling
protecting the farming activities at Kondozi Farm in Odzi in its own abusive
and distorted story that gave prominence to a government statement denying
that Minister Made had invaded the farm. The Herald described the original
Independent story as a "malicious" report in a 'white-owned' Zimbabwean
paper. But without explaining which government department had issued the
statement, the paper then quoted without comment, evidently malicious and
racist material contained in the statement itself: "The truth.is that the farm
belonged to a de Klerk for whom Edwin Moyo (the majority shareholder of
the enterprise) is a convenient and shameless front. While government
firmly believes in black empowerment.it will not be duped by Uncle
Toms that make themselves willing tools of former Rhodies."
The story clearly illustrates how, The Herald continues to allow itself to remain
a slavish propagator of abusive, racist and offensive government propaganda.

A more balanced follow-up to the Kondozi saga appeared in The Weekend
Tribune (9/1), which reported that Made's decision to designate the farm on
behalf of the agricultural authority, ARDA, was actually in "defiance of a High
Court order interdicting him from occupying the farm.According to
court documents at the High Court.Justice Antonia Guvava issued a
provisional order against ARDA and the Minister on December 1 against
any interference at the farm."
The paper also quoted Moyo refuting allegations that he was a "front" for de
Klerk and that he was considering legal action against the "malicious
allegations" made against him.
The Herald also distorted the violent clashes between the Kondozi and ARDA
farm workers that resulted from the invasion.
In fact, during the first week that Zimbabweans returned to work (January 5th -
11th) the private media carried 17 reports of political violence and other human
rights abuses for which the State or ruling party supporters were allegedly
responsible. These were all but ignored in the government Press.

Most worrying were reports in the private media of a resurgence of political
violence in which opposition MDC supporters have been the victims.
According to SW Radio Africa (6/1/04), the New Year has already claimed the
lives of two MDC supporters in Shamva. The Zimbabwe Independent (9/1)
reported the police confirming one death in the district, apparently as a result
of a campaign by "suspected Zanu PF hoodlums.to push out opposition
supporters in Shamva." The same story carried three other reports of
political violence in Gweru and Zvishavane, all of which were ignored by the
government media.

And as Zimbabweans celebrated surviving their first week back at work, they
were again reminded of government's determination to muzzle the
independent Press and deprive the nation of alternative sources of
information: Police arrested and detained three Independent journalists,
including its Editor, for a story claiming that President Mugabe had
"commandeered" one of Air Zimbabwe's few remaining aircraft to ferry him
and his family around their holiday destinations in the Far East (The Herald
10/1). The same issue of the paper also suffocated the facts of yet another
High Court ruling ordering the police not to interfere in the activities of the
ANZ, publishers of The Daily News.

Instead, The Herald focused on the acting Attorney-General's intention to
appeal against the ruling and the grossly misleading comments of the lawyer
for the government's Media and Information Commission, which allowed the
paper to headline its story, 'ANZ may not resume publishing: lawyer'. The
story quoted the lawyer as saying: "Nothing in the order says it (ANZ)
should resume operations. It's about the police being asked to vacate
ANZ premises."

While the paper did refer to the earlier Administrative Court ruling allowing the
ANZ to resume publishing, it used Moyo's declaration that that ruling was
"academic and could not be enforced" to dismiss the court order, thereby
thoroughly destroying The Herald's own credibility and exposing the
government's own contempt of the judicial process at the same time. Only
The Sunday Mirror (11/1) gave a fair account of the court hearing under the
headline, 'Police ignore High Court order in ANZ case'.
In the space of just 24 days the government has ignored at least three High
Court orders, which must have serious implications for the integrity of the
judicial process.

The Christmas and New Year period has indeed, proved to be a testing time
for justice and the independent media in Zimbabwe.

HARASSMENT OF THE INDEPENDENT MEDIA

MMPZ condemns in the strongest terms the government's harassment of the
independent media in recent weeks. The unwarranted arrest and two-day
detention of three Zimbabwe Independent journalists and the recent emotional
and abusive criticism of independent media workers by senior government
officials represent blatant efforts by the authorities to intimidate the country's
independent media community.
In view of the government's sustained persecution of the publishers of The
Daily News, there is no doubt that these latest events constitute part of a
systematic campaign by government to silence all critical voices in
Zimbabwean society. Such attacks represent a grave and unacceptable
assault on the people's constitutional rights to freedom of expression and to
be informed.
In addition, the abuse of the media under government's control as tools to
promote and protect the interests of the ruling party constitutes the theft of
public resources that should be fulfilling their mandate to hold government
accountable for its actions and to fairly reflect all shades of opinion within the
country. MMPZ calls on the authorities to allow these media to fulfill this
mandate.
Ends

The Media Update is produced and circulated by the Media Monitoring Project
Zimbabwe (MMPZ). Feel free to respond to MMPZ. Also, please feel free to
circulate this report.

Send comments and queries to the Project Coordinator, MMPZ, 15 Duthie
Avenue, Alexandra Park, Harare, Tel/fax: +263 4 703702, E-mail:
[email protected]