Zimbabwe Information Media Panel of Inquiry IMPI Report FINAL Pg1-666 New

IMPI
Information and Media Panel of Inquiry

Report of the Official Inquiry into the
State of the Information and Media Industry
in Zimbabwe

April December 2014
Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services

Production Services, 57 Mazowe Street, Harare
Telephone 263-4-796521/263 (0)716801275
Email:impi.zimbabwe@gmail.com

Report of the Official Inquiry into the State of the Information and Media Industry in Zimbabwe 1

Official Title
Report of the
Official Inquiry into the State of the Information and Media Industry
in Zimbabwe
Short Form
Information and Media Panel of Inquiry (IMPI)
Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services 2014

INFORMATION &
PREFACE MEDIA PANEL OF
INQUIRY
_________

Terms of Reference for
An Official Inquiry into the State of the Information and Media Industry
in Zimbabwe

Background
Since Independence, Zimbabwe has not launched a systematic and comprehensive
inquiry into the state of the information sector.
The closest Government got to such was by way of one or two consultancy reports, and
lately, the National Survey on Broadcasting in Zimbabwe carried out between July and
September 2003. Both the consultancy and the survey narrowly looked at subsectors of
the Information Sector (public information subsector in the case of the consultancy and
broadcasting subsector in the case of the survey), and even then well before the
convergence revolution which has transformed the sector in a fundamental way.
The three decades of Independence, particularly the last decade, saw phenomenal
changes in the information sector, largely brought about by major technological shifts
which continue to this day, by a re-grading of the sector from relative unimportance into a
major if not decisive factor in rights, national and global politics and, the transformation
of information into a lead services industry capable of rapid, inclusive growth and
employment at least cost, with little entry barriers, and in favour of the youth: that
demographically dominant group hardest hit by unemployment and marginalisation.
This pervasive role of Information and ICTs in national and global economies has made
Information a vibrant enabler, a formidable arbiter in national and global economic
processes. Sadly, this new revolution has not reflected in Zimbabwe.
Symptomatic of this lack of clarity on the place of, and in handling the information sector,
is the unresolved organisational framework for this sector at the level of Government.
The impact of this has been to truncate the national response to the Information
revolution. The result is that the whole sector has proceeded with little or no policy
framework or guidance by Government.

In the case of telecommunications and broadcasting, litigation forced the hand of
Government. To this day the information sector remains Zimbabwes chink in the
armour, which is why the countrys enemies have used the information flank to attack it.
Conceptually, the information revolution is still conceived as only a hardware and
software proposition, hardly a content development challenge. The belief is that once the
country is flooded with ICT-related imported gadgetry, then all is done! Clearly there is a
policy vacuum.
Legally, the information revolution has thrown up new issues to do with growth
promotion, regulation, standards and protection of society from negative, harmful
material. The Orientation of laws affecting the information sector has been one of control,
and not one of viewing this sector anew as a growth pole in the national economy. The
orientation of advocacy work in this sector has been to view this sector as a matter of
power, legitimacy and rights contestation.
The biggest casualty of both these orientations has been the industrial/business side of the
sector whose growth has been stymied and neglected. To this day, the legal regime on
information has many gaps and inadequacies, creating a situation where information
products from Zimbabwe are freely exploited without any returns to the economy. The
country is ill-equipped to enforce any intellectual property rights, or develop viable
business models and platforms from them.
Technologically, Zimbabwe is an information dinosaur. There has been very little

capitalisation and technological upgrade in what subsists as the information industry in
Zimbabwe today.
The digitisation revolution in the broadcast subsector is well behind schedule. Even when
it catches up willy-nilly, thanks to the global digital migration deadline of 2015,
Zimbabwe will discover it lacks sufficient investments in the creative industries which
should have been a concomitant of the digitisation investment programme.
Consequently, Zimbabwe may be fated to evolve as an information consumer market, and
not as an information producer market.
The newspaper industry fares no better. Until recently, the industry depended on old
setting, plating and printing technologies. Where attempts have been made to modernise,
this has been by way of refurbished machines, an approach which can never put
Zimbabwe on the cutting edge of information technology. For all these reasons and more,
Zimbabwes information sector remains a dinosaur technology.

By way of skills and training, the situation on the ground is a sorry one. Although
training institutions have grown numerically, and even escalated to levels of higher
learning, the product from these training institutions has fallen far, far short, even when
benchmarked against the requirements of old, pre-ICT revolution media models.
Training aids in these institutions belie rather than reflect the technological revolution.
The curricula followed have not been attuned to the requirements of existing newsrooms,
let alone modernised ones towards which the sector should aspire.
There is no link between trainers and users of trained skills, indeed no mechanism for
interaction beyond ad-hoc industrial placements which to date only serve to reveal
horrendous inadequacies in current training models. There is no relationship between the
numbers of journalists spewed by training institutions and what the sector can absorb.
Clearly the information sector faces a training and skills crisis, well before one talks
about modernising those skills.
Editorially the information sector faces a real values dilemma. This has gone beyond
being a charge against journalism by those in power. It has become a self-admitted
shortcoming by practitioners of the industry.
Years of adversarial and polarised relationships have levied a horrendous toll on

professional and ethical standards. The desire for entrapment has been mutual on the
part of information holders and information seekers. The effect has been one of mutual
ruin for those in authority and those in the publishing industry, and a real disaster for
citizens who should be well served by both. The sectors values crisis has to be addressed
in a comprehensive way that seeks integrity and professionalism in the sector.
Institutionally, the information sector is fragmented. It is structured as if convergence

is still to happen, structured as if we still live in an era where telecommunications, print
and broadcasting; where voice, image and word, still exists apart and in distinct,
impenetrable compartments.
While technology has converged, the business models, the regulatory models, the taxation
models, the institutional models all these have not, and do not seem to see the need to.
Publishers have no common forum. Editors have no cross-cutting forum. There is no

institutional vehicle for meaningful regular contact between content merchants and
backbone operators. ADMA which is supposed to provide a link between publishers and
advertisers hardly works as a source of impetus for growth.

What is worse, industry-wide structures for lobbying Government for hospitable policies
and tax concessions and funding do not exist. Or for collaborative actions in non-
competitive areas of common interest, areas such as training, printing, newsprint
purchasing and/or investments, product distribution, common way (backbone)
development, etc, etc. Here is one sector unaware of commons and of
thoroughfares even though so many exist, albeit unmarked!
Such is the state of play of things in this sector which is hardly an industry at all. The real
challenge is to overcome the narrow mindset, the unimaginative and uneconomic
mindset, to lift and widen the vista of players in the industry so parameters for a real
industry begin to be shaped and developed for a re-launch.
There is now a genuine readiness to evolve an industry, a desire to work together for a
viable and growing information industry founded on national and professional values,
and capable of enabling the larger economy through increased information efficiencies,
while creating a real voice and massive employment for the country. But that readiness
needs a framework developed from an accurate grasp of the state the sector is currently in
before thoughts can be deployed on what is to be done for Zimbabwe to create a vibrant
information sector that serves it adequately and well.
To that end, it is proposed that some official enquiry into the sector be caused. The
inquiry should be wide enough to encompass the whole sector, undeterred by ministerial
demarcations so a comprehensive report can be authored. This point has a direct bearing
on drawing up the terms of reference, as well as the membership of enquirers.
Terms of Reference
1) To inquire into, assess and determine the policy, legal, technological, business,
human resource, editorial and institutional adequacy and readiness in the
information sector;
2) To inquire into and gauge the level of investments in the sector; to assess the state,
scope, arrangements and efficiencies of the information industry, including
attendant constraints and shortcomings;
3) To inquire into the welfare needs of workers and staffers in the information sector;
4) To inquire into the integrity and adequacy of news and information in relation to
the needs of or on:
The Economy National Interest National Security Politics National
Processes (Referenda, Elections, Constitutional Exercises, Inquiries, etc, etc)
Citizenry, both Rural and Urban, Local and Diaspora Rights and Justice
Global Issues Gender, Marginalized Groups and Interests;

5) To assess the capacity and readiness of the Sector to compete regionally, globally;
6) To inquire into the opportunities and prospects for a content industry in
Zimbabwe;
7) To inquire into and evaluate the arrangements for, scope and quality of
information/media training proffered in the country; through skills audit, to gauge
the relevancy and responsiveness of such training to the needs of, and gaps in the
industry; to evaluate the adequacy of oversight of media training institutions;
8) To inquire into and assess the acceptance, adoption, uptake and integration of
converged technologies in the information sector;
9) To inquire into the values, ethics and standards of the media sector; to assess
current compliance and mechanisms of compliance enforcement; to gauge the
adequacy of protection of media freedoms; to determine how to balance media
freedoms and other freedoms guaranteed in the Constitution;
10) To inquire into issues of access, media ownership, media diversity and consumer
choices;
11) To inquire into media funding strategies and opportunities; to identify fiscal
constraints to the industry, as well as weaknesses if any, to current business
models and practices by players in the media industry;
12) To inquire into intra- and inter-media relations, and relational issues of the media
and:
Politicians Government and its officials Security structures Interest groups
Advertisers Businesses Consumers Sources and experts Donors and
foreign interests;
13) To inquire into how the industry can and should relate to larger national values,
programmes and interests;
14) To make recommendations on all of the above matters, and especially on how to
build a vibrant information and media industry for Zimbabwe;
15) Any other issues relevant to the industry.
Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services December 20, 2013

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS INFORMATION &
__________________
MEDIA PANEL OF
The Information and Media Panel of Inquiry (IMPI)
wishes to express profound gratitude for and INQUIRY
appreciation of the services rendered to the inquiry by
the following:

v All members of the public who attended the various IMPI public meetings
throughout Zimbabwe, often notified at short notice and always with enthusiastic
participation. Their responses to questionnaires were essential to this report.
v The various media organisations and stakeholders who participated in interviews,
filled in questionnaires, offered written submissions and attended public meetings
where they made invaluable contributions.
v Information officers within the Ministry of Information who rendered vital assistance
by managing the logistical aspects of the nationwide inquiry and organising meetings
for the IMPI Outreach Programme throughout Zimbabwes 10 administrative
provinces. They worked against heavy odds, often at short notice, and made it
possible for the IMPI panellists to engage audiences at a total of 88 venues
throughout the country.
v Ministry of Information drivers who ferried IMPI personnel to distant destinations
by traversing thousands of kilometres, all without a single calamity. In many
instances they navigated tough rural terrain and worked for long hours, all without
complaint.
v The IMPI team, comprising 25 panellists, who made sacrifices, often in difficult
circumstances, to make the IMPI initiative a success. Their task would have been
insurmountable without the relentless back-up of the IMPI secretariat of seven
programme or research officers, two secretaries, a driver and an office orderly.
v The various media and other organisations which released their members of staff,
some of them senior executives, for national service with IMPI for an inordinately
long period of time, during which they were often away from their work stations and
families.
v The Ministry of Information top brass for conceiving, implementing and funding the
IMPI programme. Two officers, one responsible for finance and the other for
administration, were seconded to IMPI from the Ministry of Information. They
rendered precious service.
v We wish to acknowledge the role of various Members of Parliament who displayed
an active interest in the activities of IMPI, while providing valuable support and
advice when the panellists visited districts in their constituencies.
v Finally, sincere thanks are due to the Southern African Research and Documentation
Centre (SARDC) for their meticulous analysis of the research material amassed by the
IMPI investigators and for professionally drafting this report. ___________

CONTENTS INFORMATION &
____________ MEDIA PANEL OF
Section Page INQUIRY
Preface / TORs 3
Acknowledgements 8
Contents 9
Executive Summary 10
Introduction 31
Map 38
Chapter 1 Media as Business, including New Media Platforms 39
Chapter 2 Information Platforms and Content of Media Products 111
Chapter 3 Polarisation, Perception, Interference 146
Chapter 4 Ethics and Standards of Professional Journalism 184
Chapter 5 Media Training and Capacity Building 219
Chapter 6 Gender, Advocacy and Marginalized Groups 285
Chapter 7 Employment and Conditions of Service 322
Chapter 8 Media Law Reform and Access to Information 349
Chapter 9 Technology Convergence in the Information Sector in

Zimbabwe 393
Chapter 10 Conclusions and Recommendations 417
Appendix 1 Profiles of IMPI Panellists 445
2 Acronyms/Abbreviations 456
ANNEX of
Submissions and Presentations by Stakeholders and Interest Groups 459

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY INFORMATION &
__________________________
MEDIA PANEL OF
Report of the Official Inquiry into the
State of the Information and Media Industry INQUIRY
in Zimbabwe

The primary objective of the Official Inquiry into the State of the Information and Media
Industry in Zimbabwe was to identify, publicly highlight and propose measures for
redress of media issues that are clearly identifiable as matters of public concern and
interest, or areas of inadequacy, injustice or general poor performance, including legal
framework and operations, content and emerging technologies.
The full Terms of Reference on which the work of the Inquiry was based and which
inform this report, are contained in the Preface. The full title as shown above was
shortened by the panellists on commencement of the project to the more manageable
Information and Media Panel of Inquiry, or IMPI, as it became more commonly
identified.
To achieve its mandated objective, IMPI worked through a process of consultation
with the full spectrum of media and information sector stakeholders, ranging from
surprised villagers in remote areas, through print and electronic media executives and
leaders of professional media organisations, to training institutions, members of the legal
fraternity, and media-related civil society organisations, among others. Stakeholders
were invited to submit written presentations, and a large number responded positively.
The Panel of Inquiry worked through seven thematic committees, each comprising
four panel members. The 28 panellists representing a wide variety of media and
information stakeholders were appointed to the IMPI Board by the Ministry of Media,
Information and Broadcasting Services to inquire into and examine the status of
Zimbabwes media and information sector. The list of panellists is presented in the
Introduction that follows this Summary, and the panellists are profiled at the end of the
main Report (following Chapter 10).
The thematic topics for the committees were defined by the panellists in response to
the Terms of Reference, with the objective of conducting outreach research and
investigations among stakeholders nationwide. Methods employed were public outreach
inquiries, desk research, stakeholder interviews, questionnaires, and a regional study
tour.
For purposes of this programme the major stakeholders were identified as the public
who are the consumers of media products; the media sector, that is the publishing
houses, the electronic media, the advertising industry, media training institutions, and
professional media organisations; as well as related industries in the information sector,
performing arts, the legal profession, civil society organisations and the Government of
Zimbabwe.

The vast amount of information thus collected was then reviewed and analysed in
plenary committee meetings and processed by the programme officers into outreach
reports and thematic reports, as well as files of thematic questionnaires. The information
so processed formed the basis of the material that a team of expert research analysts and
report drafters used to produce the report submitted by the Information and Media Panel
of Inquiry to the Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services.
The IMPI work programme was implemented through the seven thematic
committees. Each committee was responsible for undertaking inquiries and research on
the respective subject. Four panellists were appointed to each committee with one
programme research officer. The thematic committees were defined as follows:

v Media as Business, including New Media
v Information Platforms and Content of Media Products
v Polarisation, Perception and Interference
v Media Training, Training Capacity and Ethics
v Gender, Advocacy and Marginalised Groups
v Employment Opportunities and Conditions of service
v Media Law Reform and Access to Information.
Some of the challenges that IMPI encountered right from the commencement of
the inquiry served to highlight the reasons why Zimbabwe required the services of an
intervention such as IMPI in the first place. The project became a series of challenges from
the very day when its pending formation, which was originally scheduled for February
2014, was announced in December 2013. The sheer unexpectedness of this surprise
development created the initial element of challenge as mystified Zimbabweans struggled
to come to terms with both the objective and the context. Many organisations and
individuals were initially sceptical of the reasons and purpose of the IMPI exercise.
This ambitious project conducted research and sought opinions nationwide to
identify the challenges and opportunities for a sector that comprises newspapers, radio,
television, magazines, advertising agencies, online platforms and social media, and all
forms of communication and information exchange including the performing arts such as
theatre, drama, music and film. Thus, another challenge was the timeframe which had to
be extended until presentation of the report one year later, following analysis of the huge
volume of data and perspectives collected from outreach throughout the country. The
results of this extensive initiative are contained in the following report.
This Executive Summary highlights key issues that the IMPI panels identified in
the set thematic areas, and the solutions proposed. In the full report, each chapter presents
vital insights that need key interventions by state actors on one hand and all stakeholders
in the Zimbabwe media and information industry on the other. Specific recommendations
are presented at the end of each thematic chapter, and the main Recommendations
consolidated by topic are found in Chapter 10.

1 Media as Business, including New Media Platforms

This chapter focuses on the business aspects of the print and electronic media, online
platforms, advertising agencies and outdoor media, book publishers, performing arts,
content producers, and film operations in Zimbabwe. The study sought to assess the
challenges and opportunities for business growth, as well as viability in the media and
information sectors, and to identify the business models used in Zimbabwe and elsewhere
in the region, as well as reviewing the historical development, the response to new media
platforms, and investment opportunities.
The theoretical framework is based on the social responsibility theory, and
analysis of the political economy, and media economics. This provides an understanding
of the traditional role of the media business to illuminate the changing media
environment. In many newsrooms, editors were traditionally not concerned about profit-
making. Their concern was to serve the public interest by informing, entertaining and
educating readers. However, that trend is changing. Editors now publish stories that are
intended to sell newspapers, attract and retain advertisers, and make profits. The bottom
line has surpassed the headline. While the media continue to perform a social
responsibility role, this is tempered by the desire to be profitable.
The report notes that Zimbabwe has a well-educated and literate population, so
the market is available; an organised industry that facilitates the need for advertising of
various products and services; and a culture of advertising ingrained in the economy.
However, the poor performance of the economy does not sustain the level of players in
the media industry, and the number of new entrants on the market has resulted in
decreasing circulation volumes as a result of diminishing disposable incomes and access
to new platforms. The downturn in the economic activity has resulted in a drastic
reduction in the levels of advertising by companies in industry and commerce as well as
other organisations, including the non-government sector.
Some media houses were reluctant to release information to the public domain
where it would be accessible to competitors, arguing that sharing strategic data could
jeopardise their competitive advantage. Therefore, the committee faced challenges in
obtaining actual data pertaining to circulation, viewership, listenership, advertising
volumes and revenue, advertising proportions for various media outlets, and other
critical business information. It is therefore suggested that media houses should register
with the Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC), to use a standard measurement for net paid
sales which is checked and certified. Second, since the economy has been in a prolonged
recession, some companies were sceptical of the purpose of the IMPI exercise, and could
not trust one another or the exercise.
The national broadcaster, which has five radio stations and two television
channels, has been struggling financially and listeners were very critical of content as well
as sound and picture quality. However, the main challenge is access in large parts of the
country through weak transmission, and most communities in border areas access foreign
broadcasters.

The industry has started to open up through licensing of two national commercial
free-to-air radio stations by the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ), and the
forthcoming digitisation conversion in 2015 will offer multiple channels. Transmedias
antiquated transmission equipment is seen as a main challenge by stakeholders, who
continue to be charged for transmission fees on a monthly basis while coverage is limited.
New media is impacting on the traditional sector, as a younger population uses
different forms of communication, and the industry in general has been slow to adapt.
The declining newspaper and magazine circulation volumes will persuade advertisers to
channel their business to online platforms that are inexpensive and focused in reaching
their target markets. The benefits offered by digitisation of the electronic media will
require a vast expansion in content production. However, the industry has not yet
prepared itself properly for the expansion of content production.
Partly due to the impact of political polarisation on the media, media
organisations have adopted inefficient business models such as procuring printing
equipment and operating distribution systems whose capacity utilisation levels are well
below 50 percent. This has led to high cost structures. All organisations in the media
industry are levied a fee of 0.5 percent on gross annual turnover by the Zimbabwe Media
Commission. The media industry like all companies has other statutory payments such as
Value Added Tax (VAT), corporate tax and Pay As You Earn (PAYE) income tax, and
many players therefore regard the media levy and other levies as double taxation.
Most businesses have been paralysed by the lack of affordable finance from banks
for recapitalisation and working capital, and this has had a devastating impact. The
industry is operating with outdated machinery and equipment in some cases, and this
adds to the costs of producing newspapers and affects the quality of broadcasting. While
online platforms are seen as the future of the media industry, the initial start-up costs are
proving expensive given the downturn in the economy. The faster the monetisation of the
various online applications is achieved and accepted by users, the more viable the online
platforms will become. However, the revenue generated from online platforms will not
support existing structures in the media organisations. Retrenchments and/or re-training
are inevitable, due to the skills required.
In addition to these challenges, there are a number of opportunities emerging. The
country has a young, literate and growing population which is likely to create a
significant market for the print and online media industry as the economy improves.
However, many young readers seldom read hard copies, but rely on social media.
Although the current media business models are inefficient and unsustainable, there are
opportunities to revamp them. The migration to online platforms presents new and broad
opportunities, especially for diversifying revenue streams. Digitisation of the electronic
media will generate formidable opportunities for radio and television stations, and for
convergence.
Despite the lack of reliable statistics on the performing arts in Zimbabwe, the
vibrancy of the industry, and notably the growth of the music industry, can be inferred
from such phenomena as the emergence of new independent labels in recent years, and
the ubiquity of live and recorded music performances. While other parts of the economy

were experiencing low capacity utilisation and firm closures, significant activity was
visible in the music sector. At a time when there were few advertisements circulating for
other products, newspapers regularly published advertisements for music shows. At the
height of the economic crisis when annual inflation escalated to unimaginable levels, any
business that could generate cash had advantages over those that sold on credit.
Popular music is now big business in Zimbabwe and employs large numbers of
people, with many more aspiring to join the industry, and some analysts say that more
than 20,000 households derive income from this industry. The industry can make a
significant contribution to the national economy if there is a well-coordinated and
designed system for reproduction and distribution, both locally and in export markets.

Recommendations Chapter 1 Media as Business
Recommendations for Media as Business are presented at the end of Chapter 1. These
include a stimulus package based on new business models for the newspaper industry;
recognition of magazine publishing as mainstream media, and start-ups for new media
platforms; establishment of a film commission or National Film Board to support the
industry; a unified association for content producers and writers, etc; training on
Intellectual Property for artists, law enforcement agents and the public to appreciate the
national importance of protection; strengthening of industry associations such as ADMA
and ZBPA to lead adaptation to new media platforms; adoption of smart ownership
models to enable investment in the expansion of internet-related infrastructure and
incorporate new media platforms; and linkage of digitisation with ZimAsset and the
governments indigenisation policy. At least two national studies are needed a) to
determine how audiences are adopting new media as a platform to consume media; and,
b) to evaluate the impact of citizen journalists and user-generated content on media
enterprises.

2 Information Platforms and Content of Media Products

The assignment for this thematic committee was to carry out a study on media platforms
and the public interest, quality, adequacy and relevance of the content of media products,
and the impact of fast-changing technologies on delivery and consumption of content.
One component deals with the nature and quality of media products, while the other
component reviews the channels for transmitting information, messages and forms of
entertainment.

Content of Media Products
Many people in all provinces, and especially in border areas, argued that they are cut off
from what is happening in the country as they have no access to local media, and are
forced to consume foreign information products. Some people subscribe to a digital
television service to receive the ZBC signal, which most respondents said is elusive in
their part of the country. Many stakeholders confessed their unwillingness to pay radio
and TV licenses, as they cannot access the services. Most people with access believe the

national broadcaster is doing a poor job, and also complain about paying licence fees,
together with the concern that foreign broadcasters have carved out their market share.
Many respondents said they have to rely on radio or television stations from
neighbouring countries (Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa and Zambia) for news,
entertainment and current affairs. The local recipients of external services attested to
developing sensibilities closer to the nation hosting the station. The Voice of Americas
Studio 7 is the only platform with a national reach.
There were complaints about the poor sound quality of the radio signal, which
affects access to the content because listeners are unable to follow programmes. The
national broadcaster put the blame on Transmedia, which they said has failed to expand
transmitter coverage countrywide. Transmedia is a state-owned enterprise established to
support broadcasting and broadband infrastructure to enable access to communication
services throughout the country.
Newspapers are not readily available in rural areas, growth points and small
towns as they either reach there late, are too expensive, or dont come at all. Therefore,
people in those areas are outside the national information grid as they dont have reliable
sources of information and news. Inhabitants of rural areas do not talk about accessing
news on mobile phones, and this would be a necessary subject for a survey on trends.
There was general concern over the content of radio and television programmes,
with users saying that most content, when they can access it, is irrelevant. Some people
said they like ZBC radio and certain aspects of ZBC TV, and would appreciate regular
access. Others said the media have forgotten their obligation to inform, educate and
entertain. Viewers prefer more international exposure and news, but with a local
perspective. They expressed appreciation that local content was given preference but the
exclusion of all else became problematic.
Many people said the timing of TV programming is ill-prepared, that
inappropriate shows are screened at any time without warning, and that some are boring.
There is a belief and hope that in line with its constitutional obligations, the State should
license community radio stations that can address local matters more effectively than the
national broadcaster.
The results of the Inquiry indicate that education and development are important
subjects for media products, hence the need for media houses to deepen the quality of
programming. Respondents also said there is no business and financial reporting that
focuses on rural communities. The content of newspapers, radio and television is believed
to be too heavily politicised, and many people expressed the opinion that this is relatively
acceptable in an election year, but not all the time.
Content producers were accused of focusing on urban areas, rather than venturing
into rural areas to package stories and documentaries that touch the lives of the people.
Rural residents said they are unable to air their views and perspectives. The producers of
radio and television content argued that their organisations were not well-resourced with
vehicles and finance, and rural areas are often inaccessible due to the poor state of roads.
Reporters said they are hampered by a shortage of transport where they squash
into one vehicle yet they are expected to cover several different assignments in a day. The

shortage of resources exposes reporters to unethical payments now known as brown
envelopes and they are more likely to cover NGOs or politicians who offer them
transport or expenses.
Some listeners complained about explicit lyrics in music, which run counter to the
countrys cultural ethos. Producers said they would address this problem. Salacious
stories, sex scandals, and witchcraft are finding space in reputable family newspapers.
Misleading headlines often distort or overshadow the content of articles.
In terms of broadcast content, women said they do not hear their voices as most
interviews are with men. Programme producers said some women prefer to leave men to
comment while they remain in the background. People with disabilities said there is
virtually no coverage of issues that affect them except in instances where they are
highlighted as charity cases. They are not approached for comment on economic, social
and scientific issues, except when receiving a donation of wheelchairs or sunscreen
lotions.
There were complaints about the lack of creative programmes by and for children,
as in the case of radio lessons in the 1970s, as well as programmes that expose talent in
communities, especially through theatre. There were also complaints about the portrayal
of older people. It was felt that programme content presents a negative perspective of
elders rather than showing dignity and respect for their wisdom, knowledge and
storytelling.
People felt the media could be harnessed to be useful to those who do not have
access to books, as most local books are not yet available online. Another important
observation was that there are no radio dramas. People in both urban and rural areas felt
that radio stations are not making enough effort to incorporate community drama groups
into their programming. Sports events in rural areas and high density urban areas are not
covered by the media, as television and radio concentrate on sports in Harare or
Bulawayo. There is concern that talent in rural areas is not being discovered.
There were complaints that programmes on radio and television are packaged
mainly in Shona, English and Ndebele, while minority languages are ignored.

Information Platforms
There was little perception of information platforms as being inclusive of schools,
churches, political structures and other institutions that rely on interpersonal
communication within specific spaces. Oral communication remains an essential part of
information-sharing and the transfer of cultural knowledge, particularly in the rural areas,
and cannot be underestimated when dealing with forms and channels of communication.
There was recognition of the key role of government information officers as
communicators and general organisers in the community, notifying and bringing people
together as they did for the IMPI outreach, and providing a key information platform and
outreach mechanism.
With regard to the state of the governments own information system,
observations were made at several rural outreach meetings that the mobile film
broadcasting vans belonging to the Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting

Services are now defunct and should be revived in some form using modern technology,
and that district information offices are poorly resourced.
This IMPI outreach focused on platforms such as newspapers, radio, television
and social media, but the real power of social networks and the use of oral
communication in these networks or communities remains significant. This aspect offers
an indicator of the reasons why the transition from old to new media products is readily
embraced when available, even in rural areas, as it is more aligned with traditional forms
of communication, and more easily accessible.
Mobile phone technology is driving media innovation in Zimbabwe, surpassing
internet and transforming communication. The increased access to mobile technology has
led to a rise in citizen journalism while putting pressure on conventional media to adapt,
as a new platform exists where anybody can get information and news at any time on
their mobile devices. Mobile users can create and receive content on their own platform, a
device they own, and it is now possible to transfer money or get critical information about
agriculture, education and health issues in remote places.
Mobile companies no longer see themselves as telephone companies but as media
platforms and this is disrupting traditional media, particularly as Zimbabweans convert
to the mobile web. Total mobile subscribers reached 13.9 million at the end of June 2014,
raising the mobile penetration rate to 106.4 percent, as many individuals have more than
one mobile phone. The survey reveals that the most preferred media platform by the
public is still radio at 23 percent, followed by mobile phones (16 percent), and newspapers
(13 percent).
Competition among players is expected to improve the standard of production,
and give ZBC a reason to produce better quality programming. The content of media
products including newspapers, television, radio, magazines, and social media is subject
to the impact of the fast-changing technologies that deliver the content. Over the next five
to ten years, Zimbabwe is likely to be a changed country where people have a deeper
sense of how they can change their lives with technology.

Recommendations -- Chapter 2 Information Platforms and Content of Media Products
Recommendations for Information Platforms and Content of Media Products are presented at
the end of Chapter 2. The key recommendation is to improve access to media products
throughout the country, improving choice through various information platforms,
including community broadcasting and establishing community information centres as
focal points for content collection and dissemination. Performing arts such as theatre
should be used to disseminate information, as well as new technologies.
Many respondents believe that there is need for a complete overhaul of products
on local TV and that improved service will benefit all parties, as more people will access
the local stations and pay the fees, thus supporting viability of the national broadcaster.
The national broadcaster should be recapitalised with a mandate to inform, educate and
entertain, and improve programming quality. A three-tier broadcasting model should be
used for public, commercial and community broadcasting. ZBC should prepare for
digitisation through purchase of local programmes so the country is not flooded with

foreign content, and existing institutions such as the Film School and Production Services
must be strengthened in the context of modern technology.
Radio should resume education programmes for schools, and parliamentary
debates should be broadcast live. There must be more action to ensure that the languages
and cultures of various ethnic groups reflected in the Constitution have more visibility.
Family newspapers must publish decent content, and media must be a tool for nation-
building and not destruction.
3 Polarisation, Perceptions and Interference
This was one of the most topical thematic areas during the outreach programme. A total
of 42 outreach meetings were conducted in all 10 administrative provinces to solicit the
views of the public and stakeholders. The outreach discussions were combined with the
distribution of questionnaires to participants, and some stakeholders submitted written
reports or were interviewed by the committee. This chapter is therefore drawn from the
responses to questionnaires, the outreach reports, and the stakeholder interviews and
submissions.
The media has, since the late 1990s, mirrored the generally polarised environment
in the Zimbabwean society, which saw the public media supporting the government and
the ruling political party, while the private media generally gave an opposing perspective
supporting views dissenting from government. These perceptions spilled from the
editorial and opinion pages onto the news and features pages, to the selection of
international news and columnists, and on into entertainment and sports coverage. The
terms public and private media reinforce the notion of a polarised media landscape in
Zimbabwe, although professional ethics would require all to pursue a balanced
perspective, regardless of ownership.
Media are polarised by nature, as their intention is to provide access to
information from different perspectives, and to give the readers a choice of information
sources and opinions. If a degree of professional ethics is incorporated into the media
coverage, then this polarisation is channelled in the same manner that Parliament
channels the polarisation of political debate, giving a public platform for different
opinions and interests.
Various reasons were given during the outreach meetings for the media
polarisation, and common threads established. Participants felt that media polarisation in
Zimbabwe is mainly driven by political influence, business interests, editorial policies,
and the bribing of journalists to give positive coverage to some politicians or
businesspersons, or entertainers and sports personalities, while lambasting others.
This chapter unpacks the causes and effects of polarisation, interference and
perceptions in the information and media industry in Zimbabwe, as well as how these
have influenced the way in which the public views the media. The chapter provides a
broad range of opinion from key stakeholders and public, and offers recommendations on
how to improve the situation in the information and media industry with regard to
polarisation, interference and perceptions.

Polarisation
The survey established that there is unanimity on the causes of polarisation, with that
associated with political party lines being dominant, as confirmed during the build-up to
the hosting of elections. The trend that emerges lends credence to the hypothesis that the
political dispensation has compounded polarisation in the media, with the media across
the spectrum of public and private media blamed for the selective coverage of their
favoured political players.
Polarisation has also compromised the ethical standards of journalism in the
country and the media has, therefore, fuelled the polarised environment. The media in
Zimbabwe are generally regarded by the public as manifestly corrupt and designed for
disinformation, propaganda and information cover-up, across the spectrum. There is no
longer a mass media publication of public record that is widely respected and regarded as
factual, as with The Herald through the decade of the 1980s into the 1990s, when the
opinion pages were fully separate to the news pages and clearly labelled.

Interference
Media interference can be broadly defined as the influencing or manipulation of journalists
and media outlets internally or externally, and from within or outside the country, to
facilitate favourable news content, production and presentation. These pressures on the
mainstream media exist in most countries for political, personal and economic reasons,
either subtle or blatant, and the main defence is professional ethical journalism and
knowledgeable, experienced editors who know the fine line between advice and
interference.
Mainstream professional journalism is always a trade-off, between the story and the
sources access to the information needed to explain a matter to the public, including
background information. This is not an easy profession, but it has carried respect and
authority in the past due to a perceived integrity and work ethic. Much of that respect has
been diluted and lost, globally, mainly for the same reasons that formed the basis of this
inquiry the conduct and ethics of journalism and media, and resilience of the profession
in a changing world.
Interference in the media comes from many directions, and those who interfere
often have personal, political or commercial interests in the way that content is generated,
packaged and presented. The interference may be crude or subtle, paid or unpaid, and the
response can be ingrained in media training or mentoring, as well as in active service.
Zimbabwes media have suffered multiple interferences from within the country,
as well as from external factors. Common forms of interference discussed here are legal,
self-censorship, interference by owners, proprietary and corporate interference,
corruption, and political interference, especially the perceived interference by the parent
Ministry with editorial activities at Zimpapers and ZBC.

Perceptions
The IMPI inquiry observed that perceptions of media bias affect the ability of individuals
and groups to properly assess the news content of various publications and broadcasters. It

is normal for different publications to present different perspectives, but some of the
responses suggested that all of the many newspapers and radio stations should present the
same perspective, whether public or private media. The challenge is in separating the
opinions from the news coverage. Both are normal components of the media, when clearly
identified.
As observed during the IMPI outreach meetings, in the form of attendance,
participation, and in some cases meetings that were disrupted, this clearly showed that
perceptions stand in the way of information dissemination in Zimbabwe. Some
participants perceived IMPI as a pro-government inquiry, ignoring the presence of
panellists from across the media spectrum, while others seized on the presence of
practitioners from the private media to reinforce their perception that this was an
opposition initiative.
There seemed to be little understanding that it would be possible for representatives
from public and private media to sit together to conduct a joint inquiry to assess and inform
the future of their profession and collect information about the information sector in
general, and the specific needs and ideas of the people of Zimbabwe. This showed that
users have more confidence in the messenger than the message, and choose to believe the
information delivered on the basis of who is delivering it. Perceptions fuel polarisation in
the media.

Recommendations -- Chapter 3 Polarisation, Perceptions and Interference
Recommendations for Polarisation, Perceptions and Interference are presented at the end of
Chapter 4. Key recommendations to address Polarisation focus on the need for professional
standards reflecting the ethics of journalism such as accuracy, integrity, correctness and
consistency, and fairness in media coverage, guided by one agreed Code of Ethics and a
common Media Training Curriculum; a statutory self-regulatory body with a complaints
system that is representative and mandatory; and the willingness of all stakeholders to
reduce polarisation.
Recommendations on Interference include public media that serve the interests of
the public and the nation; a code of ethics for proprietors, advertisers and business to avoid
corporate interference in the production and presentation of news; co-regulation of the
media is the preferred approach to deflect interference by owners, editors or journalists,
and promote media ethics, and it is recommended that Zimbabwe should adopt this model
that combines statutory and voluntary regulation using a common code; and inclusion of
non-interference in the media training curriculum.
Additional recommendations on Perceptions include depoliticising the media space
to improve both public confidence and editorial policies; a professional media community
developed through training, mentoring and shared experience; and improved working
conditions for journalists.

4 Ethics and Standards of Professional Journalism

Ethics and professional standards are applicable to specific challenges faced by journalists
in disseminating information to the public, often captured in a Code of Ethics which
contains the principles of truthfulness, accuracy, objectivity, impartiality, fairness and
public accountability. Such a code of professional standards normally specifically rules
out discrimination on the basis of gender, race, religion, or disability, and respects the
principle of innocent until proven guilty. The outreach found that readers and
audiences generally do not believe that these principles are upheld by the media in
Zimbabwe, both in print and television. Radio fared better as it was described by the
public as being less sensational.
There is no single body of rules or standards of ethics or professional behaviour to
guide Zimbabwean journalists in the practice of their profession in the way that doctors,
accountants, lawyers and other professionals have ethical standards to guide them,
although a few media organisations have crafted their own Codes of Ethics to guide
editorial operations.
It is apparent that there is some confusion over what constitutes a journalistic
Code of Ethics, different from a Code of Conduct. A Code of Conduct guides the
employment terms for employees of an organisation, while the Code of Ethics is a set of
standards that guide the practice of journalism. Different media organisations can have
different Codes of Conduct but one Code of Ethics should provide the standard of
professional practice for all journalists.
The closest to a national Code of Ethics is that developed by the Voluntary Media
Council of Zimbabwe (VMCZ), a self-regulatory body created by some media houses, and
although this is presented as a Code of Conduct, it is in fact a Code of Journalism Ethics.
The document is voluntary and is not enforced, even by publications that have agreed to
it, but could provide the basis for discussion of a binding national Code of Ethics, which
should be a priority outcome of this Inquiry. The VMCZ draft Code of Conduct/Ethics for
Zimbabwe Media Practitioners is included in this chapter, and the existing codes from
three other countries in the region are appended. The main points of the 1980 UNESCO
publication on press councils that reflected a general global agreement on basic principles
are also presented in this chapter.
There was considerable concern expressed by the public and within the profession
about the need for professional ethics in the media, and about corruption in the media,
with the strongly held view that ethics should be an integral part of the training
curriculum for journalists and media workers, as it is for other professions, and that
practitioners should be bound by a national Code of Ethics.
Generally speaking, there is a belief among Zimbabweans that standards of
journalism in the country have gone down and communities expressed this opinion
repeatedly during outreach meetings organised by IMPI. Issues raised were about ethics,
training, content, working conditions and media business, all with an ethical dimension.


Recommendations -- Chapter 4 Ethics and Standards of Professional Journalism
Recommendations for Ethics and Standards of Professional Journalism are presented at the
end of Chapter 4. The main focus is on the need for a an agreed national Media Ethical
Code in which the minimum standards for balance, fairness and best practices are set out
clearly, and there was a consensus during public outreach sessions that there should be a
code of professional standards that all journalists adhere to. Another key recommendation
is that ethics should be the foundation of all media training in the country; and that all
media workers must agree to uphold these professional ethics. This Code is expected to
address corruption in the media at various levels, but another recommendation calls for
journalists to be paid decent salaries so that poor working conditions do not contribute to
corruption.

5 Media Training and Capacity Building
The committee was mandated to inquire into general media training and training
capacity-building through evaluating the arrangements for, scope and quality of
information/media training proffered in the country; as well as to gauge the relevance and
responsiveness of such training to the needs of the industry. The committee was further
tasked to inquire into the film industry and opportunities and prospects for the
development of a much-needed content industry in Zimbabwe, with emphasis on
investment and training.
The main methods used to gather data included public outreach meetings
throughout the 10 administrative provinces of Zimbabwe. General questionnaires were
distributed and collected, and individual interviews were also held with stakeholders. A
literature review was conducted, and desk research examined training and capacity-
building activities in the region and beyond. An examination of syllabi of various media
training centres and media research institutions nationwide was conducted, and the
committee also studied some training institutions in Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia.
There is a consensus in the information and media industry that the standard of
journalism and other media practices in Zimbabwe has plummeted to unprecedented
levels, and that training and capacity-building is an essential factor in rebuilding the
industry. The editors blamed training institutions for producing half-baked journalists
and media workers who cannot operate in the newsroom without re-training. Newsroom
mentoring has been depleted by the migration of skilled and more experienced
journalists.
Journalism trainers, on the other hand, say the newsrooms are responsible for
undoing all the good training they have given to new reporters. The trainers also blame
the decline in the standard of Zimbabwes primary and secondary school education for
the poor command of English, in particular, and poor general knowledge among newly
trained reporters. Trainees blame the lack of appropriate equipment, poorly stocked
libraries, and the inappropriately structured curricula in journalism training institutions.
Training aids in these institutions, especially for broadcasting, belie, rather than reflect,
the technological revolution.

Although training institutions have grown numerically and even escalated in
status in recent years to levels of higher learning, the quality of the product -- that is,
the journalist -- from these institutions has fallen far short of industry requirements and
national or public expectation. It is a maxim that the decline in the quality of journalism in
Zimbabwe is in inverse proportion to the increase in the quantity of journalism training
institutions. There is no relationship between the numbers of journalists churned out
annually by training institutions and what the media industry can absorb. There is little
coordination among the training institutions, and requirements for registration are not
enforced as the Standards Development and Research Unit (SDERU) in the higher
education ministry was not properly constituted.
The media sector faces a basic training and skills crisis, well before one talks about
modernising those skills. Therefore this chapter includes a proposal for the establishment
of an independent national Journalism Training Academy to provide all levels and
aspects of media training, including various specialised training for holders of a first
degree.
The chapter explores in some detail all aspects of media training and capacity
building, with specific sections on the electronic media, programme quality, archiving,
and content producers, and appends their proposal for the establishment of a National
Film Board (NAFIB) to provide for the development of a dynamic, professional and self-
sustaining local film-making industry that is globally competitive.

Recommendations -- Chapter 5 Media Training and Capacity Building
Recommendations for Media Training and Capacity Building are presented at the end of
Chapter 5. A key recommendation is that Zimbabwe must establish its own School of
Journalism or transform one of the existing journalism training colleges into a Higher
Journalism Training Academy, including post-graduate degrees. The current situation
needs short, medium and long-term training through properly registered institutions with
strict conditions for licensing, and the revival of key existing institutions.
The Ministry of Media, Information and Broadcasting Services must take a greater
role in media and journalism training, alongside the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary
Education, Science and Technology, and establish a professional body to monitor training
standards in college, including review of training modules and procedures. There should
be a national media-training curriculum.
Special training facilities are needed for capacity-building of the broadcast
industry, with modern equipment and a multi-media approach to training; as well as
establishment of a National Film Board with training and capacity-building among its
responsibilities. Various challenges and funding mechanisms are explored, and the
committee urges media houses and media practitioners to take responsibility for their
own development. The comprehensive recommendations include management training
and staff development, career guidance, and in-house training and mentoring, in the
context of new media platforms and business models, and new forms of media
consumption. The recommendations of two leading media training institutions are
appended to this chapter.

6 Gender, Advocacy and Marginalised Groups
The study is an investigation of the representation, participation, coverage and portrayal

of women, children and marginalised groups in Zimbabwes media between January 2012
and June 2014, and broadly seeks to understand gender mainstreaming, disability
mainstreaming, discrimination, and the ethical coverage of marginalised groups. As
indicated by the title, this study does not exclude men, as any gender analysis considers
the role of both women and men in the society, and in this case, in the media and
information sector. By eliciting the views of the public, media practitioners and media
stakeholders, the study seeks to contribute to the evaluation of the state of the media in
Zimbabwe. Submissions and interviews with various stakeholders are presented in the
chapter, with profiles and perspectives.
The chapter explores gender definitions and theories, and provides a legal framework
with relevant sections of the Constitution and the SADC Protocol on Gender and
Development, as well as a section on marginalised groups, as social exclusion
characterises contemporary forms of social disadvantage and relegation within the society
of people with disabilities, women, children and others. The chapter is based on the
following research questions and objectives:
Research questions
Is gender adequately mainstreamed in Zimbabwes media?
What forms of gender discrimination are prevalent in Zimbabwes media?
How do Zimbabwes media ethically cover and promote the coverage of marginalised
groups?
Are Zimbabwes media playing an effective role in advocating for the rights of
marginalised groups?
Research objectives
o To investigate the extent of gender mainstreaming in Zimbabwe;
o To explore the forms of gender discrimination in Zimbabwes media;
o To explore the coverage by the media of all marginalised groups -- women, children
and people living with disabilities; and,
o To explore the role played by the media in advocating for marginalised groups.
Fair gender portrayal in the media should be a professional and ethical aspiration,
similar to respect for accuracy, fairness and honesty. Yet, unbalanced gender portrayal is
widespread, and often accepted as the norm. Women and marginalised groups are far less
likely than men to be featured in news headlines, and to be relied upon as spokespeople
or as experts. Certain categories of women, such as single mothers, older women, or
those belonging to ethnic minorities, are even less visible. Yet women make up 52 percent
of the population of Zimbabwe.
Stories of womens achievements are seldom presented, nor are their views and
perspectives often sought by the media, and women are often shown scantily clad in
programmes or advertising. What message is sent to society about women? The chapter
explores various issues including stereotypes, work environment, board requirements,
training and the arts, as well as various forms of sexual harassment of women in the
media by colleagues, bosses, and even news sources, and what to do about it.

Recommendations -- Chapter 6 Gender, Advocacy and Marginalised Groups
Recommendations for Gender, Advocacy and Marginalised Groups are presented at the end
of Chapter 6. The main recommendation is that the dignity and equal rights of men,
women, children and marginalised groups as enshrined in the Constitution must be
upheld in the media and by the media.
Other recommendations cover mainstreaming, a multi-sectoral approach, the target of
50:50 women representation in decision-making by 2015 agreed by leaders of the African
Union and SADC, of which Zimbabwe is currently the chair; equal representation on
boards and shareholding, gender issues in training and in newsrooms, mentorship, input
to a collective Media Code of Conduct, and awareness and enforcement of a legal
framework for sexual harassment including a complaints act. Among the
recommendations is the establishment of a television channel that celebrates deaf culture,
similar to Deaf TV in South Africa.

7 Employment and Conditions of Service
The media and information sector in Zimbabwe has over the past few years revealed the
challenging conditions of service of media practitioners, including journalists, musicians,
artists and actors seeking to earn a livelihood. With Zimbabwes economy largely isolated
from the world over the past decade and a half, due to economic sanctions and the
political impasse with the international community, the local media and information
sector has not thrived. The local industry has not been viable. As a result, the conditions
of service have not improved and employment levels have remained low.
Hundreds of media and information practitioners graduating from the countrys
colleges and universities have remained unemployed despite the introduction of new
newspapers and radio stations. The high number of freelance journalists in Zimbabwe is
more a result of a lack of employment opportunities than a matter of choice, particularly
for the new graduates who are deemed inexperienced.
The media and information sector, particularly insofar as journalists and artists are
concerned, has failed to fully professionalise when it comes to improving conditions of
service. Supporting staff such as engineers and ICT specialists have professional
associations that help to maintain a conducive working environment. Shortcomings facing
media and information workers include areas such as lack of negotiating skills, vague or
verbal contracts, low take it or leave it performance fees in the case of artistes, and no
insurance cover.
This high cost of doing business in Zimbabwe is impacting the ability of media
houses to improve conditions of service and recruit more journalists. Until such time that
media organisations can improve their business, the sector will continue to face problems
in improving working conditions and creating employment opportunities, and challenges
may continue in guaranteeing the best conditions of service.
Outreach observations in this chapter present stakeholder views on remuneration
and benefits, employment, safety, qualifications, business, technology, language and

culture, intellectual property, and legislation. The legal framework presents the section of
the Constitution on The Right to Work Under Satisfactory Conditions.
The chapter also explores the working conditions for journalists and the context of
the Labour Relations Act, including sexual harassment of women in the workplace, and
explores employment creation in the cultural industry, including working conditions,
artists and intermediaries, intellectual property and piracy, as well as promotion of
employment through economic empowerment in the culture sector.
The media are among the few professional industries that have failed to take
advantage of the provisions of the law on the creation of a National Employment Council
(NEC) for their industry as envisaged in Part VIII of the Labour Act [Chapter 28:01].
Section 56 of the Labour Act provides for a voluntary Employment Council, and a
statutory one can be formed in terms of Section 57 of the same Act by way of ministerial
directive.
Consultations to create a National Employment Council (NEC) for the media
industry have not been successful because employers have not set up a publishers
association which would be a negotiating partner. The only option is to push for a
statutory NEC, which would be the first of its kind.
The Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) initiated the process to establish a
voluntary NEC for the media industry in 2006. A lot of groundwork was done,
culminating in the development of a constitution for the NEC but no National Employer
Association exists, thus creating a stalemate. Yet the values and purposes of the Labour
Act are best served through the establishment of a NEC for the media industry. The
Zimbabwe Graphical Workers Union, which represents workers in the Printing,
Packaging and Newspaper Industry, does not cover journalists. A summary of the ZUJ
paper on establishment of a NEC is appended to this chapter.

Recommendations -- Chapter 7 Employment and Conditions of Service
Recommendations for Employment and Conditions of Service are presented at the end of
Chapter 7. The main recommendation is that the media industry needs a National
Employment Council, including a proposal to adopt a results-based Action Plan with
targets and a timeframe of six months for the establishment of a NEC.
Other recommendations cover media laws, an industry code and employment
code, recruitment policy and personal development, prevention of discrimination and
sexual harassment, enabling environment to access information held by public and
private bodies, editorial independence of public broadcasting, and keeping pace with new
technology.
Recommendations for the music and culture industries include, among others,
enforcement of the Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Act; sophisticated marketing and
distribution techniques; investment and financing to address employment opportunities
through an Artistes Fund to provide loans/grants/scholarships; empowerment of the
National Art Gallery, faster payments and disbursement of royalties to artists, and review
of royalties, empowerment of independent producers and a levy on foreign films. This
chapter contains a section of eight recommendations on digitisation including upgrading

and expansion of services, workshops with media players, special training and re-
training, skills analysis, review of business models, and the linkage of digitisation to
ZimAsset and the governments indigenisation policy to offer opportunities for local
businesses.

8 Media Law Reform and Access to Information
This chapter is a reflection of the findings of the thematic committee on Media Law
Reform and Access to Information, from the various inquiry processes that the committee
engaged in. As with the other panels, this committee officially began its inquiry on April
4, 2014, and used various methods of obtaining public and stakeholder sentiments on
media law reforms and access to information, as described below.
The inquiry, whose commissioning came at a time when Zimbabwe had ushered
in a new Constitution, was very timely, as government was faced with the need for re-
alignment of laws. The new Constitution was being celebrated by the media sector in
Zimbabwe in view of the ample recognition of fundamental rights relevant to the media
such as freedom of expression, freedom of the media and access to information, etc. This
was also a time when the various courts in the country were inundated with cases related
to media freedom and aspects of freedom of expression. Some cases had also been filed at
the Constitutional Court.
Stakeholders, including the media, were clamouring for urgent movement
towards aligning media laws to the new Constitution, and the parent ministry also made
observations that pointed to the need for reform of some media laws. Particularly notable
were comments made by the Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services
on the need for expunging the criminal defamation laws. It was therefore evident that
there was need for a review of the requisite reforms to the media laws and access to
information regime, but also varied perceptions on what the countrys media legislation
should and should not comprise of. This was a good opportunity to open the process for
public and stakeholder input on how the countrys media laws should be framed.
Against that background, the committee inquired into the status and impact of the
current laws on fundamental media freedoms and on access to information, with a view
to producing a perspective informed by the public and the relevant sectors. In
undertaking this inquiry, the committee looked into a number of laws including:
Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act [Chapter 10:27] (AIPPA],
Broadcasting Services Act [Chapter 12:06],
Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act [Chapter 9:23],
Censorship and Entertainments Control Act [Chapter 10:04],
Interception of Communications Act [Chapter 11:20], and,
Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Act Chapter 26:05, among others.
This chapter reviews the legal framework starting with the Constitution of Zimbabwe
Act No. 20 of 2013, particularly Chapter 4, Part 2, Section 61 on Freedom of Expression
and Freedom of the Media and Section 62 on Access to Information, as well as Chapter 12,
Part 5 on the Zimbabwe Media Commission Sections 249-251. The chapter presents a

summary of findings on access to information, freedom of expression, media regulation,
broadcasting, and protection of intellectual property, as well as presenting the case for
legal reform, including the legal arguments. Some emerging issues are presented for
broadcasting, licensing, freedom of expression, application of the law, access to
information, regulation of the media, and privacy, freedom of expression and
surveillance.

Recommendations -- Chapter 8 Media Law Reform and Access to Information
Recommendations for Media Law Reform and Access to Information are presented at the end
of Chapter 8. The main recommendation is the need for review of existing media laws in
line with the Constitution, including on issues to do with media regulation, and removal
of all penal measures and criminalisation. Another recommendation proposes co-
regulation by the media and the Zimbabwe Media Commission.
Other recommendations address the broadcasting sector, including convergence,
digitisation, transmission, content, governance, licensing, and community broadcasting.
Recommendations on Access to Information address AIPPA, the Official Secrets Act,
Board of Censors, and privacy, surveillance and freedom of expression, including the
Interception of Communications Act.

9 Technology Convergence in the Information Sector in Zimbabwe
This submission on the convergence of technologies for information delivery, deals

primarily with issues of digital or electronic convergence and how it is impacting on the
information sector in Zimbabwe. The paper analyses the technological trends, and
presents the key issues fundamental to transforming the industry into a formidable force
in the media and information sector. The benefits brought about by digital convergence,
the drawbacks and some suggestions to overcome the challenges are discussed, together
with some suggestions on policy direction that government may consider for adoption in
order to shape Zimbabwes media and information landscape.
Not so long ago in Zimbabwe, if one wanted to listen to radio, one would need a
radio receiver to do that a TV receiver to watch television pictures or movies a
computer to type and receive electronic mail a physical paper-based diary to schedule
appointments a big alarm clock to wake you up a telephone to make a phone call a
pager to send and receive SMS messages a photographic camera to take still pictures
a video camera to record video a video cassette recorder to playback videos or movies
hired from the video shop an audio cassette recorder or the once popular walkman to
listen to music cassettes the list is endless. These are just but few examples to illustrate
the long road traversed before the phenomenon of convergence came about.
It seems like a fairy tale to tell a teenager in Zimbabwe today, that once upon a
time, it was indeed necessary to carry around a separate camera, music player or
walkman and a physical diary for appointments, it just seems so unreal, cumbersome
and old fashioned but in reality that is in fact what happened as late as the year 2000, at
the turn of the century, and it remains so for some parts of Zimbabwe.

Fast forward to 2014, all the tasks highlighted in the above paragraph and more
can be magically accomplished in just one single device running multiple applications,
using a mobile phone. Sometimes the tasks can be accomplished simultaneously at
lightning speed. The rate at which the technology has evolved can be a positive thing for
any developing country or it can equally be disastrous for the developing world if not
systematically harnessed in a structured way or in an environment where the regulations
are not responding to the needs of the consumer an undesirable state of affairs for any
developing country.
This chapter offers definitions and defines opportunities presented by technology,
and reviews emerging patterns of information consumption in Zimbabwe, including
social media. The chapter argues that Zimbabwe is fertile ground for digital convergence,
and explores the legal framework. The chapter is well-illustrated and provides a digital
roadmap to the new technology information sector in the country.
The arguments presented in this chapter require that media organisations in
Zimbabwe rethink existing assumptions about the way in which information is being
consumed by the end-user customer, as these affect marketing and programming
decisions at a content level and strategic investment direction at a business level.
The effect of what is happening with media convergence is more than just an
ordinary shift in technology. It fundamentally alters the rules of the game and thereby
redefining relationships between industries, the technologies involved, audiences,
ownership structures and markets. Due to the way that content is being consumed on
multiple devices by viewers the world over, this calls for meaningful strategic
partnerships, mergers and acquisitions. Alliances across industries in Zimbabwe have
become more viable as a result of this development and hence the need for further
business exploration in the digital media business.
Further, the digital convergence requires that legislators develop new policies that
respond positively to emerging market trends in support of the changing consumer
behaviour. A regulatory regime that aims to break the barriers of entry, break the silos
and encourage the unhindered free flow of information in line with international
standards is what is needed to take Zimbabwes media experience to another level.

Recommendations Chapter 9 Technology Convergence in the Information Sector in
Zimbabwe
Recommendations for Technology Convergence in the Information Sector in Zimbabwe are
presented at the end of Chapter 9. The main recommendation is that Zimbabwe must
introduce a multi-media school and equip journalists with multiple skills for deeper
appreciation of technology convergence and use of multiple devices, and must introduce
the use of electronic gadgets through e-learning at primary schools and in rural areas.
A national study of how audience are adopting digital as a platform to consume
media is urgent and critical.
Unified legislation is needed, multi-service licenses should be introduced for
broadcasters, and content producers must prepare their work for multiple outlets,
including internet and mobile.

The booming smartphone industry in Zimbabwe must be supported with the
promotion of social media applications, smart ownership structures adopted and
facilitated, triple-play services introduced, and over time, free Wi-Fi introduced to
promote access to information and government e-services.

10 Conclusions and Recommendations

Each thematic chapter contains the recommendations from its relevant committee, which
are presented at the end of each chapter, as indicated above. The key recommendations
from all of the chapters are consolidated and presented by topic in Chapter 10 as IMPI
recommendations. These are a consolidation from various committees that responds to
the Terms of Reference for An Official Inquiry into the State of the Information and Media
Industry in Zimbabwe.
The general Conclusion is that the components are in place for a vibrant
information and media industry in Zimbabwe that can relate to national values and
compete in regional and international markets, retain and protect intellectual property,
generate high-quality content, provide employment and generate sustainable profits,
protect and project women and marginalised groups, respond to and develop new
technologies, and use and protect the freedoms guaranteed in the Constitution.
But there is work to do. These components are scattered. In order to respond
adequately and creatively to the emerging opportunities, it is necessary for the media and
information sector to:
} engage each other, communicate more among ourselves about what we want
and consolidate structures to facilitate that;
} engage with government through the Ministry of Information, Media and
Broadcasting Services, which is in fact a part of the sector;
} engage with stakeholders and users to hear their views and tap into their
ideas, a process facilitated by new media platforms;
} be more creative in generating and marketing content and seeking resources
through the many possibilities available; and,
} work together to develop infrastructure to reach the entire country and
beyond. That is... listen to... and hear... the lady in the rural areas who pleaded
for access to local information, newspapers, radio and television If I say
good morning, I want to be heard at the same time throughout the country.

Appendix
Profiles of IMPI Panellists, a list of Acronyms and Abbreviations, are appended to this
Report.

Annex
Submissions and Presentations by Stakeholders and Interest Groups are provided in the
Annex.

INTRODUCTION INFORMATION &
___________________ MEDIA PANEL OF
INQUIRY
The full title of the Official Inquiry into the State of the
Information and Media Industry in Zimbabwe was
shortened by the panellists on commencement of the project to the more manageable
Information and Media Panel of Inquiry, or IMPI, as it became more commonly
identified.
The primary objective of IMPI was to identify, publicly highlight and seek redress on
media issues that are clearly identifiable as matters of public concern and interest, or
areas of inadequacy, injustice or general poor performance. The full Terms of Reference
on which the work of the Inquiry was based and which inform this report, are contained
in the Preface.
From Independence to 2013, Zimbabwe had not conducted any systematic or
comprehensive inquiry into the state of the Information sector, except for one or two
consultancy reports on public information and the National Survey on Broadcasting in
Zimbabwe in 2003, both of which had a narrow focus on subsectors. So from the strictly
practical media point of view, the creation of an initiative such as IMPI was eminently
prudent and long overdue, covering as it did pertinent issues such as the conduct and
ethics of journalism and the media, and resilience of the profession in a changing world.

Methodology

At the inception of IMPI, the Ministry of Information appointed a total of 28 panellists,
with myself, as a well-known investigative journalist, newspaper editor and author,
serving as chairperson. Thembelihle Khumalo, who has worked in the media for 15 years,
was appointed deputy chairperson.
To achieve its mandated objective, IMPI worked through a process of consultation
with the full spectrum of media and information sector stakeholders, ranging from
surprised villagers in remote areas, through print and electronic media executives and
leaders of professional media organisations, to training institutions, members of the legal
fraternity, and media-related civil society organisations, among others. Stakeholders
were invited to submit written presentations, and a large number responded positively.
The Panel of Inquiry worked through seven thematic committees, each comprising
four panel members. The committees were established for the purpose of conducting
outreach research and investigations among all stakeholders nationwide in the special
areas to which each committee was assigned.


For purposes of this programme the major stakeholders were identified as the public,
as the consumers of media products; the media industry, that is the print media
companies, the broadcast media, the advertising agencies, media training institutions,
professional media organisations; and the information sector including independent
producers, performing artists and cultural organisations; as well as the legal profession,
civil society, and the Government of Zimbabwe.
The vast amount of information thus collected was then reviewed and analysed in
plenary committee meetings and processed by the programme officers into outreach
reports and thematic reports, as well as files of thematic questionnaires. The information
so processed formed the basis of the material that a team of expert research analysts and
report drafters relied upon to produce this report as submitted by the Panel of Inquiry to
the Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services, along with the
recommendations based on the report.

IMPI Thematic Committees

IMPI panellists identified seven thematic areas drawn from the Terms of Reference, and
served as members of the seven thematic committees whose findings form the chapters of
this report. The IMPI programme was implemented through these seven thematic
committees, which were constituted as follows:
u Media as Business, including New Media
u Information Platforms and Content of Media Products
u Polarisation, Perception and Interference
u Media Training, Training Capacity and Ethics
u Gender, Advocacy and Marginalised Groups
u Employment Opportunities and Conditions of Service
u Media Law Reform and Access to Information.
Four panellists were appointed to each committee, supported by one programme and
research officer (See List at the end of this Introduction and Profiles at end of the Report). Each
committee was responsible for undertaking inquiries and research on the respective
subject.
The thematic area of the media as industry was addressed by the committee on
Media as Business, including New Media, while media content and delivery was the
focus for the thematic area of Information Platforms and Content of Media Products.
One of the committees was mandated to inquire into the issues of Polarisation,
Perception and Interference, and the relationship between sections of the media and
government.
Another committee investigated Media Training and Training Capacity as well as
Ethics and Standards of Professional Journalism. These are separated into two chapters
for purposes of this report.
Cognisant of the media challenges in presentation of women and marginalised
groups, as well as those of women employed in the media, a committee was devoted to
Gender, Advocacy and Marginalized Groups.

Employment and Conditions of Service had its own committee of inquiry, and a
chapter in this report.
The legal framework for the media and information sector was addressed by a
committee on Media Law Reform and Access to Information.
Chapter 9 comprises a special submission on Technology Convergence in the
Information Sector in Zimbabwe, analysing the linkages and impact of new and
emerging technologies.
Each chapter presents recommendations for the specific thematic area, and the key
consolidated recommendations of the Information and Media Panel of Inquiry (IMPI) are
contained in Chapter 10 of this report.
There are a number of annexes of various kinds. Each chapter has specific
material appended that is directly relevant to the content, and this report also has an
Appendix profiling the IMPI panellists. Due to the length and quality of the submissions
from stakeholders, we decided that these documents should be available in full for
reference, and these are presented as a full Annex to this report entitled Annex of
Submissions and Presentations by Stakeholders and Interest Groups.
The IMPI work was conducted through the nationwide deployment of an Outreach
Programme, implemented by the seven designated thematic committees. The committees
were designed to inquire into a broad spectrum of media industry and information
sector-related institutions, issues and interests through the Outreach Programme made
up of public meetings, questionnaires and submissions.
The 28 panellists representing a wide variety of media stakeholders were appointed
by the Ministry of Information to inquire into and examine the status of Zimbabwes
media and information sector over a period of four months, initially stretching from
March to June, 2014. The timeframe was then amended to cover a period stretching from
April to July, 2014.
On realisation that the IMPI programme was too ambitious and could not
realistically be compressed into a four-month period due to the logistics involved in
reaching all provinces, the deadline was stretched by a further two months. In the final
analysis, the IMPI mandate was to end in September, 2014, a total of six months. After
this date, a process of analysis and drafting began that covered the last quarter of the
year, with the final report submitted in December 2014.
Two panellists resigned in April, citing an insurmountable pressure of work
resulting from the combination of responsibilities at their work place and the enormity of
the required commitment to the IMPI undertaking.
The IMPI survey was painstakingly accomplished through conducting interviews
with scores of stakeholders and interested members of the public and the convening of 88
public meetings throughout Zimbabwe, as well as through the distribution of
questionnaires, including on the Internet. The thematic committees travelled widely
throughout Zimbabwes 10 provinces in the process of gathering information.
Various media stakeholders were engaged, mostly in Harare and, to a lesser extent,
in Bulawayo, Mutare and Gweru. The companies included major stakeholders in the
printing and publishing industry, such as Zimbabwe Newspapers (1980) Ltd, the

countrys largest newspaper publishing company, with more than 100 years in the
printing and publishing business; Alpha Media Holdings, with four newspapers in the
market; and Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe (ANZ), recently re-launched after 10
years following a government ban on its flagship publication, Daily News, in September
2003.
IMPI engaged stakeholders in the broadcasting sector, dominated by the Zimbabwe
Broadcasting Corporation, with five radio and two television stations in an under-
performing broadcast media sector. Smaller players which were recently launched in that
sector are Star FM owned by Zimpapers and ZiFM by African Business Communication.
Amid a widespread outcry about the sub-standard quality of journalism in
Zimbabwe, the panel interrogated officials in training institutions, primarily in Harare,
Bulawayo and Gweru, including the main journalism training schools, as well as at
tertiary institutions which offer courses in media studies. The report found that
stakeholders in Zimbabwes media sector generally agree that, although Zimbabwean
journalists go into the field with some training, their level of reporting is below average.
Numerous reports on the state of media in Zimbabwe with requisite
recommendations on the revamping of training institutions and practices have been
submitted over the years. Unfortunately, little or nothing has been done to implement
those recommendations. Predictably, misgivings were voiced repeatedly that the
proposed recommendations by IMPI would not be treated any differently by the
authorities. A number of disparaging pronouncements were either published in the press
or forwarded directly to IMPI, which dismissed the mandate as an ill-conceived waste of
precious taxpayers money.
The consultations for the information sector covered a wide range of organisations
and institutions throughout the country, including arts and culture organisations,
authors and performing artists, and independent producers, as well as those related to
the Ministry. Among the submissions received by IMPI in this regard was a full proposal
for the establishment of a National Film Board.
Finally, the issues of convergence and the opportunities of rapidly changing
technology are addressed in a special submission commissioned by IMPI and presented
here as Chapter 9. For example, many people now source information via new media
platforms through their mobile phones. In addition, the digital migration set for 2015,
known as digitisation, may be the biggest revolution in broadcasting since the inception
of television in Zimbabwe in 1960. This analysis gives a holistic overview of where we are
and the heights we can achieve if we incorporate and capture these opportunities in the
media and information sector in Zimbabwe.

Challenges

Some of the challenges that IMPI encountered right from the commencement of the
project serve to highlight the reason why Zimbabwe required the services of an
intervention such as IMPI in the first place. The project became a series of challenges from
the very day when its pending formation was announced in December 2013. The sheer

unexpectedness of this surprise development, originally scheduled for February 2014,
created the initial element of challenge as mystified Zimbabweans struggled to come to
terms with both the objective and the context in a nation easily given to political suspicion
and media polarisation.
This surprise initiative by the new Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting
Services, then six months old, invited mixed reaction and comment from inception, many
of them negative and detrimental to its welfare.
The fact that the newly created Ministry was headed by Professor Jonathan Moyo,
who in an earlier tenure in the same office had been publicly regarded as the architect of
a campaign targeting sections of the private press, served to create suspicion in that
section of the press about the motivation of the undertaking, notwithstanding the
appointment of several editors and executives from the private sector of the media to sit
on the IMPI panel.
There was a perception in some media circles that any initiative sponsored by the
Government of Zimbabwe was inherently suspicious and dubious, never mind how well-
intentioned, despite the post-July 31 atmosphere of visibly diminishing media
polarisation through overtures by Minister Moyo and his team to build rapport with all
sections of the media.
So deep-seated was the polarisation and mutual mistrust in the media that it
permeated the ranks of the IMPI panellists. Fears were openly expressed that the
members of the panel, including myself as Chairperson of IMPI, might have been bribed
as a prelude to promoting some unspecified political agenda. The same sentiment was
expressed in several newspaper articles, with regard to the rest of the original list of 28
panellists, forcing the panel to devote a fair amount of its initial effort to fire-fighting
before it was formally established. Such negative sentiments were expressed despite an
abundance of evidence that the myriad problems plaguing Zimbabwes media and
information sector needed to be tackled in a robust manner.
The Zimbabwe Media Commission, which should have been a key participant in this
important exercise to collect views and ideas on shaping the future of the information
sector and the media industry in Zimbabwe, declined the invitation to participate,
despite having the same parent ministry, indicating that their response was solely to do
with the issue of the standing and functions of both organisations. Their letter dated July
14, 2014 made reference to Sections 248 to 251 of the Constitution, as well as Sections 235,
and Sections 39 and 50 to 52 of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act,
stating that, Taking all these provisions into account, it would appear as if IMPI is
duplicating the ZMCs mandate. IMPI replied to their letter but proceeded without
input from the ZMC.
Writing from the UK, the editor of an online newspaper, also slammed IMPI on
behalf of the ZMC, saying it was operating with a stolen mandate, despite the mandate
having been granted by the same parent ministry, the Ministry of Information, Media
and Broadcasting Services.
Our response was brief: We prefer that we are judged on the content of the report
that will soon be submitted to the Ministry and thereafter will be placed in the public

domain so that Zimbabweans at home and abroad can comment on its content. The
editor replied with a terse response: Thanks, it all makes sense.
As part of the inquiry, the IMPI panellists visited four countries in the SADC region -
- Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia. The Lusaka-based Panos Institute Southern
Africa had the most positive outlook of the whole period of inquiry, saying that IMPI was
a step in the right direction for the development of Zimbabwes media sector and an
opportunity for different stakeholders to contribute to a strong and vibrant media sector.
The work of the panel is very much in line with our strategic efforts to support the
development of a strong and vibrant media sector in Southern Africa, Panos said. As a
regional communication for development organisation, we believe that a strong media
sector is critical for overcoming the various challenges currently affecting Zimbabwe. We
believe that when people have access to development information, it is easier for them to
participate in development processes.
As the IMPI process was drawing to a close, Minister Moyo convened a meeting to
compare and exchange notes with senior journalists and stakeholders on current affairs.
The meeting took place on Thursday, September 11, 2014. Writing in the Editors Memo
column the following day, the editor of The Zimbabwe Independent, Dumisani Muleya, one
of the IMPI panellists, described the framework and tenor of the meeting [as] friendly
and the dialogue reflective. ...Moyo kept on saying government was not out to fight
anyone, but to discuss how to engage constructively and tackle ethical challenges in the
media.
The IMPI mandate was a formidable undertaking, and we have tried to engage
constructively in the preparation of this report, while presenting honestly the wide range
of views expressed through submissions and received by thematic committees during
outreach. The length of the submissions presented a challenge to the inclusion of
everything in one volume, but due to the quality of submissions and the work put into
them by the various stakeholders, we have decided to produce the full submissions as an
Annex to this report.

Geoffrey Nyarota, Chairperson,
Information and Media Panel of Inquiry December 2014


Thematic Committee Members and Programme/Research Officers
Media as Business, including New Media

Committee Members Sharon Samushonga (Chair)
Jacob Chisese
Pikirayi Deketeke
Bester Zambuko
Programme/Research Officer Gloriah Ganyani
Information Platforms and Content of Media Products

Committee Members Dr Nhamo Mhiripiri (Chair)
Peter Banga
Cont Mhlanga
Dumisani Muleya
Programme/Research Officer Grace Mutandwa
Polarisation, Perception and Interference

Committee Members Vincent Kahiya (Chair)
Constantine Chimakure
Stanley Gama
Gift Mambipiri
Programme/Research Officer Sibusisiwe Dube
Media Training, Training Capacity and Ethics

Committee Members Susan Makore (Chair)
Cris Chinaka
Justice Douglas Dhliwayo
Geoffrey Nyarota
Programme/Research Officer Alphonce Farayi Chimbindi
Gender, Advocacy and Marginalised Groups

Committee Members Chris Chivinge (Chair)
Thembelihle Khumalo
Plaxedes Wenyika
Fungisai Zvakavapano-Mashavave
Programme/Research Officer Nobukhosi Mutangadura
Employment Opportunities and Conditions of Service

Committee Members Foster Dongozi (Chair)
Tsitsi Mabukucha
Rangu Nyamurundira
Programme/Research Officer Columbus Mavhunga
Media Law Reform and Access to Information

Committee Members Jacqueline Chikakano (Chair)
Brian Mangwende
Priscilla Munangati
Programme/Research Officer Oliver Gawe


INFORMATION &
MEDIA PANEL OF
INQUIRY
CHAPTER 1
MEDIA AS BUSINESS, INCLUDING NEW MEDIA PLATFORMS
Report of the Thematic Committee on
Media as Business
PANELISTS
Sharon Samushonga, Committee Chairperson
Jacob Chisese
Pikirayi Deketeke
Bester Zambuko
Programme /Research Officer
Gloriah Ganyani
IMPI

Institutionally, the information sector
is fragmented. It is structured as if
convergence is still to happen,
CONTENTS structured as if we still live in an era
where telecommunications, print and
CHAPTER 1 broadcasting; where voice, image and
word, still exist apart and in distinct,
1. Introduction impenetrable compartments.

2. Literature Review and While technology has converged, the
Theoretical Framework business models, the regulatory
models, the taxation models, the
3. History of the Media Industry
in Zimbabwe institutional models all these have
not, and do not seem to see the need to.
4. Media Industry Composition and
Challenges Publishers have no common forum.
Editors have no cross-cutting forum.
5. Media as Business and State of the There is no institutional vehicle for
Industry meaningful regular contact between
content merchants and backbone
5.1 Print Media operators. ADMA which is supposed
5.2 Broadcasting
to provide a link between publishers
5.3 Advertising
5.4 Music Industry and advertisers hardly works as a
5.5 Film Industry source of impetus for growth.
5.6 Content Producers, Arts and
Theatre What is worse, industry-wide
5.7 Writers and Book Publishers
structures for lobbying Government
for hospitable policies and tax
6. New Media
concessions and funding do not exist.
7. Recommendations Or for collaborative actions in non-
competitive areas of common interest,
8. Appendix areas such as training, printing,
newsprint purchasing and/or
Newspapers and Advertising Performance investments, product distribution,
common way (backbone)
Effective Practices and Lessons from the
development, etc. Here is one sector
Region -- Kenya, Zambia, Zambia
unaware of commons and of
thoroughfares even though so
many exist, albeit unmarked!
...From Terms of Reference for An
Information & Media Panel of Inquiry IMPI Official Inquiry into the State of the
Information and Media Industry in
Zimbabwe

1 INTRODUCTION
_____________________
This chapter focuses on the business aspects of the print and electronic media, online
platforms, advertising agencies and outdoor media, performing arts, content producers,
musicians and film operations in Zimbabwe.

1.1 Objectives
The study sought to:
o assess the challenges faced by the information and media sectors in Zimbabwe;
o assess the opportunities for business growth in the sectors of information and
media;
o analyse the viability of the information and media sectors;
o suggest possible solutions for challenges faced by the information and media
sectors;
o establish business models used in Zimbabwe and elsewhere in the region;
o establish the difference between the information and media sectors;
o analyse the historical developments of the information and media sectors; and
o explore possible investment opportunities in the information and media sectors.

1.2 Methodology
The thematic committee used both quantitative and qualitative methods to gather
information for the study. The main methods used to gather data included public
meetings held throughout the country, interviews with stakeholders, and questionnaires.

A number of meetings and interviews were held with various organisations that included
media houses such as Zimbabwe Newspapers, Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe
(ANZ), Alpha Media Holdings (AMH), The Financial Gazette, Zimbabwe Broadcasting
Corporation (ZBC), the Zimbabwe Music Rights Association (ZIMURA), the Zimbabwe
Magazine Publishers Association (ZIMPA) Trust, Film Producers, Transmedia
Corporation (Pvt) Ltd, the Zimbabwe Association of Accredited Practitioners in
Advertising (ZAAPA), and advertising agencies.

Questionnaires were completed by various stakeholders such as media practitioners,
owners of media organisations or their representatives. Some information was obtained
through desk research, special stakeholder submissions and use of special papers
presented by some experts.

1.3 Limitations to the Study
It is pertinent to point out that the committee faced some challenges in obtaining actual
data pertaining to circulation, viewership, listenership, advertising volumes and revenue,
advertising percentages for various publications, and other critical business information.

This was also the case with other countries in the region visited by the committee. Some
media houses were reluctant to release the information to their competitors, saying that
the release of strategic data could jeopardise their real or perceived competitive
advantages.

Second, since the economy has been in a prolonged recession for the past decade, some
companies and organisations were sceptical of the reasons and purpose of the IMPI
exercise and were unwilling to trust one another or the exercise. However, various other
strategies were used to compile information that was critical to establishing a fair picture
of the media business landscape in the country and showing some general trends in the
industry.

1.4 Organisation of the Chapter
The chapter is organised into eight sections. This first section introduces the chapter.
Section 2 focuses on the literature review and theoretical framework that informed the
research, thereby giving an overall context to the subject under review.
Section 3 highlights the historical development of the media in Zimbabwe, giving a short
overview, as the history is rich and long and could fill a book on its own, starting with the
development of the newspapers, followed by radio stations, television, news agencies and
other forms of communication, and online news media.
Section 4 analyses the media industry, its composition and challenges.
Section 5 looks at business aspects of the media in Zimbabwe and the state of the
industry, with specific parts for print media, electronic media, advertising agencies and
outdoor media, and performing arts, musicians, film producers, content producers,
writers and book publishers.
Section 6 focuses on online media.
Section 7 presents Recommendations.
Section 8 Appendix contains advertising ratios for local newspapers, and reports on
regional experiences, with lessons learned.

2 LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
________________________

This section outlines the theories that informed the IMPI study of Media as Business, and
reviews some literature written by various scholars in relation to the traditional normative
roles of the media in society and the notion of information and media as a business, as
well as outlining the history of media economics and various concepts of media
economics. While there are many roles that the media is expected to perform in society,
the first part highlights the social responsibility role.


2.1 Social Responsibility Theory
This is one of the four theories of the press propounded by Frederick Siebert. The theory
postulates that the media has clear obligations of public service that transcend money-
making. Christians et al (1993) posit that the social responsibility theory sees the press as
free for social service, stating that the media should encourage debate about pressing
social needs and that moral imperatives arising from the community should matter more
than the economic and bureaucratic impulses of media institutions.

According to Hulteng (1985), the theory contends that channels of communication are
limited to those who own the media. Those who gather and process the information that
flows through them must accept a responsibility to society. He asserts that the
responsibility is to provide a truthful, balanced and comprehensive account of the news.

Journalists who subscribe to the theory must direct their efforts towards identifying and
then serving the interests of society. However, it can be argued that while the media
should perform the social responsibility role, and the theory provides a framework on
how journalists should operate, it should be noted that the media also have an obligation
to be profitable so that the business remains viable and sustainable.

This theory is relevant to the study of the state of the information and media sectors in
Zimbabwe because it provides an understanding of the traditional role of the media. In
many newsrooms, editors were traditionally not concerned about issues of profit-making.
Their main concern was to serve the public interest by informing, entertaining and
educating people. However, the trend seems to be changing. Editors are now publishing
stories that are intended to sell the newspaper and make profits for the organisation.
While the media still continue to perform the social responsibility role, they cannot fully
perform this role because of the desire to make profits.

2.2 Political Economy
The political economy approach is one of the methods used previously to study the
operations of media businesses. The political economy approach asserts that there is a
relationship between ownership and control and the ideological content of the media.
There are different but related approaches to analysing this relationship. Murdock (1980)
cited in Williams (2003: 83) identifies two approaches: the instrumental and the structural
approaches to analysing this relationship.

According to Williams (2003), instrumentalists argue that, there is a direct relationship
between ownership of the mass media and control over what we see, hear and read in the
media (72). The approach asserts that ownership of the media can strongly influence
content and can be used as an instrument to disseminate ideas and values which affirm
existing patterns of power and privilege.


Gurevitch (1982) posits that, Content of the media and meanings carried by their content
are according to this view (political economy) primarily determined by the economic base
of the organisations in which they are produced (18).

Critics of the instrumentalists approach, however, see this as being too simplistic and
describing a causal relationship between control and media content and messages. It
presents the media as servants and cudgels of expression of the ruling class with little or
no autonomy (Williams 2003: 84). This approach ignores the ability of journalists to resist
the intervention of owners. It has also been criticised for ignoring the influence of
consumers. It sees consumers as passive and without the ability to decode different
meanings from media texts.

Structuralists argue that owners do not have direct control over the content of the media.
Rather control is exercised through the structures and pressures within which media
organisations have to operate (Williams 2003). The pressures, however, emanate from the
emphasis on the need to maximise profit and the demands of competition. Garnham
(1990) cited in Williams (2003: 84-85) argues that to understand media content, it is
essential to analyse the context in which it is produced and distributed. The process of
production, the deployment of media workers, the division of labour and the means of
distribution need to be considered in order to make a decision about who can say what to
whom.

Other scholars also acknowledge that there are a number of factors at play during the
construction of news. Franklin (1997) asserts that the political economy approach to
journalism suggests that the production of news and journalistic products is structurally
constrained by economic and political factors. Harcup (2005) contends that the work of
journalists is influenced by a range of structural factors such as legal constraints,
regulatory regimes, the system of media ownership, organisational routines, market
forces, advertising considerations, cultural bias, patriotism, professional ethos and
gender, racial and class imbalance in the workforce (27).

The theory has, however, attracted criticism especially from pluralists, who argue that
political economy confuses the matter of the ownership of media industries with their
control. Proprietors, claim pluralists, own newspapers but do not control them, this is
the prerogative of the editors, senior colleagues and journalists (Franklin 1997: 39).

Pluralists argue that it is no longer wealthy and powerful individual capitalists who own
media enterprises but much greater numbers of smaller investors and shareholders.
Pluralists also argue that while the political economy approach may possess some
explanatory value for the production of news and news content in the privately owned
media sector, it provides an inadequate theoretical framework for broadcast media which
operate on public service principles and is subject to statutory regulation designed to
exclude any editorial influence arising from political and economic interests.


The theory is relevant to this study because it shows that there are a number of factors
that influence the production of the content of the news by the media. These factors
include the ownership and control structures of a media organisation as well as other
factors such as the audiences, advertisers, news sources, among other things. The desire to
sell and please audiences has led to broadloid journalism, whereby the large-format
broadsheet newspapers, that were previously considered reliable sources of news and
information, are now found in the smaller tabloid formats and compete for readers
through sensational stories and headlines previously found mainly in the tabloid press.

2.3 History of Media Economics
Since the beginning of the study of communications, attention has focused primarily on
the roles, functions and effects of communications. When media and other
communications enterprises were studied, they were typically explored as social
institutions, and much of the focus was on the social, political, legal, and technological
influences on the enterprises and their operations (Albarran 2006).

Historically, media scholars ignored, or only lightly attended to, the effects of economic
forces. This was mainly because communications scholars initially came from the
disciplines of sociology, psychology, political science, history, and literary criticism. They
passed on their approaches of studying media to new generations of scholars who
emerged during the mid- and second half of the 20th century (Albarran 2006).

Media entities themselves permitted this lack of scholarly interest in economics and
management because for most of their history, large numbers of media executives had not
considered media to be business enterprises. This is not to say that there were no
commercial aspects. Many owners, however, operated publications and small commercial
radio and television stations as a means of making a modest living, while enjoying a great
deal of reward from playing an influential role in the social, political, and cultural lives of
the communities and nations in which they published. Worldwide, public service and
state-operated radio and television had operated outside the realm of the market
economy, funded by government or legally required licence fees and often protected by
monopoly status (Albarran 2006).

In the second half of the 20th century, media of all kinds began taking on stronger
commercial characteristics as their ability to produce large incomes increased with the
explosion of advertising expenditure. Newspapers and magazines prospered, commercial
radio and television became highly profitable, and even some public service broadcasters
began accepting advertising as a means of increasing their revenue.

These changes and the increased competition with existing media created by additional
competitors and newer media began generating new business and economic issues at the
enterprise, industry, and social levels, but scholars were slow to develop interest in these
areas.

The earliest contributions to literature on media economics were primarily from
economists exploring newspaper competition and characteristics (Ray 1951, 1952;
Reddaway 1963) and broadcasting structures and regulation (Coase 1950, 1954, 1959,
1966; Levin 1958; Steiner 1952). Later communications scholars began exploring media
economics using the political economy approach in the late 1960s and 1970s with a focus
on the power structures affecting media. Notable contributions were made by Dallas
Smythe (1969), Herbert Schiller (1969, 1976), and Armand Mattelart and Seth Seigelaub
(1979).

In the 1970s an increasing number of economists and business scholars began exploring
media, especially as the result of changes leading to the development of cable television
and problematic trends appearing in the newspaper industry. Significant contributions
about the economics and structure of television markets were made by Owen and Beebe
(1974) and Spence and Owen (1977). A few communications scholars with economic and
business backgrounds began contributing their knowledge to understanding of media.

It was not until the 1980s, however, that communications schools began to give economic
and financial forces the significant attention that was due. Since that time, a coherent and
growing body of knowledge about economic issues and problems, and the financial
strategies and behaviour of communications enterprises, has developed. That literature
has begun to explain how economic and financial forces and strategies affect media
developments and operations.

This new avenue of inquiry has begun to significantly alter the imbalance that ignored the
role of communications enterprises as business and financial institutions. In a relatively
short period, a great deal of explanatory material and research has provided the
foundation for description of communications business organisations and operations,
methods of competition between media enterprises, choices of consumers and producers
of communications products, and a broad range of economic and financial problems and
performance issues, especially in the area of concentration and monopoly. Excellent
analyses have considered the political economy of communications enterprises and the
effects on society and vice versa (Dyson and Humphries 1990; Garnham 1990; Mosco and
Wasco 1988).

2.4 Media Economics
Media economics is concerned with the changing economic forces that direct and
constrain the choices of managers, practitioners and other decision-makers across the
media. According to Robert Picard, media economics is concerned with how media
operators meet the informational and entertainment wants and needs of audiences,
advertisers and society with available resources (1996:5). For Alexander et al., media
economics refers to the business operations and financial activities of firms producing
and selling output into the various media industries (1998: 2).

Media economics then is concerned with a range of issues including international trade,
business strategy, pricing policies, competition and industrial concentration as they affect
media firms and industries. Most of the decisions made by people who run media
organisations are to a greater or lesser extent influenced by resource and financial issues.
Economics as a discipline is, therefore, highly relevant to understanding how media firms
and industries operate.

The overall performance of the economy has important implications for the business
performance and prospects of firms in all sectors, including media. Many media firms rely
on advertising as a primary source of income. An analysis of long-term trends in
advertising shows that there is a strong association between the performance of the
economy as a whole and levels of advertising activity. Revenues for media firms from
direct expenditure by consumers are also clearly dependent on broader economic
aggregates such as levels of disposable income and consumer confidence.

What all media firms have in common is that they are involved somehow in producing,
packaging or distributing media content. However, it should be noted that not all media
firms are commercial organisations. Public service broadcasters do not have a profit
motive but operate to provide a universally available broadcasting service as a social
responsibility.

Criticisms proffered by some scholars suggest that it is too crude and simplistic to assume
that businesses are motivated purely by pursuit of profits, arguing that some owners are
motivated by alternative goals. These range from philanthropy to the desire for specific
benefits associated with owning certain types of businesses. The other motivation might
be the pursuit of public and political influence. Objectives of media organisations and
owners tend to vary widely.

2.5 Media as a Business
Media as a business implies a comprehensive collection of communication channels of
different scales, engaged in varied commercial activities of disseminating news,
entertainment, education, data, or promotional messages, for earning a profit
(Niteshsharma 2010).

Media as a business also involves the marketing principles of creating, delivering and
sustaining value. Advertisers and marketers follow where the people go. Where the mass
media is concerned there is a unique ability to influence society as a whole in different
ways. Many organisations use the media to market their goods and services, and try to
influence issues that impact on them or the views of the target market, hoping to impact
on the purchase decisions. Industries and businesses globally are capitalising on this
opportunity (Niteshsharma 2010).


Many businesses are exploring marketing opportunities offered by social media. While
businesses were uncertain about social media in the past, they are now rapidly adopting
this avenue for marketing. According to some scholars, content in the form of blog posts,
audio, video, comparison, review sites, tweets and social network messages help to share
information in a less formal way that builds the know, like and trust factors that
influence decision making1. Television commercials, print advertisements in
newspapers/magazines/brochures, jingle ads on radio, pop-ups and flash-ads on the
internet, blogs and feedback reviews are all part of the industry business model2.

2.6 News and Information as Business
Previous research has also shown that newspapers historically have been among the most
successful businesses with profit margins typically exceeding 20 percent per year.
Underwood (1995) argued that, despite their financial success, newspapers have
increasingly emphasised profits. Audience market research has increased in importance
among all media to lure readers, listeners, viewers, and now internet surfers.

2.7 The Music Industry
Music is an integral part of cultures throughout the world but is also a marketable
commodity, and the music industry is a business like any other, subject to economic and
commercial imperatives (Adorno 1941; Connell and Gibson 2003; Starr and Waterman
2003). Globally, music is big business, generating large amounts of money and providing
livelihoods for large numbers of people. In 1998 it was estimated that the South African
music industry was worth approximately 2 billion rand and employed approximately
12,000 people at its core (Cultural Industries Growth Strategy 1998). Statistics on the
global music industry quite often exclude Zimbabwe which has no record company
affiliated to the International Federation of Phonographic Industries (IFPI) and is not a
country member either (Mhiripiri 2012).

2.8 Literature on the Music Industry
A look at the literature on the Zimbabwean music industry reveals a stronger
preoccupation with content analysis and literary criticism of lyrics than with the economic
and commercial aspects of the music industry. Occasionally, there are media articles that
provide important insights into the music industry though they do not tend to give
extensive or in-depth analysis due to the nature of the publications (e.g. Kohola 2011). In
their work, Zindi (1985, 2003, 2010) and Fagerjord (1995) imply a mismatch between the
creative system and the business system, ie the availability of creative talent but not
enough business skills and resources to ensure commercial viability for the majority of
artists (Mhiripiri J and Mhiripiri N 2007).

1 http://www.studymode.com/essays/Media-As-a-Business-Industry-401505.html
2 http://www.studymode.com/essays/Media-As-a-Business-Industry-401505.html


3 HISTORY OF THE MEDIA INDUSTRY IN ZIMBABWE
________________________

The history of the media in Zimbabwe falls very largely into three distinct eras: the last
decade of the 19th century, the whole of the 20th century, and the first decade-and-a-half of
the 21st century. The 113 years since the first newspaper was published here have seen
huge political, social and economic changes, but these have been dwarfed in the growth of
the media by available technology, entry level costs and the availability of investment.

The history of newspaper publishing in Zimbabwe falls economically into those three
distinct phases. A flurry of very small newspapers were published in the 1890s using
handset type and flatbed presses, with low entry costs into the publishing world. The
second phase was the long dominance throughout most of the 20th century by the Argus
Company of South Africa, its Rhodesian subsidiary and Zimbabwean successor, at a time
when technologies had high entry costs and required skilled technical personnel. The
third phase, at the close of the 20th century, was the advent of digital desktop publishing
and significantly cheaper offset lithographic web presses which slashed entry costs and
numbers of skilled technical staff, encouraging a flurry of new titles and a more
competitive and vibrant market.

In the 1890s a number of newspapers were established in Harare, Bulawayo and Mutare.
Entry costs were very low, even in the limited economy of that time, and the technology
was little different from that of the 15th century, but was better engineered with cheaper
paper being the major technical change over 400 years. Only three of those newspapers
survived, due to a combination of factors.

The 20th century saw major technology advances in newspaper production, with radio
and television arriving towards the middle, although the basic principles were developed
earlier in the century. Generally, there was little change in Zimbabwe until the second half
of the 20th century, with the arrival of television in 1961 being the major technological
innovation, following similar developments in other parts of the world.

The switch to linotype typesetting and rotary presses for printing pushed up entry costs
dramatically, so newspapers needed high investment. This created a near monopoly for
the only investor prepared to put in the capital. Phototypesetting and rotary litho presses
advanced efficiency and quality without making fundamental changes in the economics
of production.

Broadcasting had to be started as a government service, with the high investment needed
for transmitters before people could be persuaded to buy radio receivers, and even then
needed to be backed by government-imposed licence fees. Television was started as a
joint venture between the monopoly broadcaster and the major newspaper company as
no one else had the capital or desire for investment.

The technical and financial challenges of distributing news copy had, by the middle of the
century, created a business model for a news agency that lasted for half a century. In
many ways the 20th century belonged to the big investors who had significant resources.

Technology changes at the end of the 20th century slashed entry costs and requirements
for skilled technical staff. While the worldwide web, fibre-optic links and the mobile
phone are the most obvious changes to the public, the advent of desktop publishing on
cheap personal computers, the fact that the third-generation litho rotary presses could be
bought, in real terms, for around a quarter of the price of equivalent first-generation
models, and cost reductions that were nearly as dramatic for radio and television
transmitters and equipment, coupled with far higher quality and versatility, were just as
important for the existing media houses and critical for new and aspiring entrants.

In many ways, the 21st century looks more like the 1890s than the 20th century, with a
plethora of publications, now on many platforms, and with much lower entry costs, yet
all competing for a far more stable global sum that people are prepared to pay for content,
and a far more stable total advertising budget. The high level of market fragmentation
and the rapid changes are likely to place a premium on innovative management, as seen
in the 1890s, than the slower changes of the 20th century.

4 MEDIA INDUSTRY COMPOSITION AND CHALLENGES
________________________

The analysis of the media industry in this section looks at the composition and challenges,
as well as opportunities, for an industry that comprises newspapers, radio, television,
magazines, advertising agencies, online platforms and social media, and the performing
arts such as theatre, drama, music and film.

According to the Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC), the types of media houses that
were registered and operating in 2014 included newspaper and magazine publishers,
local offices of foreign media services, production houses, and media services for film and
video, in addition to broadcasting. The ZMC data that was available during this inquiry is
shown in the following table.

Type of Media House No. Registered No. Operating
National media services publishing 85 49
newspapers and magazines
Local office of foreign media services 6 6
Advertising agencies 4 2
Production houses and media services 1 1
Media service in film and videos 6 3
Total 102 61


According to the ZAMPS survey, the country has six national radio stations and two
television stations. Commercial enterprises and artists for the performing arts are
registered with the National Arts Council.

4.1 SWOT Analysis of the Media Industry in Zimbabwe
The tool of SWOT analysis enables a depiction of the Strengths and Weaknesses of the
media industry, as an indicator of the current state of the industry, and can also reveal the
Opportunities available and the Threats confronted by the industry.

4.1.1 Strengths
o A well-educated and literate population, so the market is available.
o An organised industry and commerce that facilitate the need for advertising of
various products and services.
o A culture of advertising that is ingrained in the economy and has been in existence
for decades, supporting a tradition of advertising by industry, commerce,
government and other organisations.

4.1.2 Weaknesses
o Poor performance of the economy to sustain the number of players in the industry.
o Inefficient business models.
o Lack of cooperation in the industry for economies of scale or lobbying purposes.

4.1.3 Opportunities
v The country has a young, literate and growing population which is likely to create a
significant market for the print and online media industry as the economy improves.
v The business models of the media industry, especially the print media, are
inefficient to the extent that they are unsustainable to perpetuate, but there are great
opportunities to revamp them.
v The migration to online platforms is inevitable for all media organisations and
presents new and significant opportunities, especially for diversifying the revenue
streams of media companies. Many young readers seldom or never read hard
copies, but spend their time surfing the internet, chatting and using social media.
v The digitisation of the electronic media will also generate formidable opportunities
for both radio and television stations.

4.1.4 Threats
The declining circulation volumes of newspapers and magazines will increasingly force
advertisers to channel their business to online platforms that are inexpensive and more
focused in terms of reaching their target markets. They also produce better quality
graphics and colours compared to the print media products. However, initially, the
revenue generated from online platforms will not be able to support existing structures in
the media organisations. Retrenchments seem inevitable, especially due to changes in the
skills required.

The benefits offered by the digitisation of the electronic media will require a vast
expansion in the area of content production. The challenge is that the current media
industry has not prepared itself properly for the expansion of content production, and
viewers as well as listeners may be disappointed by the poor quality. They could desert
local stations in preference for imported services such as Digital Satellite Television
(DSTV) MultiChoices digital satellite TV service in Africa, which was launched in 1995.

The downturn in the economic activity has resulted in a drastic reduction in the levels of
advertising by companies in industry and commerce, as well as others including
government and the non-government sector.

4.2 Challenges
Prior to the year 2000, when the economy was in a relatively better condition, the media
industry had fewer print and electronic players than the prevailing situation which has
resulted in decreasing circulation volumes. This is also caused by diminishing disposable
incomes, including poor remuneration for civil servants, who constitute a significant
proportion of readers, with negative impact on purchase power and therefore circulation
of all newspapers.

4.2.1 Newspaper Industry
In the 1980s and early 1990s, the average readership of newspapers relative to the
population as a whole, was as follows:
Mass market dailies 40%
Mass market weeklies -- 30%
Financial market weeklies -- 15%

According to the ZAMPS 2014 First Half Results released on 28 August 2014, the
readership of all the newspapers reflected a general decline in the market from the period
noted above, but comparative figures show a slight increase in readership of the daily and
weekly press in 2014 over 2013 during the same three-month period.

Readership of Daily Press in the previous three months
2013 (%) 2014 (%)
Herald 24 26
Daily News 12 15
H-Metro 13 14
Newsday 11 13
Chronicle 7 9
Southern Eye 1 3

Readership of Weekly Press in the previous three months
2013 (%) 2014 (%)
Sunday Mail 15 19
B-Metro 3 5
The Standard 3 4
Sunday News 3 4
Kwayedza 3 4
Manica Post 5 4
Financial Gazette 1 3
Zimbabwe 1 2
Independent
Daily News on Sunday - 2
The Zimbabwean 1 2

In the early 1980s, it was possible for print media companies to observe the general rule of
60:40 proportion of advertising to editorial content but in the current economic
environment such a proportion is no longer attained. Media houses have had to be
innovative by changing their business models to enable them to remain viable in a hostile
economic environment where advertising ratios have decreased to below 50 percent.

Given the high polarisation in society, the media has reflected the same impact along
political lines, and this polarisation has contributed to the decline in circulation as readers
have become disenchanted by the biased editorial content.

While the issue of donor funding has not been openly admitted by any media player, it
would be amiss if its ramifications are not interrogated. Donor funding can take various
forms, but the main form of donor funding is direct to a particular media house as a
recipient of assistance from an external donor for special projects or a prolonged period,
thus advertising rates can be set at levels that are uneconomic and highly negotiable.

Another form of funding is particular advertising that is channelled to a specific media
house to the exclusion of all other media players. If government departments and
parastatals are persuaded to channel their advertising to a specific media house to the
exclusion of all other media houses then that can be viewed as unfair competition,
although this mechanism is not technically unethical and is used by governments all over
the world.

4.2.2 Broadcasting
The licensing of new radio stations by the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ)
has been perceived as unfair as the shareholders of organisations that were awarded
licences were viewed as sympathetic to the ruling party. Other interested players felt that
the awarding process was biased and was not fair to all candidates.

Whether the above views are correct or not, the position is that in such a scenario,
perception becomes reality. The same applies to the delay in licensing of community radio
stations, and also to the licensing of television stations by BAZ. The widely held belief is
that no independent television station will be granted a license.

Apart from the political issues highlighted above that are viewed as impediments to the
licensing of radio stations, there is no doubt that the current liquidity crunch in the
economy has been a major hindrance to the ability of most aspiring candidates to secure
funding for capitalisation in addition to working capital for operations of the electronic
media. The same economic challenges that are hampering the existing radio stations and
other players in the industry are likely to render the projects of prospective candidates
unviable and unprofitable.

The same challenge that has affected the print media in terms of an influx of new players
that cannot be sustained by the market in the current economic conditions, also applies to
radio stations. According to the ZAMPS 2014 First Half Result released on 28 August
2014, the radio stations listened to in the past four weeks were as follows:

Radio Stations listened to in the past four weeks
2013 2014
Total (%) Urban (%) Total (%) Urban (%)
Radio Zimbabwe 41 28 40 30
Power FM 28 32 24 31
Star FM 14 23 18 26
National FM 13 9 15 11
ZiFM 8 14 8 14
SFM 5 8 4 7

4.2.3 Double Taxation
All organisations in the media industry are levied a fee of 0.5 percent on gross annual
turnover by the ZMC. Apart from the above levy, the electronic media are also charged
transmission fees on a monthly basis by the Transmedia Corporation of Zimbabwe.

Given that the media industry, like all companies, is subjected to other statutory
payments such as Value Added Tax (VAT), corporate tax, and Pay As You Earn (PAYE)
income tax, the media levy and the other levies could be seen as double taxation.

In view of the fact that the media levy is charged on gross turnover and not net profit, it
pushes up the overall cost of producing newspapers and operating the electronic media,
and exerts an unbearable burden on cash flows at a time when VAT and PAYE payments
to the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) are supposed to be made by the 25th of
every month. Yet there may be timing differences so the amounts owed are due before the
advertisers have paid.

The multiple levies are a challenge to the media industry and, given the double taxation
effect, they are suffocating the viability of the industry. The media levies are considered
by some proprietors as unwarranted costs that should be abolished to protect the media
industry from ruin.

Just as other businesses have been paralysed by lack of affordable finance from banks for
recapitalisation and working capital, the same factors have had a devastating impact on
the media industry. The industry is operating with antiquated machinery and equipment,
thus adding to the cost of producing newspapers and affecting negatively the operations
of the electronic media by making them unviable.

4.2.4 Inefficient Business Models
Partly due to polarisation, media organisations have adopted inefficient business models
in which they have seen the need to procure and install printing machines and operate
distribution systems whose capacity utilisation levels are well below 50 percent. This has
led to high cost structures because of the inefficient models adopted. An example of better
models are those employed by newspapers in South Africa where independent operators
print all newspapers and independent distributors transport and distribute newspapers
for all media organisations throughout the country.

Through such economies of scale and sourcing of spares of printing machines from the
same supplier, the operators in South Africa benefit from group discounts and they have
a federation of master printers who use the same models of printing machines, for
example, the Goss Metro Users Association. Newsprint, that constitutes the biggest
expenditure item in the cost structure of newspapers, is not available locally since the
closure of the Mutare Board and Paper Mills, but is imported from South Africa and
overseas.

The effect of the above operational environment is that given the long lead times that
invariably apply to importation of newsprint, print media companies tie up too much
money in stocks at a time when cash flow is very tight and this contributes to the
expensive cost structure in terms of newspaper production. Ideally, newsprint and other
critical inputs and consumables should be sourced on a procurement policy of just in
time basis of to minimise finance costs in terms of unnecessarily holding high stocks,
especially given the bulkiness of newsprint which requires storage facilities. The resultant
poor storage of such a fragile input also leads to costly wastage.

4.2.5 Online Platforms
While the emergence of online platforms can be viewed as an opportunity for the media
industry in Zimbabwe, the revenues generated have not been sufficient to offset the high
costs that are required to fund the platforms, especially the cost of skills required and the
necessary equipment to make the online platforms effective. While online platforms are
the future of the media industry, the initial costs including the gestation period that can
conceivably stretch to over two years or more, are proving expensive given the current
downturn in the economy. The faster the monetisation of the various online applications
is achieved and accepted by users, the more viable the online platforms will become.

4.2.6 Skills and Specialisation
The unavailability of specialist skills in both the print and electronic media is a major
challenge, especially given the poor performance of local training institutions. Most
journalists now required by the media industry need to have tertiary education in finance,
economics and political science, among others, to enable them to understand and
articulate issues. It is difficult to identify candidates with the right educational
background who have the nose for news.

Not every graduate can be trained to be a good journalist. Journalism is an art and it
requires candidates with the correct orientation, dedication and passion for writing. A
combination of all these factors is not easy for proprietors to identify and, if identified,
such people are difficult to retain given the relatively poor remuneration in the media
industry in relation to other professions.

4.3 Opportunities
The IMPI survey results drawn from primary data gathered across the 10 provinces
covering journalists, reporters, and editors through Focus Groups. When the Outreach
survey covered the aspect of what needs to be done to improve media information sector
viability, 36 percent of the respondents noted the need for media law and policy reforms,
with 18 percent advocating improved working conditions for journalists. There is also a
greater realisation on the part of media practitioners that there is need to respond to
customer needs and expectations, and better serve them for survival and viability.


Figure 1 What Should Be Done to Improve
Media and Information Sector Viability?
36%
17% 18% 18%

11%
IMPROVE LAW AND RESPOND TO BETTER OTHER

ECONOMY POLICY AUDIENCE WORKING
REFORM NEEDS CONDITIONS

On risks associated with investing in the sector depicted under Figure 2, concern is on the
perceived unstable political environment which scores 30 percent, followed by poor
economic conditions at 23 percent, whilst restrictive policies and laws account for 22
percent. These three parameters account for 75 percent of the risk weights affecting media
sector investment decisions, implying that any attempt to lure both domestic and foreign
investment into this sector should initially address these factors.

Zimbabwe does not have a unified management and administration of ICTs and the
media sectors. As stated earlier on, in actual practice, it is difficult to distinguish ICTs
from information and the media. The two sectors play a complimentary role but the
approach that government has adopted especially to the development of the important
sector of ICTs is detrimental to the unified growth of these two sectors. The impact of the
ICT development is not recognisable throughout the whole country and yet all countries
that are developing rapidly have their ICTs sector growing at breathtaking speeds. There
exist great opportunities to attract huge investment in the ICT sector but because of the
current approach as well as other factors militating against general investment in the
country, Zimbabwe has not fully benefitted yet.

Figure 2 Risks Associated with Investing in

35%
Information and Media Sector
30%
30%
25% 23% 22%
20%
20%
15%
10%
5%
5%
0%
Poor Economic RestricGve Unstable Advent of Other
CondiGons Policy PoliGcal Social Media
Environment Environment


5 MEDIA AS BUSINESS AND STATE OF THE INDUSTRY
__________________________

The issue to be explored in this section is viability and relates to whether these sectors of
the media industry are set up, operated and managed as a business. The points to be
considered are the following, as to whether:
o all mainstream media organisations are registered and comply with provisions of
the Companies Act;
o they have made all statutory payments such as VAT, PAYE, Corporation Tax and
other levies charged by government;
o they employ professional people to manage the business; and
o they have sound business systems and sustainability through profitability.

The inquiry found that media organisations fall into three different categories of viability:

} The first category consists of organisations that are in severe financial positions
and are failing to meet statutory obligations, medical aid and pension
payments, and are struggling to effect payment of salaries on due dates. While
cost reduction measures have been proposed, these do not go deep enough to
ensure a turnaround situation. The report foresees further drastic measures
being implemented whether voluntary or not, for survival proposes.

} The second group consists of media organisations that are experiencing financial
stress but are able to pay most of their statutory obligations including salaries,
although they are behind with certain payments.

} The third category includes those who are up to date with their working capital
requirements. Our investigations revealed that there is not a single company in
this category in the media industry.

While the situation is desperate, therefore, it has to be analysed and considered in view of
similar situations for the rest of the economy. While this inquiry found the media
industry in a situation of intensive care, there is no doubt that it will recover and take
its rightful place in the economy, although there is no guarantee that there will not be
casualties in the process.

We conducted research on most media organisations to establish if there are reasons other
than those of a commercial nature as to why they are in existence. While ownership of
media organisations provides influence and prestige in society, we found no evidence to
show that any organisation had been set up solely for such reasons. Most of the
mainstream media organisations are set up on business lines and managed professionally.


In Zimbabwe, most shareholders cannot afford to prop up loss-making media
organisations. They do not have the capacity to be so generous for extended periods. The
profit motive is, therefore, the overriding factor, although the prestige and influence that
accompanies such ownership is welcome to some shareholders.

The reason why the above question was asked is because it would appear that certain
media houses are not generating sufficient revenue to sustain themselves as going
concerns. The economic environment has affected all companies but we have witnessed
some media organisations adopting drastic measures to ensure that they remain afloat.

There is no doubt that external funding in the form of grants, loans or investment has
acted as a bridging measure, but in the long term, the organisations have to prove their
viability or close down. Even government has not been able to assist the public media
when in difficulties, including the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC).

Like most sectors of the economy, the media industry is in a survival mode because of
depressed circulation volumes and unsustainably low advertising volumes. The same
applies to the electronic media, especially the public broadcaster. The extent and
seriousness of the problems vary depending on the different business models that
respective media organisations are using.
As indicated earlier, the committee had challenges to obtain certain information on

circulation, viewership, listenership, advertising volumes and revenue, as some media
houses were not willing to provide the information. As a result, the committee had to
adopt the following methods:

Use information that is already in the public domain such as the results recently
released by the Zimbabwe All Media and Products Surveys (ZAMPS). Although
some media houses are not in agreement with the methodology used by ZAMPS,
the committee believes that the overall picture presented by ZAMPS is the best
way to depict the state of the industry, in the absence of the actual information
from media players.

An informal way of computing advertising percentages was employed and it is
important to note that while this method has potential for inaccuracy, the overall
result is not too different from the reality being experienced in the industry. In the
absence of the actual data from the media houses, the information computed by
this method gives an approximate position of the industry. (See end of this chapter)
5.1 Print Media

This section focuses on the print media, consisting of newspapers, both mainstream and
community, and also the magazine publishing sector. The media landscape is explored
and brief profiles of some of the major players in the industry are presented.

5.1.1 Profiles of Key Media Players

ZIMBABWE N EWSPAPERS (1980) L TD
The Zimbabwe Newspapers group (Zimpapers) is largely owned by government through
a trust, the Zimbabwe Media Trust. It publishes four daily newspapers: The Herald in
Harare, The Chronicle in the second largest city of Bulawayo, and two social-scandal-
chasing tabloids, H-Metro in Harare and B-Metro in Bulawayo. Zimpapers also publishes
five weeklies: The Sunday Mail in Harare, The Sunday News in Bulawayo and The Manica
Post in the eastern border city of Mutare. Two of the weekly newspapers, Kwayedza and
Umthunywa, are published in vernacular Shona and Ndebele, respectively.

In addition, Zimpapers recently launched an online publication BH24, which focuses
more on business. All its publications with the exception of H-Metro are available online.
Zimpapers prints its own newspapers using its two printing companies in Harare and
Bulawayo. Zimpapers also runs a commercial radio station, Star FM, which started
broadcasting on June 25, 2012. Zimpapers is listed on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange. The
shareholding structure is as follows.

Zimpapers Shareholding Structure
Holder name Total issued shares %
Zimbabwe Mass Media Trust 51.09
Old Mutual Life Assurance Company Zim 10.24
Zimcor Limited 5.41
Hotair Investments (Pvt) Limited 4.72
Zimpapers Managers Shares Trust 4.59
Zimpapers Employees Share Trust 3.41
Zimpapers Newspapers Pension Fund 3.39
Messina Investments Limited 1.75
National Social Security Authority 1.45
The Bexley Trust 0.96
Total holding of top10 shareholders 87.01
Remaining holding 12.99
Total issued shares 100

ASSOCIATED N EWSPAPERS O F Z IMBABWE
Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe (ANZ) publishes Daily News, Daily News On Sunday
and Weekend Post. It first published its flagship Newspaper, The Daily News, on March 31,
1999. The government used new media laws to shut down the company in 2003. After
intense lobbying and a protracted legal battle, ANZ was re-registered and granted an
operating licence as a newspaper publisher in July 2010 after seven years of closure. Daily
News was re-launched on March18, 2011 and the publication has taken up a significant
market share in the daily newspaper market, due to its editorial policies.


The major shareholders for ANZ are:
Meditation Investments (Pvt) Ltd, Africa Media Investments, and Diamond
Insurance Company of Zimbabwe.
The rest of the shareholding is spread among Southern Life Association,
Intermarket Life Assurance, NDM Investments (Pvt) Ltd, Batanai Capital Finance
(Pvt) Ltd, Dr. Ali Mohamed and Judith Todd.

ALPHA M EDIA H OLDINGS
Alpha Media Holdings (AMH) is a privately owned company that publishes two daily
newspapers, NewsDay in Harare, Southern Eye (in Bulawayo) and two weekly newspapers,
Zimbabwe Independent and The Standard. All the newspapers have online editions. It is also
the parent company for Strand Multiprint, a commercial printing company and Munn
Marketing, a distribution and marketing company. Alpha Media Holdings started
publishing in the mid-1990s, and its mission statement is to provide effective leadership in
the provision of world class multimedia products and services.

AMH is owned by Trevor Ncube through Vusumuzi Investments with 61 percent of the
shareholding, and 39 percent is held by the Media Development Investment Fund.

THE F INANCIAL G AZETTE
The Financial Gazette (Private) Limited, publishers of The Financial Gazette newspaper,
was registered as a separate company from its parent company on December 5, 1983. The
Financial Gazette newspaper was first published in April 1969 and is the oldest business
and financial newspaper in the country.

The Financial Gazette is a Harare-based weekly newspaper and is a market leader in
economic, business and political reportage with a weekly circulation of around 14,000
copies. The goal of The Financial Gazette is to provide accurate reporting and alternative
views and news about key socio-economic and political developments in Zimbabwe, and
is read by business executives and policymakers in the public and private sector.

Services offered by the newspaper are advertising, copy sales and subscriptions, and the
newspaper is available online. The companys major suppliers are Mondi, which provides
newsprint, and Printco, which provides printing services. The company is wholly owned
by Octadew Investments a Zimbabwean company owned by Gideon Gono, the former
central bank governor, and the shareholding structure is as follows.

Octadew Investments

Modus Publications P/L 100%

Financial Gazette P/L 100%


5.1.2 Emerging Issues
Below are some of the issues that emerged from stakeholder engagements and from
outreach meetings pertaining to the print media.

a. Content
Most people complained that newspapers are out of touch with what people want to read.
For example, most newspapers publish stories about politics yet the majority of people
say they are now tired of political stories. They say they want to listen to or read about
other issues that concern them and issues about people in the communities. They want to
read investigative pieces and not only what the ministers say. There were numerous
complaints that newspapers publish falsehoods and so people no longer trust the media.
This notion is affecting media businesses as people now feel that there is no need to buy
newspapers that publish falsehoods.

b. Language
Most newspapers in Zimbabwe publish in English except for Kwayedza and Umthunywa,
published in Shona and Ndebele respectively. Zimbabweans say they want newspapers
that are published in local languages because those are the languages that can be easily
understood by the majority of people.

c. Newspaper sales
Most people complained that the cost of newspapers is beyond the reach of many people
at one US dollar per copy, as this is the same price paid for a loaf of bread so people have
to choose whether to use one dollar to buy a newspaper or a loaf of bread.

d. Advertising
Due to the depressed economic environment, most media organisations have been
affected by the low rate of advertising. Under normal circumstances, the
advertising/editorial ratio should be in proportion of 60/40. But due to the depressed
economic environment which has resulted in companies failing to advertise, very few
media organisations are managing to meet this ratio of advertising to content.
Newspapers such as H-Metro sometimes publish editions consisting of six percent
advertising; Daily News, 14 percent; while The Zimbabwe Mail may contain 17 percent
advertising. Low advertising ratio has affected the viability of most media organisations.
(See comparative advertising rates and performance figures in Appendix 8.1 at end of chapter)

e. Circulation
Newspaper circulation figures currently published by the Zimbabwe All Media and
Products Survey (ZAMPS) are disputed by some publishers, resulting in a situation where
every major newspaper publishing company claims that their own daily newspaper is the
largest selling in Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwes established media houses should register their newspapers and magazines
with the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC), an international voluntary organisation
consisting of publishers, advertisers and advertising agencies. The main function of ABC
is to evolve and lay down a standard and uniform procedure by which member
publishers shall compute their net paid sales. The circulation figures so arrived at are
checked and certified by a firm of chartered accountants approved by the bureau.
Such bureau issues ABC certificates every six months to those publishers whose
circulation figures conform to the rules and regulations as set out by the bureau.
Zimbabwe Newspapers was a member of ABC up to the early 1990s. A reintroduction of
ABC audits would benefit all newspaper organisations, the advertising industry and the
public at large in Zimbabwe.
f. Distribution
Most newspapers handle their own distribution using their vehicles or public transport to
ferry newspapers to the rural areas. Distribution of newspapers through the public
transport system is not reliable. Newspapers are sold on the streets using street vendors,
or in shops, and in some cases agents sell newspapers in return for a commission.

g. Printing
Big media organisations such as Zimpapers, AMH, and ANZ own printing presses and
print their own newspapers. However, smaller organisations, particularly community
newspapers, do not have printing presses of their own. They sub-contract others to print
for them. The cost of printing newspapers is then a major challenge because the printing
costs are high, as is the cost of newsprint.

h. Taxes
The media industry is heavily taxed. The taxes include those paid to the ZMC, ZIMRA
and Zimdef, among others. Most organisations recommended to IMPI that the taxes
should be reduced as the various stakeholders feel that they are heavily taxed.

i. Registration of media organisations
The requirements for registering a media organisation are restrictive. Most respondents
feel that the clause on foreign ownership is prohibitive and discourages foreign investors
from investing in the media sector. Various stakeholders also feel that the registration fees
are high and should be reduced. Fees should not be the same across the board. For
example, registration fees for a community newspaper should not be the same as for a
mainstream newspaper.

j. Community newspapers
There are community newspapers in almost all provinces of Zimbabwe. The challenges
that are faced by community newspapers are almost of a similar nature. Due to economic
hardships, the main challenge is that of resources.

Most community newspapers cannot afford to employ more than two full time reporters.
These organisations consist mainly of an editor and a reporter. They rely on students on
attachment for human resources. This scenario has been identified as one of the main
causes of poor quality content in the newspapers. Due to the shortage of human
resources, in some instances the editor doubles as the reporter. In some instances, the
sales representatives will also double as reporters.

k. Transport
For most community newspapers, transport is also a challenge, making it difficult for
reporters to source for news. Transport is also needed to distribute the newspaper. Where
it is not available, newspaper organisations rely on public transport to distribute their
newspapers. This mode of transport is not always reliable, as indicated earlier.

l. Consistency in publishing
Due to high costs of production and low rates of advertising, some community
newspapers struggle to meet their obligation of publishing their newspapers every week.
Some newspapers that are supposed to publish weekly are now publishing bi-weekly,
and other are publishing only when they get sufficient advertising revenue.

5.1.3 Recommendations Newspapers
Taxes should be reduced for the media industry, and media industry should
reduce the price of newspapers. Imported newsprint should be tax exempt.
Government should make it mandatory for local authorities to advertise so
members of the public are updated on various issues happening in different
towns and cities.
Only serious newspapers should be licensed to publish, as some newspapers
do not publish on a regular basis.
Government or the banking sector should establish a media basket fund so
that media houses can borrow funds.
Grants of about $20,000 should be given by government to communities to
start newspapers, and there should be a centralised printing arrangement to
enable everyone to reach the market in time. Registration fees should be
reduced for community newspapers.
ZMC levies should be removed because companies are struggling and this is
seen as double taxation.
A voluntary council for appeals should be established to represent
organisations facing lawsuits.

5.1.4 Magazine Publishing
Magazine publishing in Zimbabwe faces major challenges. While there is a dearth of
publications that could address critical political and socio-economic issues affecting the
development of the country, the national environment makes it difficult for those that
exist to operate satisfactorily to meet the demand.

Sound projects have been proposed but these disappear after a short period or do not get
started, resulting in supermarket and bookshop shelves being filled with foreign
publications. Local readers are thus compelled to consume foreign literature.
5.1.5 State of the Magazine Industry

A combination of high printing costs, low advertising support, uncompetitive pricing
models and conditions, poor turnaround and sometimes unsatisfactory quality, has
resulted in magazine publishers finding themselves with no choice but to venture
offshore to get publications printed. This has resulted in capital outflows.

From a human capital perspective, magazines are unable to employ appropriate staff for
the economic reasons mentioned above, and it is not easy to find personnel with the
requisite skills to create content of a competitive quality due to the specialty nature of
most publications.

Government regulations do not adequately cater for this sector, so that labour matters are
lumped together with other sectors or vaguely referred to, making it difficult to set
parameters and benchmarks for operations. Local magazines are registered by ZMC and
subject to the high annual levies charged.

The magazine publishing sector in Zimbabwe is in dire straits, although there is huge
scope and many opportunities for growth. Proliferation of online magazines that can be
accessed by mobile phone is damaging the magazine industry, and it will die if it does not
adapt. Print will continue for some few years to come, largely because of slow
technological pickup and bandwidth challenges.

5.1.6 Opportunities for Growth in the Sector
Magazines give specialist focus on critical economic sectors that are not adequately
covered in mainstream media, and have more space for in-depth reporting and analysis.
The slow pace of technological advancement ensures that readers still rely on print media,
and many readers traditionally still want personal copies that they can return to later, to
read at their own pace. However, the industry has the opportunity to use new entry
points and methods when starting up to ensure access or conversion to new media
platforms.

Zimbabwes new economic blueprint, ZimAsset, envisages a vibrant economy and calls
for a more responsive media environment to complement the attendant content that the
various objectives of ZimAsset will generate. This will require articulation on a
sustainable basis, in print and new media platforms.

Due to the nature and state of the magazine industry, it is well-placed to develop using
new media platforms, but this will require study of the needs of the target audience, as
well as production and distribution; and a change of mindset about what is a magazine.

Organisations Affiliated to Zimbabwe Magazine Publishers Association (ZIMPA)
Organisation/ Publication Title Editor Price/ Focus

Representative Frequency
SOFTRITE/ Ndeipi Jaimee $2 Whats
Mike Garden Johnstone Monthly happening in
Harare
PADARE reNHAU (Pvt) Ltd Parade Ray $2 General news
Rejoice Nharaunda (since 1953) Mawerera Monthly and lifestyle
Teacher in $1 Education sector
Zimbabwe Monthly
WoW Zimbabwe $2 Hospitality and
Quarterly tourism
The Zimbabwe $2 Farming and
Farmer Quarterly agriculture
Padare Free News in braille
Magazine Bi-monthly and large print for
blind or visually
impaired
DANTS MEDIA/ Jewel Tsitsi Mutendi $2 Lifestyle and
Tsitsi Mutendi entertainment
The Club Free Fashion
Dopota Star Free Religious ZCC
Precious Chitapi Woman Precious $4 Lifestyle
Gentleman Chitapi
Shaanandumi Puwai Homes & Styles Shaanandumi $3 Home and
Puwai lifestyle
Exclusive Weddings, brides
Weddings and grooms
OUT OF AFRICA (Pvt) Ltd/ Out of Africa Sarah Cullen $3 Lifestyle and
Jeff Cullen Monthly entertainment
Destination Free Msasa businesses
Msasa Quarterly
Zimbabwe Clothing Stitch Jill Day $2 Clothing
Manufacturers Quarterly
Association
Zimbabwe Tobacco Tobacco Today $2 Agriculture

Association Quarterly Tobacco
Associations: Zimbabwe Livestock Matters Penny Lumley Free to Agriculture
Poultry, Pig Producers, associations Livestock
Dairy, Cattle, Herd Book, and other
Livestock Identification stakeholders
Trust / Penny Lumley
FROG ART (Pvt) Ltd/ Zim Artist Rich Conlon $5 All types of art
Rich Conlon Quarterly
Kari Olivey The Kari Olivey $4 Gardening and
Zimbabwean outdoors
Gardener

A new player in the magazine market is Buffalo Media (Pvt) Ltd. The company has
registered and is preparing to launch Vision Magazine, a news and lifestyle monthly
publication. A motoring magazine, On The Road, is awaiting an improvement in the
current state of the economy.

5.1.7 Recommendations Magazines
o Recognition and promotion of magazines as mainstream media.
o Statutory instruments that position the magazine sector as an important media
force, including pertinent protection from foreign publications, such as:
Local magazine stands in retail outlets;
Introduction of duty tariffs for foreign registered publications; and
Elimination of tariffs for local publications printed offshore.
o Capacitation of local printing industry to improve efficiencies and eliminate
the need for exporting printing contracts, including elimination of duty on
inputs and resuscitation of the paper manufacturing industry in the country.
o Re-examination of existing labour laws to accommodate the sector more
realistically.
o Introduction of magazine publishing modules in journalism training courses,
including new media platforms.
o Industry-wide consideration through ZIMPA of the opportunities and
challenges, needs and requirements of conversions and start-ups using new
media platforms.

5.2 Broadcasting
5.2.1 Television
There is only one player in the television sector at present, the Zimbabwe Broadcasting
Corporation (ZBC). ZBC has two television stations, TV1 and TV2, and is 100 percent
government-owned. The board of directors is appointed according to the Companies Act.
The criteria for appointment to the board is expertise in technical, legal, media and
accounting fields. There is also representation for special interest groups. The main
sources of revenue for ZBC are advertising, licence fees, sponsorship, and government
subventions.

ZBC has a number of challenges that have affected viability. These include:
o The corporation is overstaffed and requires to reduce staffing levels by half.
o Advertising revenue has been severely depressed due to contraction of the
economy which has resulted in slashing of advertising budgets.
o Failure to produce attractive content for programmes has adversely impacted on
advertising with viewers opting for satellite programmes.
o Government has not been paying for advertising placed by various ministries.
o Failure to collect licence fees from television viewers as a result of an ineffective
collection systems used.
o ZBC has a public service mandate as well as a commercial service mandate.

o The commercial service mandate should be self-financing but because of the poor
advertising generated, the revenue from this source is inadequate to cover
expenditure.
o The public service mandate should be supported and financed through
government but this has not been forthcoming, thus compounding the poor
financial position of ZBC.

Management advised that ZBC needs recapitalisation, and made proposals for
restructuring, including staggering of the payment of licence fees to improve compliance.
Management failed to proffer a plausible solution to the challenges of improving content
production, which was identified as one of the biggest challenges. However, on being
asked to provide a detailed plan on how they intend to turn around the business of ZBC,
management failed to give a plausible and convincing plan to the Committee. The
Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services may have to rely on the report
to be produced by a forensic audit currently being conducted.

5.2.2 Radio
There are currently six radio stations on air in the country.
ZBC, the national broadcaster, runs five radio stations -- Radio Zimbabwe, National FM,
Spot FM and Power FM.

Star FM is owned by the Zimbabwe Newspapers Group (Zimpapers) and started
operating on June25, 2012.

ZiFM Stereo is a private radio station owned by AB Communications, which controls 70
percent shareholding, while 30 percent is owned by other shareholders. ZiFM, which is
the first privately owned radio station broadcasting in Zimbabwe, went on air on August
15, 2012 and has a current coverage of 70 percent of the country.

The main challenges affecting radio stations in Zimbabwe are:
o Inadequate advertising support from clients due to the harsh economic
environment. Some advertising clients were cancelling their advertising budgets
that they had undertaken for 2014. Other clients were reducing their advertising
budgets because of the liquidity challenges. Most clients were stretching the
existing advertising budgets by requesting the reduction of rates, thereby
obtaining more volumes from the same dollar value.
o Like most companies, radio stations have a major problem of debtors not paying
on time. Radio stations were concerned that advertising agencies are receiving
payments from clients but are not remitting to the service providers timeously.
This creates an untenable situation from a cash-flow position.


o Radio stations also felt that the current commission of 16.5 percent paid to
advertising agencies was too high and unjustified as most bookings have minimal
production work that was performed by the same organisations.
o Competition from unlicensed radio stations broadcasting in the country.
o High fees charged by statutory bodies. Some radio stations are paying as follows:-
0.5 percent of gross audited turnover to the Zimbabwe Media Commission
1.5 percent of gross turnover to the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe
$2,500 per month to Transmedia Corporation for renting their sites
Royalties paid to the Zimbabwe Music Association, which they said are
too high.
The fees are seen as excessive.

5.2.3 Broadcasting Licences and Lost Revenue
From the outreach meetings, it emerged that most people are not happy to pay for radio
and television licences because they are failing to access the broadcasts due to
transmission problems. Some people said they do not even watch ZBC because of the
poor quality of programming yet they are expected to pay for the licences. Some
respondents recommended that ZBC should introduce a system whereby the organisation
sells access cards to people who want to watch the television station rather than making
everyone pay for licences.

ZBC loses a lot of revenue because many people opt to buy decoders so that they access
satellite television. If ZBCs programming quality was good, according to expected
standards, people said they would gladly watch ZBC and not spend a lot of money to
subscribe to other television channels. Zimbabwe National Roads Administration
(ZINARA) is to collect licence fees from motorists and retain 10 percent of revenue. This
can allow the national broadcaster to focus on content production and other duties.

5.2.4 Digitisation
The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has set June 17, 2015 as the date to
migrate from the current analogue television transmissions to digital platforms.
According to Transmedia Corporation, Zimbabwe will meet the 2015 deadline, although
about US$30 million is required to fund the changeover. Ten out of 24 sites already have
transmitters for digitisation. Viewers will need to buy set-top boxes using digital signals,
although these could be subsidised as in some neighbouring countries.

Benefits
o Opening up of the airwaves with many more channels easily accessible locally.
o Demand for content will increase significantly to fill some of these channels.
o New access and content can support revenue generation.
o Vast potential for revenue through production and export of quality content .
o Deployment of Single Frequency Network (SFN) platforms are more efficient.


Challenges
o Zimbabwe could become a perpetual consumer of foreign products unless
local productions are ready in time and are of appropriate quality.
o Resources for the changeover and content production.
o Preparations are behind schedule and time is short with a few months to go.

5.2.5 Recommendations Broadcasting
Recapitalisation of the national broadcaster, ZBC, with clear objective to
facilitate better quality programming and sustainable business model, as well
as national coverage.
Preparations for digitisation to be fast-tracked with more explanation of
implications.
Coordinated plans for content production for local consumption and export.
Fees of 16.5 percent paid to advertising agencies should be reduced.
Fees paid to statutory bodies should be reduced after a joint investigation of
the viability of a new fees structure by Ministry of Information, Media and
Broadcasting Services and relevant statutory bodies, and the radio stations.
Some radio stations say it is unfair that ZBC has two major sources of revenue
including collections from radio listeners licences and advertising revenue,
while other stations were not benefiting from radio listeners licences but relied
only on advertising revenue. The respondents recommended that radio
listeners licence fees must be collected by all radio stations and deposited into
a common pool where distribution would be effected to all radio stations.

5.3 Advertising
Looking at the Zimbabwean media landscape as an ecosystem, among the key
protagonists in this ecosystem are the advertising agencies. They are inextricably linked to
the mainstream media businesses including print, broadcasting, and outdoor media, as
well as new media. In order to understand the advertising business in Zimbabwe, it helps
to look at the evolutionary path since the advent of print media.

As with the advertising agencies in other parts of the world, the advertising function
within the print media was done internally by the commercial art department. As
industry dynamics shifted and the business landscape became more competitive,
opportunities were created for specialisation. Eventually, the graphic designers,
typesetters and copywriters who formed the commercial arts departments began to break
away from the mainstream media houses. They formed independent agencies that were
more responsive to client needs and able to offer a uniform communications campaign
across many titles.

Today, advertising agencies are well established and recognised as vital conduits within
the media value chain. The general business model for all commercial media houses is
one that relies on advertising for revenue.

Advertising agencies are also opinion leaders who can sway advertising spending as they
operate as an appendage to the clients marketing arm.

5.3.1 Analysis of Advertising Industry
A notable strength in Zimbabwe is that advertising agencies have become a vibrant
industry which has managed to stand the test of time since pre-independence times.
Compared to other markets such as Zambia, Botswana, Mozambique, Tanzania and
Kenya, the Zimbabwean advertising industry is a force to reckon with in terms of the
quality of work that is produced as it is supported by a high national literacy rate.

Advertising agencies are also key players within the media ecosystem due to their close
relationship with clients who are the actual advertisers. This strength allows agencies to
participate more meaningfully alongside often much larger suppliers such as the media
houses who rely on agency support in producing much-needed advertising revenue.

Notable weaknesses are that the advertising agency business in Zimbabwe has very low
barriers to entry, which has resulted in overcrowding in the market, against a background
of a shrinking economy. As at end of 2013, there were 30 accredited advertising agencies
on the books of the Zimbabwe Advertising Media Association (ADMA), and between 60
and 120 non-accredited firms that are participating in the industry.

The fierce jockeying for position of industry incumbents is devaluing the offerings of the
players, and this threatens the sustainability of the industry as a whole. The advertising
agencies are in a precarious position of being wedged between powerful suppliers who
demand early payment dates on one hand and powerful clients who stretch payment
dates on the other.

Although advertising agencies have their own association the Zimbabwe Association of
Accredited Practitioners in Advertising ( ZAAPA), they are largely regulated by ADMA,
which is a body made up of all media houses. ADMA in itself is very weak as it does not
have a full-time secretariat and the members who sit in its various committees hold junior
positions in their respective organisations.

ADMA member companies are also unclear on what the ADMA mandate is and who is
responsible for smooth running. There is lack of authority on the part of ADMA to
regulate agencies, clients and media owners who do not play by agreed rules. Incidences
of errant behaviour increased during the hyperinflationary period and ADMA has not
managed to arrest the decay.

Negative perceptions by media owners on how advertising agencies run their businesses
is also a significant weakness that is affecting the agencies. There is a general perception
that agencies are paid well and on time by their clients and yet they choose to hold on to
the funds and not remit payments to media owners.

There is also isolation and lack of exposure to emerging global advertising trends and best
practices, and this lack of exposure is hampering the growth of the advertising industry.
Zimbabwean agencies generally do not participate in major advertising festivals due to
prohibitive costs relative to income yields.

There are no training institutions for the advertising business. There are only three
universities that offer courses useful to the industry. Further, there is no
parliamentary/political representative for the industry.

Continued shrinking of the economy is a major threat to the advertising industry in the
country as advertising budgets are usually the first to be cut. The prevailing brain-drain is
also affecting the skills base of the industry which is a knowledge business. Archaic and
obsolete labour laws are a serious threat as they are only concerned with the needs of the
employee without also considering the effects of the shrinking economy and the viability
challenges faced by businesses are a serious threat.

With the liberalisation of the airwaves, demand for advertising and production work for
advertising agencies will increase. The countrys advertising agencies have an
opportunity to set clear guidelines on commercial production that favours and promotes
local talent as opposed to importing fully packaged advertising material from other
countries such as far away as Australia and Europe.

Realignment of the laws to the new Constitution should create a friendlier environment
for the promotion and production of more creative advertising commercials than is the
case now, where advertising agency personnel are harassed and accosted by some
security agents when filming commercials.

Disruption caused by the digital media is in many cases beginning to substitute
advertising agency product offerings. Finally, as indicated earlier, there is the case of too
many players in a small pond.

5.3.2 Outdoor Advertising
Zimbabwe has a vibrant outdoor media industry, which accounts for a significant portion
of advertising budgets. Infrastructure and town planning in major cities is well
developed, creating a good environment for outdoor media. Demand for outdoor
advertising is increasing, especially due to the increasing cost of print, radio and TV
advertising.

The industry is dominated by one major player who does not contribute effectively in
terms of local employment creation or development of the industry. There is also lack of
transparency on how tenders for outdoor sites are administered and awarded. There is a
strong perception by most stakeholders talked to that there is a lot of underhand dealings
within local authorities.

There is perceived lack of willpower from local authorities to police and regulate the
structures due to alleged underhand deals that are rampant in the awarding of sites and
the tender administration. Some structures are sub-standard and can be a hazard to the
public. Their placing is often a distraction to traffic, and they do not add any aesthetic
value to the cities and towns. Some outdoor advertising structures are a potential hazard
to vehicular traffic.

Outdoor media companies are not committed to adhering to the ADMA statutes,
although they form part of ADMA. There is a proliferation of new players within
residential environments with single or few sites that are an eyesore and are largely
unregulated.

5.3.3 Recommendations Advertising Agencies and Outdoor Media
There is an opportunity to remodel ADMA as a functional body with
permanent staff and run by CEOs of media houses. This would regulate all
aspects of the industry and actively lobby for more favourable conditions of
engagement with other stakeholders. The impact of new media must be
identified, considered and planned for to make full use.
The advertising agencies also have an opportunity to set clear guidelines on
commercial production that favours and promotes local talent as opposed to
importing fully packaged advertising material from other countries.
Foreign media-buying houses that come to compete with local companies
should be restricted as they do not add value to the economy.
ADMA should be strengthened to be able to compel outdoor companies to
adhere to acceptable industry practices.
Include local authorities, who are the providers of advertising sites, as
members in ADMA, to be compelling outdoor advertising business authorities
to be transparent and to have a more inclusive approach to awarding tenders.
Compel outdoor advertising companies to only erect structures that comply
with requirements of the city bylaws and enhance aesthetics of cities. Compel
outdoor companies to maintain the verges and road islands as part of their
agreement with local authorities.

5.4 Music Industry
According to Mhiripiri (2012), despite the lack of trustable statistics on the Zimbabwe
music industry, the vibrancy and growth of the industry can be inferred from such
phenomena as the emergence of new independent labels in recent years as well as the
development and continued existence of new music festivals during this period.

The ubiquity of live and recorded music performances in recreational places is another
indicator of the vibrancy of the sector. The industry has performed better than many other
economic sectors throughout the economic crisis experienced since the early 2000s. While

other parts of the economy were experiencing problems of low capacity utilisation and
firm closures, significant activity was visible in the music sector (Mhiripiri 2012).

Live shows were held consistently throughout this period. At a time when there were few
advertisements circulating for other products, newspapers regularly published
advertisements for music shows. At the height of the crisis when inflation levels reached
levels over 1,000 per cent, any business that could generate cash had a tremendous
advantage over those that sold on credit. The problems of hyperinflation, general
economic collapse and piracy brought about ingenious solutions, where many
innovations were made to stay in business by both the music companies and the bands
(Mhiripiri 2010). An example was the use of generators during live music shows as an
assurance against power outages, which had become endemic in Zimbabwe.

The music industry has the potential to make significant economic contributions to
national economies if there is a well-coordinated and designed system for distribution,
both locally and in export markets (Sen 2001 cited in Mhiripiri 2012).

The music industry encompasses musicians, instrumentalists and vocalists, writers
(lyricists), producers, promoters, managers, hoteliers, broadcast engineers, educationists,
dancers, filmmakers, graphic artists and traders in music instruments as well as music
recordings. At a glance it is clear that this industry employs large numbers of people. As
in any business endeavour, some succeed spectacularly, while others just get by, and
many others fail dismally.

Producers earn money by making recordings of music for the artist. If a musicians work
is good but he or she does not have the funds to pay for the recording, a producer may
record it on credit and then recover the costs from royalties on the sales of the records.

According to Mhiripiri (2012), the Zimbabwean popular music industry has now fully
developed and more than 20,000 households derive some income from it. Musicians most
commonly earn money from their music either through the payment of royalties on their
copyrighted works and related materials or from gate takings when they perform in live
shows.

Zimbabwean popular music is now big business and employs large numbers of people,
with many more aspiring to join the industry. Policies have been put into place in the last
few years in an attempt to grow the music industry and these have had remarkable
impacts on the emergence of many new musical acts (Mhiripiri J and Mhiripiri N 2007).

5.4.1 Musicians
The majority of local musicians are struggling to make ends meet from their hard work
due to rampant piracy that has invaded the music world. The few who manage to make a

living out of this once lucrative business do so from live performances and some of their
products that make their way into formal distribution channels and selling points.

Most musicians subscribe to the Zimbabwe Music Rights Association (ZIMURA)which
collects royalties on behalf of the members from radio and TV stations and pays the
musicians once a year. ZIMURA is, however, facing major challenges in collecting
royalties especially from the national broadcaster, and playlists given to ZIMURA by
broadcasters are often considered inaccurate. It is also trying without much success to
fight for the musicians Intellectual Property (IP) rights affected by piracy.

There is a lack of understanding of the value and functioning of the copyright system in
Zimbabwe from the creators of IPs to the consumers of the creative products. Law
enforcement agents such as the police, customs officials, some judiciary officers and
policy makers have limited knowledge on copyright issues resulting in charging of fines
that do not discourage copyright infringements. Prosecution of copyright infringement
offenders is slow, complex and costly.

Limited or no literature on copyright issues leaves the public and law enforcement agents
ignorant on the value of IPs. Some police officers do not take piracy offences seriously as
you sometimes see them pass through a vendor displaying pirated discs during the day
or even buy.

Non-deterrent penalties are given to offenders as magistrates have too much leeway on
sentences. Some prosecutors and magistrates do not seem to be aware of the Copyright
and Neighbouring Rights Act Chapter 26:05 Section 59(5) which says, Any person guilty
of an offence under this section shall be liable to a fine not exceeding Level 10 (that is,
US$700) or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding two years or both such fine and
such imprisonment in respect of each article to which the offence relates. An article
should be understood as one song, meaning that 10 CDs with 6 songs on each CD
amounts to 60 articles.

Government is not giving full support to improve the protection and implementation of
copyright and related rights. Borders are so porous that counterfeit products pass through
undetected.

5.4.2 Recommendations Musicians
There is need for extensive training of IP creators, law enforcement agents and the
public to appreciate the importance of intellectual property, which is not
considered to be of high value as compared to other countries, although one
album can easily create sales of up to US$200,000 within a year.
Create special courts to deal with copyright/IP issues that understand these issues.

Prescribe deterrent penalties for offenders. The copyright law noted above
prescribes a specific penalty per article. An article should be understood as one
song.
Copyright laws must be amended in line with technology advances especially for
licensing activities due to musical files being sold digitally online.
Literature on copyright and IP issues should be made readily available with
awareness campaigns on radio, TVs, streets and other public places.
Police officers should be educated on piracy offences, and writing dockets on these
offences.
DVDs or CDs, national or international, should not be allowed to be pirated in
Zimbabwe. Regulations must be put in place to make sure blank CDs and DVDs,
duplicators or importations are done for the right cause by authorised companies
or organisations.
Consider establishing an Industrial Tribunal that adjudicates on intellectual
property and copyright cases, as South Africa has done.

5.5 Film Industry
There is no recognisable film industry in Zimbabwe. Production standards are low due to
the cost of producing a film. A simple 90-minute film requires $50,000 to produce. To be
profitable, films should be mass produced and distributed. The global distribution
platform for film is digital, and Zimbabwe is non-digital, making it very difficult and
expensive for the local industry to compete globally. Conducive venues are critical in film
production and the few available theatres in the country charge ridiculously high prices,
resulting in film production being unprofitable.

TV stations hinder instead of promoting the film industry by charging producers for
screening films. The film industry is politicised and country policies are not supportive to
film production. For example, moving around with a camera taking photos is often
regarded with suspicion.

Media does not cover the film industry sufficiently and journalists ask for payment to
cover events.

5.5.1 Recommendations Film Industry
Establish a film commission or National Film Board responsible for the film
industry -- training, funding, distribution among others, and lobbying
government.

5.6 Content Producers, Arts and Theatre
Performing arts are forms of creative activity that are performed in front of an audience,
such as music, dance, film and drama. This encompasses content producers.


The businesses are funded from own resources and operations are driven by structure.
Content producers believe that good content material attracts viewers, which in turn
attracts advertising and makes the businesses profitable. Such initiatives would be
profitable if broadcasters such as ZBC paid for the content. However, producers have
stopped supplying content to ZBC and are storing their products waiting for the time
when the current environment improves or airwaves are opened to more players.

An arts academy (Amakhosi) that was interviewed by IMPI has been training professional
content producers for more than 30 years at the rate of 20 per year. Unfortunately, due to
the current economic challenges and environment, almost all the producers have left the
country and spread out all over the world where they are faring better on content
provision than is the case here at the moment.

Radio programmers do not like to air drama as they have an illusion that young people,
who are their target market, are not interested in drama but music only; hence, radio
stations have been turned into discos. Contrary to that belief, young people are very
thoughtful and want intellectual content. Because radio stations have dissociated
themselves from the distribution of the music they popularise, they have encouraged
piracy as audiences do not know where to purchase the music.

The many theatres, community halls and cinemas in most towns are now in a state of
disrepair as they have been left lying idle for long periods due to lack of support for
content producers.

There is a general lack of interest in harnessing cultural assets and content. Lack of
associations in this sector makes it difficult for the industry to lobby government with one
voice.

5.6.1 Recommendations Content Producers and Performing Arts
Content producers, film directors or writers guilds should form associations to
enable them to speak with one voice and lobby government for support.
Government should give incentives such as tax rebates to corporates that sponsor
artistic initiatives and content producers.
Government should revive community venues for performing arts, and ensure the
protection of intellectual property.
Broadcasters and users should pay in good time to enable sustainability of the
industry.

5.7 Writers and Book Publishers
The high literacy rate in Zimbabwe makes it a ready market for the consumption of
books. However, the current economic environment has seen book sales dropping as the
dwindling disposable income is channelled to basic necessities. Schools have cut budgets
significantly to the extent that book publishing is no longer profitable.

Books published outside the country are often of a better quality than local ones
and there is no protection for the local publications. Printing costs in Zimbabwe are high
and the quality is often below standard compared to publications from other countries.
Proliferation of cheaper online books is also damaging the local publishing industry.

5.7.1 Recommendations Book Publishers
This industry needs to strengthen the Zimbabwe Book Publishers Association
(ZBPA) so it meets more often and establishes joint strategies to protect the
industry and to lobby government, as it did successfully some years ago.

A top priority should be to initiate a study on the impact of new media and
electronic publishing on the industry, to enable adaption of the local industry.

6 NEW MEDIA
______________________
Scholars such as Chari (2014) rightly point out that Zimbabwe is a latecomer to the
information superhighway although internet access is expanding. Therefore, getting
usage statistics for the sector is an onerous task as there are no reliable metrics and
analytics tools available to employ in gathering such data.

What follows is an overview which features approximations instead of exact figures. It
offers a broad rather than detailed outline. In the absence of empirical evidence, this
report heavily relies on findings by various scholars who have explored the internet and
media terrain of Zimbabwe, often arriving at conflicting conclusions owing to the
diversity of sources used in their scholarly inquiries.

The greatest challenge is that most international website ranking tools like Alexa do not
provide statistics for Zimbabwe. The following charts shows the minimal statistics that
could be sourced.

6.1 When was the first online publication published, by whom and how many hits?
The first online publication was started in 1998, according to Tendai Chari (2011 cited in
Chari 2014) who contends that with the closure of several newspapers between 2003 and
2005hundreds of journalists migrated to countries in the SADC region and European
countries where they started online newspapers and websites.

Chari does not specify which online publication this was, but a regional bulletin site was
established earlier in Harare by the Southern African Research and Documentation Centre
(SARDC) in 1989. Also contrary to the Charis assertion, AMH maintains in an article
titled Digital journalism renaissance looms that its business weekly, The Zimbabwe
Independent was the first newspaper to have a website in 1999.

Editorially, most of the foreign-based online publications are anti-government and rely on
stringers who use pseudonyms to circumvent professional ethics, according to Chari
(2014). Charis findings come against the background of a local context in which
Zimbabwe had no online publication prior to 1994 given that Zimbabwe's first
commercial Internet Service Provider (ISP), Data Control & Systems, was only established
in 1994.


SARDC, a regional knowledge resource centre based in Harare, established the first online
bulletin board in southern Africa outside South Africa 25 years ago, in 1989, where its
publications were posted and messages exchanged on small screens with flickering green,
single-colour display. This resulted in the first non-profit service provider called MANGO
(Micro-computer Access for NGOs), which was hosted at SARDC for several years before
being established as a separate entity. SARDC continues to maintain online publications
through its website, including books and periodicals, and a regional news service.

In 1997 the national Post and Telecommunications Corporation (PTC) built a national
Internet backbone to sell bandwidth to private service providers, who stood at 28 by 2007.
Chari (2014) avers that Internet WorldStats indicated that by 2012, the number of ISPs in
Zimbabwe was 128, up from just 6 in 2003.

6.2 How many online publications are in operation now?
Approximately 30 news portals, excluding blogs and discussion/chat groups, are now
operational, according to publishers statistics. All mainstream newspapers in the country
have open access web editions which account for 17 online publications operating locally.

The diaspora-based online publications continue to thrive as critical conduits for the
diaspora population to symbolically reconnect with their motherland according to Chari
(2014), with approximately 12 regularly updated foreign-based online publications.

Media scholar, Winston Mano notes that as many Zimbabweans left for Britain, the USA,
South Africa and other destinations, the internet became an important multi-platform
medium for publishing and obtaining news about the country.

According to users statistics, approximately 40 percent (5.2 million) of Zimbabwe's
population were internet users as of January 2014. This contrasts with 15.7 percent in 2011
and 0.4 percent in the year 2000. Most of the users (5.16 million) access internet via mobile
devices.

6.3 How many are locally registered and how many are foreign?
Media scholars have found that there is considerable interdependence between
mainstream and online publications and websites published by Zimbabweans in the
Diaspora. The Table shows some portals as being both content creators and aggregating
portals, that is, sharing content from elsewhere.


Online Publications
Media House/Title Number of Titles Location of Date Type of Portal

Online Publisher Launched
Zimpapers 10 (incl. radio) Zimbabwe News site

AMH 4 Zimbabwe 1999 News site
ANZ 1 Zimbabwe News site
Fingaz 1 Zimbabwe News site
The Zimbabwe Mail 1 Zimbabwe News site
The Patriot 1 Zimbabwe News site
Sardc.net 3 Zimbabwe 1989 Regional news site
ZimOnline 1 South Africa Aggregator
Zimbabwe Post 1 UAE Aggregator
Byo24 News Pvt Ltd 1 UK 2010 Aggregator
Change Zimbabwe 1 UK Aggregator
Nehanda Radio 1 UK News & Aggregator
The New Zimbabwe 1 UK News & Aggregator
SW Radio Africa 1 UK News site
The Zimbabwean 1 UK News site
Zimbabwe Mail 1 UK News & Aggregator
ZimEye 1 UK News & Aggregator
ZimNews 1 UK Aggregator
Voice of America 1 USA News & Aggregator
ZimDaily 1 USA Aggregator
The Zimbabwe Times 1 USA 2006 News & Aggregator
Zimbabwe Daily 1 Aggregator
The Zimbabwe 1 Australia Aggregator
Situation

6.4 What countries host most of the foreign online publications?
According to the findings above, the United Kingdom hosts the most foreign online
publications for Zimbabwe followed by USA, SA, Australia and the UAE, among others.

6.5 Can we rank the big six media companies (Zimpapers, AMH, ANZ, Zimbabwe
Mail, Gemazo and Modus) in terms of digital media products use and revenue?

It is not possible to ascertain the following or the revenue of respective media houses
unless the media companies avail data gleaned from their user metrics, analytics and
statistics (especially via Google Analytics) for a shared frame of comparison to determine
how they are performing.

Using Alexa, it is possible to ascertain the ranking of Zimbabwean online publications
although the data is often estimates rather than actual figures. More reliable data can be
gleaned though Google Analytics although this method requires access to the back-end of
the domains in question. The table shows online publications that consistently rank at the
top in Zimbabwe.

Online Publications Consistently Ranking at the Top in Zimbabwe
Source Publication Ranking Year
Creative Loop using NewZimbabwe 2 2012 December
Alexa.Com rankings Herald 3
NewsDay 4
Bulawayo24 5
Nehanda Radio 6
ZimDiaspora 7
ZimbabweSituation 8
MyZimbabwe 9
The Standard 10
Daily News 12
The Independent 13
Sunday Mail 18
Financial Gazette 21
Creative Loop using NewZimbabwe 1 2013 June
Alexa.Com rankings Herald 2
NewsDay 3
Bulawayo24 4
Nehanda Radio 5
Zimbabwe Situation 7
NewsDzeZimbabwe 8
Daily News 9
ZimEye 11
ZimDiaspora 12
Sunday Mail 13
The Zimbabwean 14
The Independent 15
The Chronicle 17
The Standard 18
Kwayedza 21
Financial Gazette 24
Although most traffic to online publications derives from the Diaspora who are more
prone to habitual and regular online media tendencies than local residents there is clear
indication that they significantly read mainstream websites locally, which accounts for the
high rankings of The Herald andNewsDay in 2012 and 2013, exceeded only by
NewZimbabwe, which is mainly a news aggregator that often leverages on content from
mainstream media and as such, hardly publishes on its own steam.

However, an analysis of mobile-based news consumption in Zimbabwe shows that
NewsDay is the most read website by mobile users, followed by The Herald as indicated by
the chart showing the Top 10 websites.

Can we tabulate the digital media products domiciled in Zimbabwe, including news
sites as well as social media, etc?
Digital Media Products Domiciled in Zimbabwe

Digital Product Owner/Publisher
10 websites Zimpapers
18 social networking sites incorporating FB pages
and Twitter accounts for The Herald, The Chronicle,
Sunday Mail, The Sunday News, Kwayedza, BH24,
The Manica Post, B-Metro as well as GooglePlus and
LinkedIn accounts for BH24.
4 websites AMH
8 social networking sites (including FB pages and
Twitter accounts for NewsDay, The Southern Eye, The
Standard and Zimbabwe Independent)
ZimClassifieds

6.7 Approach to ICT and New Media
Zimbabwe does not have a unified management and administration of ICTs and the
media sectors. As stated earlier on, in actual practice, it is difficult to distinguish ICTs
from information and the media. The two sectors play a complimentary role but the
approach that government has adopted especially to the development of the important
sector of ICTs is detrimental to the unified growth of these two sectors.

One important recommendation is that ICT as part of information should fall under the
portfolio of the Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services and not split as
at present where one ministry has the information portfolio while the ICT ministry is a
standalone entity. As a result of the current setup, the impact of the ICT development is
not recognisable throughout the whole country and yet all countries that are developing
rapidly have their ICTs sector growing at breathtaking speeds. There exist great
opportunities to attract huge investment in the ICT sector but because of the current
approach as well as other factors militating against general investment in the country,
Zimbabwe has not fully benefited in this area.
6.8 Conclusion and Recommendations -- New Media

Our inquiry reveals that, despite the perspective of the Ministry of Information, Media
and Broadcasting Services indicated in the Terms of Reference for this study, an analysis
of developments at Zimpapers and AMH, and to some extent ANZ and Modus in the
reconfiguration of their businesses to embrace digital, reveals that they are no longer in
the category of technological dinosaurs! A detailed study should be produced across
the media spectrum to indicate the current impact of new media on the traditional media
sector in Zimbabwe, and point the way forward.
Having established in the preceding sections an estimated status of current publications, it

is critical for the established media houses to form a credible audit bureau of circulation,
whose board should consist of media executives, so the outlets get credible statistics from
which to market their brands.


INFORMATION &
7 RECOMMENDATIONS
MEDIA PANEL OF
MEDIA AS BUSINESS INQUIRY

7.1 Newspapers
7.1.1 A stimulus package should be introduced, based on new business models,
to resuscitate the newspaper industry with loans available to media houses at
low interest rates.
7.1.2 Taxes should be reduced to facilitate growth of the industry, and multiple
taxation removed, including fees levied by Zimbabwe Media Commission.
7.2 Magazines
7.2.1 Magazines must be recognised as mainstream media, with relevant
statutory instruments to position the industry, with focus on the requirements for
conversions and start-ups using new media platforms.
7.2.2 The local magazine industry must be protected with tariffs levied on
foreign-registered publications.
7.2.3 Training modules for magazine publishing must be introduced into
journalism training, including new media platforms.
7.3 Print
The local printing industry must be capacitated to be efficient and improve
quality, local paper industry resuscitated, and labour laws reviewed.
7.4 Circulation
The established media houses should register their publications with the Audit
Bureau of Circulation, an international voluntary organisation consisting of
publishers, advertisers and advertising agencies, whose main function is to
provide a standard procedure to calculate net paid sales, with circulation
figures checked and certified by an approved firm of chartered accountants.
7.5 Broadcasting
7.5.1 ZBC must be recapitalised with the clear objective of improving the quality
of programmes based on a sustainable business model, as well as improving
national coverage and reception.
7.5.2 Preparations for digitisation must be fast-tracked with public explanation
of implications, and coordinated plans for content production for local
consumption and export. Digitisation must be linked to ZimAsset and the
indigenisation policy, to give opportunities for local business owners to
participate in the media industry.
7.5.3 A Broadcasters Association must be formed to uplift the standards of the
industry, and enable stronger lobby of various stakeholders, including reduction
of fees paid to advertising agencies and statutory bodies.
7.5.4 Consideration should be given to usage of broadcast licensing fees which
are intended for coverage in the national interest.
. continued

INFORMATION &
MEDIA PANEL OF
7 RECOMMENDATIONS continued
INQUIRY
MEDIA AS BUSINESS
7.6 Advertising Agencies

7.6.1 ADMA must be remodelled as a functional body with permanent staff,
run by CEOs of media houses (print and electronic), to regulate all aspects of
the industry and lobby for more favourable conditions of engagement with
other stakeholders.
7.6.2 The impact of new media must be identified, considered and planned for
to make full use.
7.6.3 Advertising agencies must set clear guidelines on commercial production
that favours and promotes local talent.
7.6.4 Foreign media-buying houses must be restricted as they do not add value
to the economy.
7.7 Outdoor Media

Outdoor media companies must adhere to acceptable industry practices or
face stiff penalties. Local authorities should be members of ADMA for this
purpose, and ensure that structures comply with city bylaws and enhance the
aesthetics of cities, as well as compelling outdoor companies to maintain the
verges and road islands.

7.8 Musicians
7.8.1 Extensive training is needed for IP creators, law enforcement agents and
the public to understand piracy offences and appreciate the importance of
protecting Intellectual Property (IP).
7.8.2 Special courts must be created to deal with copyright/IP issues and
deterrent penalties prescribed for offenders.
7.8.3 Copyright laws must be amended in line with technology advances
including the prevention of duplication mechanisms; and literature on
copyright/IP issues must be readily available.
7.9 Film Industry

A film commission or National Film Board must be created, with responsibility for
supporting the film industry through training, funding, distribution, and lobbying
government.
7.10 Content Producers

7.10.1 Content producers, film directors and writers guilds should form
associations to enable them to speak with one voice and lobby government on
key issues, such as tax rebates for corporates that sponsor content.
7.10.2 Broadcasters must pay in good time to enable sustainability.
. continued

INFORMATION &
MEDIA PANEL OF
INQUIRY
MEDIA AS BUSINESS
7.11 Book Publishers

7.11.1The Zimbabwe Book Publishers Association (ZBPA) must be supported
to be more active as a vehicle for advocacy and lobbying.
7.11.2 A study of new media and electronic publishing is needed to enable
modernising of the local industry.
7.12 New Media

7.12.1 A detailed study is needed across the media spectrum to study the
impact of new media on the traditional media sector in Zimbabwe, and
point the way forward.
7.12.2 Smart ownership models must be adopted, with cross promotion of
products and services, to enable investment in the expansion of internet-
related infrastructure, including review of current business models to
incorporate new IT platforms.

IMPI


8 APPENDIX
_____________
8.1 NEWSPAPERS AND ADVERTISING PERFORMANCE

Zimbabwean newspaper publishers have an inexplicable predisposition towards the
figure 32 as the regular pagination of the newspapers that they publish. Whether or not
their advertising departments are raking in sufficient advertising content required to
justify that number of pages or not, appears to be an issue of no major consequence to
them. Traditionally, in Zimbabwe and elsewhere, a ratio of 40 percent of editorial content
to 60 percent advertising has been regarded as ideal to achieve publishing viability. The
advertising content of The Herald in the period soon after independence in 1980 was so
high that it occasionally reached up to 65 percent. The Herald and The Chronicle were the
only two daily newspapers publishing at the time, and the two publications enjoyed a
monopoly of the national daily newspaper ad-spend.
In those days, when a newspaper could easily reach more than 60 percent advertising
content, the editors often complained that news was being squeezed out of their
newspaper by advertising, when news was, indisputably, the lifeblood of the publication,
given that news attracts the readers, who in turn draw the advertisers. Readers also
complain when the quantity of news diminishes as advertising escalates.
Over the years since then, the advertising content of mainstream newspapers has
declined, apparently irreversibly. Today Zimbabwe is served by a total of eight daily
newspapers -- The Herald, NewsDay, Daily News, The Zimbabwe Mail, The Chronicle, Southern
Eye, H-Metro and B-Metro, the last two published in Harare and Bulawayo, respectively.
Some of the daily and weekly newspapers are regularly printed with advertising content
as low as one percent, with the awesome balance being devoted to news content. In the
editorial/advertising configuration of local newspapers, the viability of a publishing
company can only be achieved and maintained on the basis of a high advertising content,
especially as print runs are low, as has become the pattern in Zimbabwe.
Yet some newspaper managers maintain a total of 32 pages as if it is some mandatory

pagination in the industry, whether or not there is advertising content to support that
number of pages. Where a reduction in the number of pages to, say, 24 or even 16 would
be preferable in order to increase the advertising percentage to a more realistic level, 32
pages are still printed. It is argued that readers prefer the thick feel of a newspaper. But
the thickness comes at a cost that readers may be unaware of.

Not only does such practice reduce advertising revenue, but also entails more hard work
for reporters who struggle to generate sufficient editorial copy to fill the large number of
blank pages so created. The sub-editors nightmare is to be presented with countless
pages that are totally devoid of advertising content. Exhausted and often challenged
beyond their capacity, they seek to circumvent this vexing problem by resorting to
downloading lengthy features from the Internet, often to the detriment of the quality and
relevance of editorial content. Such situation has potential to drive away readers and
further reduce the potential to attract advertising.
The printing of page after page of grey matter, sometimes unbroken by pictures, as
happens in some newspapers, alternating with whole pages of pictures, some of them
uncaptioned and clearly intended to fill space, diminishes the relevance and interest of the
newspaper to its readers. Columnists with an uncanny ability to churn out articles of
prodigious length become the darling of editors as they routinely assist to take care of
gaping pages, whether or not the readers share the enthusiasm of the editors over their
masterpieces.
This combination of factors is guaranteed to result in a decline in circulation which in turn

reduces the level of advertising content, as advertisers and advertising agents tend to
follow large print runs and high circulations. When circulation is low, as has become the
case in Zimbabwe over the past 10 years or so, circulation revenue becomes precarious.
Newspaper executives have been forced to inflate their circulation figures to attract
advertisers, with each of the major daily newspapers claiming it is the largest selling in
Zimbabwe.
By way of comparison, Zambias most successful newspaper, The Post, is clearly the
undisputed market leader. On Wednesday, June 20 2014, during a visit to Lusaka by an
IMPI delegation, The Post printed 55,000 copies of the newspaper, while the total
advertising volume in the 32-page issue was 20.5 pages (64 percent). The Posts two major
rivals, The Daily Mail and The Times of Zambia, are both struggling.
A combination of low advertising and low circulation revenues is a veritable recipe for the
poor viability of a newspaper publishing company. A number of newspapers have been
forced to resort to donor funding in such circumstances, a situation that has the potential
to undermine their editorial independence if the benefactor has an agenda to interfere
with the editorial line of a publication. Links to donor funding are routinely and robustly
denied, even when details are in the public domain.
The Zimbabwean is a typical donor-funded newspaper. Carrying virtually no advertising

content, the newspaper is published in the United Kingdom, printed in South Africa and

transported to Zimbabwe, where it sells a few thousand copies. It has, however, survived
since launch in 2004. Its operations, including printing, transport and other running costs
are funded by donors in the United Kingdom, and the content is clearly designed to
appease its funders. Judging from the newspapers poor performance in the local market,
Zimbabwe newspaper readers are clearly wary of such linkages. Donor funders appear to
be prepared to sacrifice publishing performance and journalistic standards on the altar of
political expediency. Thus, a major drawback of donor-funded newspaper publishing is
that it is a disincentive to the achievement and maintenance of high standards of
journalism.
Advertising Performance
The following tables reflect the advertising performance of various Zimbabwean
newspapers. The figures were compiled in an exercise conducted over periods of one
week each during the months of June and July, 2014.
Daily Newspapers
Week of Monday, June 23 to Sunday, June 27, 2014

Monday, June 23, 2014
Publication Total Advertising Advertising to

Pages Pages Editorial Ratio (%)
The Herald 32 10 33
Daily News 24 6 26
NewsDay 32 7 23
H-Metro 32 2 6
The Zimbabwe Mail 32 6 19.5

Tuesday June 24, 2014

The Herald 26 5 31
Daily News 24 3 14.6
NewsDay 32 7 25

H-Metro 32 1 3
The Zimbabwe Mail 32 5 17
Wednesday, 25 June, 2014

The Herald 38 9 26
Daily News 24 3 16
NewsDay 32 7 23
H-Metro 32 1 4.6

Thursday, 26 June, 2014

The Herald 56 32 58
Daily News 24 4 19
NewsDay 32 14 45
H-Metro 32 1 5
The Financial Gazette 44 21 49
Friday, 27 June, 2014

The Herald 34 14 41
Daily News 24 9 40
NewsDay 32 13 43

H-Metro 32 5 17
The Zimbabwe Mail 32 5 16.4
The Manica Post 40 8 20
The Independent 24 17 73
Saturday, June 28, 2014

Pages Pages Editorial Ratio(%)
The Herald 16 4 30
Daily News 24 2 8
NewsDay 24 1 5
Sunday, June 29, 2014

The Sunday Mail 50 29 59
Daily News on Sunday 24 3 1/8 13
The Standard 64 8 14

Free Newspaper
Harare News
Issue No. 12 July 2014

Harare News 20 4 24

Weekly Newspapers
Week from Sunday, July 13, 2014 to Saturday, July 19, 2014
Sunday, July 13, 2014

The Standard 64 7 12
Sunday Southern Eye 24 1 6.25
Monday, July 14, 2014

The Herald 30 14 1/2 48
H-Metro 32 1.12 4
NewsDay 32 10 36
Daily News 24 5 23
Southern Eye 24 2 8
Chronicle 12 2 21
Tuesday July 15, 2014

The Herald 24 7 29
NewsDay 32 9 28
H-Metro 32 1/8 0.3

Daily News 24 7 32
The Southern Eye 24 1 5
The Chronicle 12 2 23
Wednesday, July 16, 2014

The Herald 26 8 32
H-Metro 32 1 3
Daily News 24 5 22
NewsDay 32 6 21
Chronicle 12 3 25
Thursday, July 17, 2014

The Herald 54 30 57
NewsDay 32 20 62.5
H-Metro 32 11/8 3.5
The Financial Gazette 44 17 40
Southern Eye 24 1 7
Chronicle 42 25 61

Friday, July 18, 2014

The Herald 40 20 50
NewsDay 24 15 64
H-Metro 32 3 10
Daily News 24 5 23
The Manica Post 32 7 23
The Independent 56 9 34
Chronicle 14 5 37.5
Saturday, July 19, 2014

The Herald 24 3 14.5
NewsDay 24 1 5
Chronicle 16 1 7.8
For purposes of estimating the actual revenue generated by the respective newspapers it
must be born in mind that the figures cited in the tables above include complimentary
bookings, which are routinely offered to clients, especially by newer newspapers as they
struggle to gain traction in the advertising market. This is done for any one or
combinations of the following reasons: to fill space, to create a positive impression of

advertising performance, or as a public relations exercise to build confidence with clients
or advertising agencies.
The figures include bookings by small or new clients whose payment record is poor or
low, resulting in write-offs. When the economy is down, the amount of advertising
declines and the number of write-offs increases. Many newspaper advertising bookings
are agreed on the basis of generous discounts offered by advertising managers anxious to
boost percentages, again a common practice among newer publications. Newspapers
often launch their classified sections on the basis of unpaid-for bookings to entice new
clients or to create positive impressions.
Finally, there is no fixed advertising rate that applies to all newspapers, especially among
the tabloids. New publications tend to offer the lowest rates per page, while established or
successful newspapers can exploit their pole positions in the market to pitch their rates at
the highest level. As a rule, new newspapers initially struggle for survival. Initially
launched in 2011, The Mail collapsed after eight months on the streets. It was re-launched
as The Zimbabwe Mail under new ownership in December 2013.
The following are the full-page, full-colour advertising rates for Wednesday bookings
during August 2014.
Daily newspapers US$

The Herald 2 967.00
Chronicle 2 754.00
Daily News 2 150.00
NewsDay 1 772.40
The Zimbabwe Mail 1 260.00
Southern Eye 1 200.00
H-Metro 642.00
Weekly newspapers US$

The Sunday Mail 4 212.00
The Sunday News 3 871.00
The Manica Post 2 917.00
Zimbabwe Independent 2 167.20
The Daily News on Sunday 2 150.00
The Standard 1 848.00
The Financial Gazette 1 783.60
The Zimbabwean 380.00

8.2 EFFECTIVE PRACTICES AND LESSONS FROM THE REGION
8.2.1 KENYA Nation Media Group
Nation Media Centre, Nairobi

David Aduda, Editorial Administration Manager
The NationMedia Group (NMG) founded by His Highness the Aga Khan in 1959 has
become the largest independent media house in East and Central Africa. It has been
quoted on the Nairobi Stock Exchange since the early 1970s.
As the leading multi-media house in the East African region, it has print as well as
electronic media and the Internet, which attracts a regular readership quite unparalleled
in the region.
On the financial front, the group's performance over the years has been outstanding even
in the leaner economic periods in the country and shows continuous growth and profits for
the company as well as the shareholders.
It is a multimedia organisation that is also present in Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda. In

Tanzania, the group publishes The Citizen (English) and two Kiswahili language
newspapers. In Uganda, the group owns The Daily Monitor, NTV Uganda, two radio
stations -- KFM and a station that broadcasts in the local Luganda language. In Rwanda
NMG has a radio station called KFM.
In Kenya NMG owns The Daily Nation, The Saturday Nation and The Sunday Nation and
the Kiswahili Taifa Leo, The Business Daily, a regional weekly The East African, two television
stations which are NTV and QTV (Kiswahili), and two radio stations -- Nation FM (English)
and QFM in Kiswahili. All of these products have web editions.

Product Mix
The Daily Nation has three editions that are published to cater for three specific markets --
Nairobi, Mombasa and the western region.
Newspaper Circulation
Sunday Nation has the biggest circulation of 220,000.
Daily Nation 180 000
The Business Daily 10 000
Taifa Leo 20 000
The East African 20 000
Business Model
The newspapers business model is premised on the sales revenue principle of 60 percent
advertising and 40 percent editorial content, thus the space distribution is based on this
model.
Revenue Contribution Newspapers bring 80 percent; Broadcasting, 19 percent; and Digital

media ,one percent.

Conditions of Service and Benefits for Journalists
The group employs about 1,000 media workers in Kenya and the number doubles to 2,000
for the entire region.
Entry level salary: $1 000
Editorial managers average salary: $6 000
Interest free car loans
Mortgage facilities
Interest free education loans.
NMB Organogram
Group Editorial Structure/Strategy

The group editorial director (in charge of news) ensures harmony within the group and has
managing editors who are in charge of the different content platforms. The news
gathering operations are headquartered in Nairobi with seven bureaus operating
throughout the country. There are 47 counties staffed by either the groups own reporters
or syndicated to the government information service that serves all the groups products,
and they can report across all platforms using smart phones for television and radio.

Newspaper Distribution
Nation courier transports throughout the country and offers courier services on commercial
basis.
Media Lab
The Nation Media Group started its own media training programme seven years ago. It
was born out of a need to meet the expansion requirements of the group across the
region and its niche products.
We started radio and television stations across the region in Rwanda and Tanzania where
the standards are different and there are some language barriers. So we get students who
are finishing their courses like law, technology, accounting, and economics, among
others. We take them through class and field training for nine months. Some of the courses
are taught by our own people such as news anchoring and we also use university
lecturers. We now have a pipeline of people to employ. The lab has about 20 students
from the four countries. Out of the graduates we train, 60 percent have remained, says
David.
LESSONS FOR ZIMBABWE
KENYA ZIMBABWE
The Nation and The Standard are listed on Only Zimpapers has a similar listing, while
the Nairobi Stock Exchange. It's is a big most of the media companies are
sector in the country's economy. struggling to survive as marketplace
businesses.
Multimedia business strategy Parallels can be drawn with Zimpapers and
Alpha Media Holdings, although neither of
them has a television platform
Regional business thrust Similarities can be drawn with Zimpapers
but scope for more is possible.
Enabling legislation SADC opens up the region for cross border
investments in media, which should be
vigorously pursued by Zimbabwean media
companies.
Need to quickly open up the airwaves for
all players to enter the television and radio
markets.
Media Lab Only Zimpapers is working on a similar in-
house training model.
International exposure. NMG collaborates This is limited to private media houses while
with WAN, ICJ, Friedrich Ebert Foundation, a the public media associates with WAN only.
yearly fellowship in the US or Canada,
among other international agencies.

8.2.2 ZAMBIA
IMPI also visited Zambia to establish the state of the media in that country. The main
objective was to learn the operations of the media in Zambia and also to adopt best
practices. The IMPI team visited The Daily Mail, The Post, Zamcom, Panos Southern Africa
Limited, Zambia Community Media Forum, Zambia Broadcasting, Radio Yatsini, MISA
Zambia, among others.
PRINT MEDIA
There are four main newspapers in Zambia --The Post, Daily Mail, its sister newspaper, The
Times of Zambia, and The Nation. The Post is a privately owned newspaper while The Daily
Mail and The Times of Zambia are owned by government. The Nation is a new player in the
market, recently established, privately owned, and considered to be anti-government.
Under the print media section, interviews were held with the deputy managing editor of
The Daily Mail and the editor-in-chief as well as the senior general manager of The Post.
THE DAILY MAIL
Ownership
The Daily Mail was established in the 1950s as a privately owned newspaper known as The
Central Africa Mail and it was owned by Alexander Scott. The government of Zambia took
over the ownership of the newspaper at independence in 1964. The newspaper remained
a weekly until the 1970s when it became a daily newspaper. The Daily Mail has six board
members including the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Information, a
representative from the Law Society of Zambia, media field professionals, training sector
representatives and two others appointed by government.
Circulation and Print
The Daily Mail has a print run of about 22,000 copies daily, and this is going down mainly
because of the competition newspapers in Zambia are facing from the electronic media.
The highest circulation figure the newspaper ever attained was 70,000 copies a day.
Advertising
The business model for The Daily Mail is an advertising/editorial ratio of 60/40. The number
of pages printed each day is determined by the quantity of advertisements the
newspaper gets on a daily basis.
Printing
The Daily Mail owns its own printing infrastructure and prints its own newspaper editions,
and also prints for other smaller newspapers to increase its revenue.

Distribution
Distribution is a major challenge for newspapers in Zambia. The Daily Mail relies on public
transport, for example, buses, to distribute the newspaper to remote parts of the country.
As a government-owned newspaper, The Daily Mail feels that it has a social responsibility
to distribute the newspaper to all parts of the country, an exercise which the company
acknowledges is very expensive. In the capital Lusaka, and the Copper Belt, as well as
towns such as Chipata and Livingstone, The Daily Mail uses its own vehicles for distribution.
The newspaper also uses the postal service to distribute the newspaper to remote parts of
the country.
Operating as a Business
Although The Daily Mail is government-owned, the organisation was instructed to operate
as a business. Some of the strategies the newspaper employs in order to do so include
publishing stories that sell. From the newspapers assessment, it discovered that it is no
longer the political story that sells but the human interest one.
The newspapers main source of income is advertising, and the ratio of advertising to
editorial is 60/40 in order to make the business viable. The Daily Mail is also involved in
commercial printing whereby the printing machinery is used to print newspapers for
smaller organisations that do not have their own printing equipment. It also prints books for
various clients.
Other strategies that the newspaper uses in order to operate as a business include
publishing sponsored columns, expanding the scope of stories in order to provide wider
coverage. People want to read about stories that concern them. The Daily Mail is in the
process of developing its website so that it attracts advertisers online and to enable
people in the Diaspora to subscribe to the e-publications.
THE POST
Ownership
The Post is Zambias largest newspaper. It was established in 1991 and was launched as a
weekly. It started publishing twice a week in 1993 and became a daily newspaper in 1995.
Initially, The Post had 32 shareholders, but most of the shareholders have sold their shares.
The newspaper is now owned by a Trust which owns about 98 percent of the shares.
Circulation and Print
The Post has a print run of between 50,000 to 60,000 copies a day.
Advertising
The Post newspaper does not follow any advertising to editorial model for its operations.
The newspaper accepts all the advertisements that it receives even if it means killing some
stories in order to accommodate the advertisements because the organisation realises

that its objective is to make profits. Major advertisers in Zambia are the telecommunication
companies, the government and the parastatals.
The estimated total ad spend in Zambia is about 8 to 9 million Kwacha a month.

According to Mr Fred Mwembe, The Posteditor-in-chief, the newspaper gets about 5
million Kwacha, which is more than 50 percent share of the total advertising revenue in the
industry.
Printing
The Post owns a printing machine and prints its own newspaper. The organisation also
prints for other smaller newspapers. The Post buys newsprint from South Africa because it is
cheaper to buy from the neighbouring country. The organisation takes advantage of its
own transport company to ferry the newsprint from South Africa.
Distribution
The Post distributes its newspaper to all provinces in Zambia and to about 90 percent of all
districts in Zambia. In order to sustain the distribution of newspapers, The Post introduced a
courier service whereby the organisation carries parcels for people when they go to
various parts of the country distributing the newspaper. The courier service has expanded
and the organisation now carries goods to and from neighbouring countries such as South
Africa.
Operating as a Business
In order for its business to remain viable, The Post has diversified its operations. Apart from
introducing the courier service which is aimed to cut distribution costs, the organisation is
also an internet service provider. The Postis also published online, but realises that many
organisations are on the internet but they (the newspaper) do not get much money from
the internet. After this realisation, The Post decided to provide internet services to others so
that they could expand their revenue base.
As part of its diversification drive, The Post is also at an advanced stage to establish a radio
station and to integrate its services.
Challenges
Some of the challenges the newspaper is encountering include lack of skills. The
newspaper faces a lack of sub-editing skills. Mr Mwembe lamented that there is a general
decline in the standards of journalism throughout the region.
The newspaper also faces competition from outdoor advertising. There is a vibrant outdoor
advertising sector in Lusaka, in particular. The streets and roads are littered with billboards
and this takes away business from newspapers, radio and television stations. According to
Mr Mwembe, this is a sad development because billboards do not add much value
because they have no news anddo not entertain.

Newspapers in Zambia also have challenges working with advertising agencies.
Newspaper companies allege that agencies do not pay media houses on time, and they
feel cheated.
Community Newspapers
There are a few community newspapers in Zambia compared to community radio

stations. Community newspapers face a lot of challenges which include lack of
equipment and other resources. Because of these challenges, community newspapers are
not published consistently. Most donors prefer to support community radio stations which
are believed to have more reach to the people in all parts of the country.
Pricing of newspapers
The cover price for newspapers in Zambia is three Kwacha, which is the equivalent of 50
cents. This is half the price of most newspapers in Zimbabwe.
Registration
The newspaper registration process in Zambia is slightly different from the process in
Zimbabwe. In Zambia, all one has to do is register with the Registrar of Societies, produce a
copy of the minutes where the issue of starting a newspaper was discussed, and also state
whether it will be a daily, weekly or monthly publication.
BROADCASTING RADIO
There are about 80 radio stations in Zambia. Of these, more than 70 are community radio
stations. While Zambia is considered to have a thriving community media, there are reports
of intimidation of journalists who work for the community radio stations and their news
sources. There are reports that sometimes people are threatened and locked up by the
police.
According to Panos Southern Africa, the government of Zambia does not protect
journalists. They told IMPI that journalists have been attacked in public places, and they
have been beaten up. Station managers have been threatened for featuring what is
considered to be opposition material on the community radio stations. This tends to
influence the editorial policies of some community radio stations.
There are many radio stations in Zambia because radio is also considered to be a cheap
source of news and information, unlike community newspapers.
Sustainability
Community radio stations are not supposed to operate as a business, so some are
changing their licences to operate as commercial entities in order for them to be
sustainable. In order to raise revenue, most community radio stations sell programmes that
other people can support. There are also other attempts to find ways of making
community radio stations viable.

RADIO YATSANI
Radio Yatsani is one of the community radio stations in Zambia. It was established in 2007
under the Archidiocese of Zambia. It was licensed under Christian Radio and run by the
Catholic Church.The station mainly focuses on religion, current affairs, education and
health programmes, among other issues. The station incorporates other programmes such
as health because of the realisation that the community has other people who listen to
the station who are not Catholics.Radio Yatsani has two departments, which are the news
and production departments.
Challenges
Radio Yatsani faces a number of challenges, including lack of expertise within the
Catholic community. In order to remedy the situation, the radio station invests a lot of time
and energy in training inexperienced journalists who come to work at the station.
However, after gaining experience, the journalists often leave, according to station
manager, Father Singini.
Another challenge that Radio Yatsani faces is lack of resources. According to Father
Singini, most community radio stations in Zambia are struggling, but commercial radio
stations are thriving. This is so because programming for commercial radio stations is
commercial, while about 50 percent of their station is Catholic. He said some Catholics
shun certain programming.
Sustainability
Sustaining community radio stations is a major challenge in Zambia. The station does not
receive subsidies from the Catholic Church. The station has to raise funds on its own
although it mainly depends on sponsored programmes and advertisements. Due to
financial challenges, the station sometimes finds it difficult to meet the production costs.
BROADCASTING TELEVISION
The Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) is a state-owned television and

radio station. It is the oldest and largest radio and television service provider in Zambia. It
was established by an Act of Parliament in 1987, which was passed to transform the
Zambia Broadcasting Services from being a government department under the Ministry of
Information and Broadcasting Services into a statutory body called the Zambia National
Broadcasting Corporation.
The corporation has two television channels and three radio stations. ZNBC operates as a
public service broadcaster. Its main mandate is to provide radio and television services to
the public, not to make profit. Television 2was introduced mainly to decongest Television 1.
ZNBC maintains the provisions stipulated in the Act that there should not be more than ten
percent advertising in a period of one hour. Television 2 is an entertainment channel and it
also features some business related programmes.

Funding
ZNBC gets funding through grants. The broadcaster enjoys editorial independence
because it hasclear editorial guidelines. The broadcaster is not prepared to compromise
because of commercial interests.
Listenership
There are about five million listeners for Radio 1 and Radio 2, and about five million viewers
for Television 1, while Television 2has about 2.8 million viewers. It is estimated that there are
about 2.8 million television sets in Zambia, a figure based on a count of households.
New Technologies
ZNBC uses new technologies to receive feedback from consumers. It is through the
feedback channels that the broadcaster reviews its rating from audiences.
Challenges
One of the challenges facing the electronic media in Zambia is that the country does not
have a film school. Therefore, local producers do not have the requisite skills to promote
local content generation. There are fears that the country might be a potential dumping
ground for cheap quality content from other countries.
The other challenge is that of inadequate financial and technical resources such as
cameras, which makes it difficult to open bureaus or for reporters to cover remote parts of
the country.
LESSONS FOR ZIMBABWE
The media landscape in Zambia and Zimbabwe is almost the same. The two
countries share almost similar challenges.
Common challenges include the distribution of newspapers. In Zimbabwe, some
media organisations also use public transport system to distribute their newspaper
to remote parts of the country. There is a similar trend in Zambia where some
newspapers such as The Daily Mail also use the public transport system for
distribution.
The only difference and the lesson learnt from Zambia is that, newspaper
organisations in the country usevarious strategies to reduce distribution costs. The
Daily Mail uses the postal services to transport newspapers to remote parts of the
country while The Post has introduced a courier service.
Newspapers in Zambia are trying to generate revenue by introducing commercial
printing services whereby they are printing for smaller newspaper organisations.
This, therefore, implies that the capacity utilisation of their machines is higher.
Newspaper organisations such asThe Post have diversified in their operations in
order to capitalise on every service they provide. The organisation provides a
courier service, internet provision service, and is soon launching a radio station. The
Post has also introduced a haulage company to transport newsprint from South

Africa. The organisation is also investing in properties by building offices throughout
the country. Some of the offices are rented out as a way of generating revenue for
the organisation. By building offices throughout the country, the organisation
increases its news coverage, advertising base and generatessome income.
The other lesson learnt from Zambia is that, while the country has several
community radio stations, most are operating on a commercial basis to generate
income for sustainability.
Another lesson learnt is that there seems to be a general shift from a focus on hard
news stories to the soft stories or the tabloid kind of stories.
8.2.3 SOUTH AFRICA

PRINT MEDIA
The South African print media is vast and varied, with a total of 2,639 publications that are
categorised as follows.
Magazines Digital Magazines Newspapers Digital

Newspapers
443 Consumer 30 Business to Business 165 Weeklies 2 Monthlies

479 Business to Business 9 Consumer 205 Dailies 1 Weekly
33 Financial Consumer 1 Community 81 Monthlies
20 Financial Business to Business 111 Saturday Papers
194 Custom Magazines 126 Sunday Papers
40 Community 284 Local Urban Newspapers
(Community)
38 l Local Newspaper Inserts
325 Local Rural Newspapers
(Community)
52 Government Inserts
There are 22 daily and 25 weekly major urban newspapers in South Africa, mostly
published in English. According to a survey by the South African Audience Research
Foundation, about 50 percent of the South African adult population are newspaper
readers and 48 percent are magazine readers. Print media accounts for about 19.3
percent of the R34.4 billion of advertising money spent in the country. Following are the
major newspaper publishers, their titles, language and circulation figures.
TIMES MEDIA GROUP

Title Language Circulation
The Sunday Times English 368 974
The Sunday World English 123 515
The Sowetan English 95 068
The Times English 50 236
Business Day English 26 300
The Daily Dispatch English 25 748
The Herald English 20 962
The Weekend Post English 20 778
The Saturday Dispatch English 20 117

MEDIA 24
The Daily Sun English 287 222
Rapport Afrikaans 92 293
The Sunday Sun English 170 843
The City Press English 119 959
Die Son (Daily) Afrikaans 91 735
Die Burger - Saturday Afrikaans 72 788
Beeld - Daily Afrikaans 63 016
Beeld - Saturday Afrikaans 59 317
Die Burger - Daily Afrikaans 57 696
Son op Sondag Afrikaans 54 367
Sondag Afrikaans 32 867
Volksblad Daily Afrikaans 19 949
The Weekend Witness English 19 035
Volksblad Saturday Afrikaans 17 988
The Witness English 17 151

INMSA
Isolezwe Zulu 110 753
Isolezwe nge Sotho Zulu 91 359
The Star English 80 303
Isolezwe ngo Mgqibelo Zulu 79 874
The Sunday Tribune English 70 312
The Saturday Star English 63 844
Weekend Argus English 55 731
The Independent on Sunday English 41 645
The Cape Times English 32 428
The Sunday Independent English 30 842
The Cape Argus English 30 310
The Daily News English 29 385
The Mercury English 28 396
The Pretoria News English 14 393
The Pretoria News - Saturday English 8 814
The Diamond Fields Advertiser English 8 066

INDEPENDENT
Ilanga Zulu 107 102
Ilanga Langessonto Zulu 59 152
The Mail & Guardian English 41 116

CAXTON
The Citizen - Daily English 49 731
The Citizen - Saturday English 28 145

BROADCASTING RADIO
There are 275 radio stations categorised as follows.

Radio Stations Community Radio Other Radio Stations
by Province
39 National / Multi-provincial or Commercial 27 Eastern Cape 3 Online Radio
208 Community Radio Stations 15 Free State 7 Border Areas
28 Other stations 43 Gauteng 4 International
23 Kwazulu-Natal 14 Internet
25 Limpopo
19 Mpumalanga
10 Northern Cape
17 North West
29 Western Cape
BROADCASTING TELEVISION
There are 15 television stations categorised as follows.
11 Terrestrial Television Channels 4 Direct-to-Home Satellite

Broadcasters
SABC 1 DStv
SABC 2 StarSat
SABC 3 OpenView HD or OVHD
M-Net Deen TV
e.tv
Cape Town TV Community Channel
Bay TV Community Channel
1KZN Community Channel
Tshwane TV Community Channel
Soweto TV Community Channel via DStv until digital
switch
ANN7 (Africa News Network) via DStv until digital
switch

SOME MEDIA PRACTICES OBSERVED
The South African Constitution protects freedom of expression and of the media.
Except for libel laws, media houses and journalists are free to publish any type of
news, without having to worry about what laws they may be violating.
Radio stations reach virtually every corner of the country.
In addition to broadcasts in English, Afrikaans and selected African languages, there
is a youth-oriented commercial station and Radio RSA, also called the Voice of South
Africa, which broadcasts externally 177 hours a week in English, French, Swahili,
Tsonga, Lozi, Chichewa, and Portuguese to other parts of Africa.
Radio 702 and Capital Radio 604 are privately-owned commercial radio stations that
operate outside the confines of the national broadcaster, SABC, and compete with
it.
There were 44 Internet Service Providers (ISPs) by year 2000, enabling easy access to
electronic media.
Competing publishers use one printing company, even though they compete on
content. For example, Caxton prints nine competing newspapers daily.
Distribution of competing publications is also done by one transporter (Allied
Distribution).
The government allows the international media to come to South Africa and to
operate freely, even when they highlight embarrassing stories. Foreign journalists and
media are given access to government officials, operate without licensing or
accreditation, and roam freely around the country, interviewing whomever they
want.
_____________________

INFORMATION &
MEDIA PANEL OF
INQUIRY
CHAPTER 2
INFORMATION PLATFORMS AND CONTENT
OF MEDIA PRODUCTS
Information Platforms and Content of Media Products
PANELISTS
Dr. Nhamo Mhiripiri, Committee Chairperson
Peter Banga
Cont Mhlanga
Dumisani Muleya
Programme/Research Officer
Grace Mutandwa
IMPI

CONTENTS

The pervasive role of Information
CHAPTER 2 and ICTs in national and global
economies has made Information
a vibrant enabler, a formidable
arbiter in national and global
1. Introduction economic processes. Sadly, this
new revolution has not reflected
2. Literature Review
in Zimbabwe.

3. Key Findings
Symptomatic of this lack of
clarity on the place of, and in
Media Content
Information Platforms handling the information sector,
Statistical Analysis is the unresolved organisational
framework for this sector at the
4. Emerging Issues level of Government. The impact
of this has been to truncate the
5. Media Products and Information national response to the
Platforms Used Information revolution. ...

6. Recommendations Conceptually, the information
revolution is still conceived as
7. Appendix only a hardware and software
proposition, hardly a content
Regional Study Visits-- development challenge. .
Tanzania, Kenya, Zambia From Terms of Reference for An
Official Inquiry into State of the
Resource Materials
Information and Media Industry
in Zimbabwe

Information & Media Panel of Inquiry IMPI

1 INTRODUCTION
__________________

The assignment for this thematic committee was to carry out a study on media platforms
and the public interest, quality, adequacy and relevance of the content of media products,
such as newspapers, television, radio, magazines, social media and the impact of fast-
changing technologies on delivery and consumption of content. Between April and
August 2014, this committee set out to learn the facts about information platforms and
media content from stakeholders and the general population, using quantitative and
qualitative methods.

The methodology used included an outreach programme, submissions by stakeholders,
questionnaires and interviews. However, there were some challenges to gathering factual
information. Some questionnaires were not completed and returned, or were taken away
for sharing with others at home and not returned. There was considerable scepticism
about the IMPI process with some people doubting that their views would be taken
seriously. There were also doubts about whether the inquiry would achieve its objectives
and result in a positive transformation of the media industry.

The findings on this thematic area took cognisance of the two significant aspects of this
chapter, that of the Contents of Media Products, and Information Platforms. The first
component deals with the nature and quality of media products, including how the users
of the content respond and interpret the content. The second component presupposes that
there are channels or media for transmitting information, messages and forms of
entertainment.

There are various platforms/channels/media/technologies of communication and these are
often conflated and understood in relation to their content. Oral communication cannot be
underestimated when dealing with forms and channels of information or communication.
The outreach discovered that people are more concerned with platforms and forms of
communication such as radio, newspapers, television and social media, but the real power
of social networks and the use of oral communication in these networks or communities
remains significant. This adds importance to the relaying of information through the
schools, political structures, the churches and other
institutions that might not rely heavily on mass media
and communication texts but on the word-of-mouth and THE MEDIUM IS THE MESSAGE
interpersonal communication within specific spaces.

Marshall McLuhan, the Canadian professor who rose to prominence during the initial
stages of the technology revolution in the 1960s, introduced into media content studies the
observation that the medium is the message. He wanted to explain the power of the
technology in transmitting content to audiences or receivers, using references to media

and technology determinism. Technological gadgets become extensions of human users
of such gadgets, and the power of the media is thus attributable to the nature of the
technology of transmission.

Some communication channels are conferred symbolic significance associated with the
nature of their technology. The instrumental and the symbolic content are somewhat
conflated and linked, making it difficult to separate the channel from the content.
Information generated and transmitted through oral and face-to-face communication that
is non-technologically enhanced, such as rallies, churches and political meetings, the
school system, etc., might not be cited as often in the public responses on media and
information channels, compared to what reaches the same public through radio,
television and internet.

This observation is important because during the outreach most people were quick to talk
about the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC)s radio and television stations, as
well as newspaper content. However, it took some urging to discuss oral forms and
systems of communication such as information transmitted through the school system,
and political party organs, yet the latter is arguably
pervasive in their lives, especially for those that reside
Who says what to whom with
in the countryside and constitute the majority of the
what effects?
Zimbabwean population.

Harold Lasswell, an American political scientist and communication theorist writing in
the 1940s, presented a communication model that pays attention to communication
channels while also focusing on content producers and receivers, and how
communication/media content affects the receivers. The statement has been nearly
immortalized in media studies -- Who says what to whom in which channel with what
effects? Indeed direct effects of media are debatable, with most literature pointing to the
receivers ability to use and interpret materials in their own way depending on a variety
of factors including cultural background, gender and
level of education, etc. Audience as producers producers as
audience
Jensen and Rosengrens article Five traditions in search
of the audience (1990)analyses how audiences have
been progressively viewed, initially as passive and gullible tabula rasa in media reception
studies, to being active users and intelligent interpreters of material. Today there is
audience-generated media content bringing attention to phenomenon such as social
media and citizen journalism. Scholarly research on the Zimbabwean media shows that
local audiences are similarly complex and sophisticated (Chari 2014).

1.1 The significance of the public interest
All media have a public service
All media have a public service mandate regardless of
mandate.
the nature and type of ownership. There is inherently a

public service quality in the media because of their very nature, in that they can be
consumed without disadvantaging other consumers. They have an ephemeral ubiquity
that can make all who have channels to access media content not feel excluded.

Universalising access and making media content affordable ensures that media content is
more accessible to all, and reaching people across the regions of a nation or the world
becomes the ideal. However, it is also critical to make sure that the content represents the
diverse class, ethnic, racial, gender and age groups in a manner that fosters unity and a
sense of identity and belonging that fosters a need to
co-exist as equals in the respective geographic an Educate, inform and entertain as a
virtual spaces. public good

In the public interest and as a public good, the
media should educate, inform and entertain the public, offering ample space for citizens
to engage in meaningful discussions and debate. The notion of a healthy public sphere,
popularised in scholarly research by Jurgen Habermas, the German philosopher and
sociologist who wrote The Theory of Communicative Action (translated to English in 1984),
remains relevant in informing the nature and quality of the public sphere, where its
usefulness is not only measured by the quantities or numbers of people involved in mass
communications as producers and consumers (audiences) of media, but by the critical
levels of debate and reflection on issues of social justice and humanity.

The Zimbabwean media and public sphere are
discussed in a lot of literature, with most research
An imaginative way of life that is
pointing at adverse market, civil society and state
humanising.
interference in the production of journalistic content
(Moyo 2005; Mano 2005; Ranger 2005). Information
platforms and the media content that is conveyed through such channels should ideally
enhance the nature and quality of life of people through strategic uses of information,
education and healthy leisure. The content should represent a receivers imaginative way
of life in a way that is humanising, thus inspiring confidence, as opposed to material that
is derogatory, belittling or dehumanising in any way, either through implication,
insinuation or direct condescension or insults. This is the reason why the most extreme
forms of dehumanising content such as hate language are dissuaded from open use
through the mass media and other forms of social communication.

This report takes cognisance of the diversity of the Zimbabwean nation in terms of racial,
cultural and linguistic composition, and notes that specific respondents from
marginalised groups believe that they are excluded from participation and representation
in the public sphere at national level. This exclusion is apparent in both the print and
electronic media. Some ethnic groups such as the Tonga and Ndau, and a few whites, feel
they are denigrated or victims of hate speech.


1.2 Information-rich and information-poor... Media-rich and media-poor
There are disparities in the way different groups of people receive information or interact
with media content. Communication and information channels and systems often sideline
or exclude the politically weak, materially poor and
historically marginalised groups such as women, Disparities in the way different people
youth, and people who reside in rural areas. interact with media content
There are historical perspectives on struggles to use
the instruments of state and political participation
(power, intergovernmental treaties and declarations, and various forms of political
advocacy and protest politics) to articulate the concepts of information and
communication as fundamental rights. The public interest normative agenda means
that the nexus between communication/information and human rights has become a
celebrated cause of grassroots political activism. This type of activism is visible in
Zimbabwe in the lobbying for community radio platforms by various pressure groups,
such as the Zimbabwe Association of Community Radios (ZACRAS) and the Media
Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Zimbabwe Chapter.

The state and civil society have tried to champion the universal distribution of
information and communication platforms and technologies to all people across various
divisions of society. In some instances there are contestations over the extension of these
information platforms to all people as the state and non-state actors, including the private
sector, are interested parties. Such contestations, however, are not unique to Zimbabwe.

Policymakers on information and communication at global, regional and national levels
have been concerned with the equitable production and dissemination of, and access to,
information and communication by all. This concern started in the period just prior to the
1978 Mass Media Declaration of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organisation (UNESCO).

The Mass Media Declaration came about due to an
acknowledgement that there are global imbalances and inequalities New World Information and
in the transnational flow of information and communication. This Communication Order
recognition was then linked to principles outlined in the 1948
Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In 1980, the International Commission for the
Study of Communication Problems (also known as the MacBride Commission) published
a report titled Many Voices, One World, which explicitly called for a new, more just, and
more efficient world information and communication order (UNESCO, 1980). Also in
1980, the UNESCO General Assembly adopted a resolution for the New World
Information and Communication Order (NWICO).

All of these symbolic steps carried little weight in terms of the force of
international law but, nevertheless, they were meaningful insofar as they called
into question the naturalisation of the emerging transnational media landscape

and, in particular, they posed a symbolic challenge to the hegemony of the worlds
most powerful transnational media corporations and the authority of the national
governments that were advocating on their behalf, thus elevating the idea of a
NWICO on the international political agenda. In spite of technological
developments and attempts to promote digital technologies as a panacea to address
all imbalances, the ideal of working towards a new communication order still
remains a motivating factor for many contemporary
mobilizations (Padovani and Calabrese, 2014). the right to communicate

Information platforms should, therefore, seek to enhance the
right to communicate, which is a basic human right.

The two-phased World Summit on an Information Society (WSIS) met in Geneva in 2003
and Tunis in 2005, organised by the United Nations, setting a milestone for civic
engagement in a major intergovernmental forum. There are debates on the success or
failure of civil society in the WSIS process and other global gatherings, and literature
has described and analysed the many examples of how communication activism has
taken root in many countries, as well as how mobile technology is used to support
contentious events in different parts of the world.

These are efforts to make information and communication accessible to all people basic
human rights, regardless of class, gender, location, or any other distinctions (Padovani
and Calabrese, 2014). Debates in Zimbabwe on the licensing of community radio stations
have converged with these debates on the right to information and right to
communication, although the state and non-state actors have presented conflicting
positions at times. For instance, a ministerial pronouncement stated that community radio
licences would be issued only to historically marginalised rural communities. This was
said at a time when the MISA Zimbabwe Chapter had assisted in the formation of
community radio initiatives in manly urban areas, which are at different levels of
preparedness to start broadcasting (Mhiripiri 2011; Shamu 2011).

2 LITERATURE REVIEW
___________________
Critical literature has identified the dichotomies and political divisions in the
Zimbabwean print media, the so-called bifurcation of the media, from as early as 2005
when a special issue of the Westminster Papers dedicated to Zimbabwe was published. The
media representation of Zimbabwe in the local and global media and the controversial
banning of the Daily News in 2003 were addressed. The Daily News supposedly conspired
with the political environment leading to its closure. In other words, it was partly
culpable for its own closure. Academics also attributed the papers demise partly to the
open foreign funding received by the Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe (ANZ),
publishers of the Daily News.

This allegedly compromised the papers credibility and legitimacy, and ostensibly
justified the governments accusations that the newspaper was a vehicle for the regime
change agenda that was allegedly being pushed by Western countries such as the United
Kingdom and the United States after white farmers had lost out in the land reform
implemented by the ruling Zanu-PF party at turn of the century (Mano 2005; Moyo 2005).
Polarisation of the media as an extension of the polarisation of political parties has been
written about extensively (Chuma 2013; Mhiripiri and Mutsvairo 2013; Chari 2013). Social
historian Terence Ranger (2005) coined new terms to capture the polarisation by
presenting the phenomenon of patriotic journalism vis--vis unpatriotic journalism.
Some journalists and media houses are branded sell-outs or traitors or agents of
imperialism.
Those in the public media are, in turn, criticised for sycophancy, allegedly singing for
their masters voice in praise of a rogue discredited regime (Ranger 2005; Mano 2005;
Chuma 2013).
Most studies on the media in Zimbabwe are preoccupied with representation and critical
discourse analysis to ascertain how representations and images are embedded in power
dynamics typical to a specific community. The actual business exigencies and survival
dynamics of the print media in Zimbabwe are under-researched. Issues pertaining to
professionalism and media ethics have been extensively written about, and the
degeneration of print media standards has been traced to the political problems
Zimbabwe faced after embarking on the fast-track land reform, the sanctions and
economic crisis, and the survival tactics adopted by the media in crisis times. For instance,
political polarisation has been identified as the root cause of polarisation in the print
media sector (Mahoso et al 2003; Chuma 2013; and various views expressed in this report,
Chapter 3).
There has emerged literature on the absence of a properly pluralistic broadcasting

landscape that adheres to the three-tier system recommended in the African Charter of
Broadcasting or Zimbabwes own Broadcasting Services Act. The broadcasting sector
ideally should have publicly owned stations, privately owned stations, and community
stations. The absence of community radio stations and the emergence of community radio
initiatives as an alternative platform circumventive of legal restrictions is noted (Mhiripiri
2011).
There is also the noted phenomenon of externally based broadcasters beaming into
Zimbabwe. Such stations have been variously called pirate stations or alternative
stations, depending on the political perspective of the person describing them. Foreign
stations broadcasting about issues in Zimbabwe and targeting Zimbabweans at home and
in the diaspora such as SW Radio Africa and the Voice of Americas Studio 7, have been
written about, especially with regards to their adversarial relations with the government,
and the nature of news and current affairs content produced under exile conditions
(Batiste 2010; Moyo 2010).

As the inquiry discovered, although they broadcast controversial content, these stations
are important platforms mainly Studio 7 because they are more accessible and reach
more people compared to ZBC. This report on Information Platforms will explain why
external stations are considered as one of the most reliable sources of information for
those disgruntled by the government and the programming of the state broadcasters, but
also as a broadcaster of convenience where the state broadcaster is not universally
accessible.
There is need to define what is meant by information platforms and media content, as
these can be different and varied. They can be manual or digital. Like any physical
platform, an information or media platform refers to a medium or vehicle that is used to
disseminate content, be it art, painting, theatre and film, music, games, a novel, book,
magazine, newspaper, newsletter, TV, radio, blog or website or social media, such as
Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google Plus+, Tumblr, Instagram, VK, Flickr and
Vine.
Those are among the top 15 most popular social networking sites as of September 2014,
measured by eBizMBA Rank which is a continually updated average of each website's
Alexa Global Traffic Rank, and US Traffic Rank from both Compete and Quantcast.

In publishing, content basically refers to information, news and experiences that provide
value for an end-user or audience in a specific context. In other words, content is the
message and platform is the medium. The medium which is
used to deliver content affects how the audience perceives
highly interactive platforms
the information or message. Production and delivery
technologies potentially enhance the value of content by
formatting, filtering or combining original sources of
content for new audiences with new contexts.

While content is usually tailored for the public through researchers, writers and editors,
and various other content creators, not all information content requires creative writing or
edit. New technologies allow audiences to control of their content or to interact with
content they received without being expected to be passive receivers of information or
news. Due to digital technologies, the relationship between content creators and receivers
is now interactive and dynamic.

Although there are many definitions of social media, this essentially refers to internet-
based applications built on the technological foundations of Web 2.0 which allows the
creation and exchange of user-generated content, and they depend on mobile and web-
based technologies to create highly interactive platforms through which individuals and
communities share, co-create, discuss, and modify user-generated content.
Digital Media Platforms are designed to allow real-time and delayed delivery of video,
audio or data to multiple networks through certain technological software and gadgets.

This makes the media landscape today a complex network of connected platforms onto
which the content is released.

Diverse Media Platforms for Storytelling and their Unique Features
PLATFORM ELEMENTS UNIQUE FEATURES
Moving image, audio,

non-interactive, fixed Popular, reaches a wide audience,
Film
interaction time, commercial
passive viewing
Moving image, audio,

Quick; episodes extend the duration of the
non-interactive, fixed
transmedia work over time with overall
Episodic Shows interaction time,
extended narrative. Changes the nature of
passive viewing,
how audience engages,
shorter, episodic
Interactive,
Players become an extension of the story
animated/moving
world: they can act as a character,
Gaming graphics, music, sound
manipulate the world, and possibly form their
effects, no fixed
own narrative.
interaction time
Toys (action Hands-on media, collectible, allows players to

figures, Playable, physical, become part of the world physically. Helps
costumes, tactile form ideas of collective identity and
trading cards) competition and passion!
Audio only, fixed

Music (Song) interaction time, single Audiences can sing along to these media.
media environment
Artwork --
Image only, no fixed Highlights key moments, encourages
photography,
interaction time, single hardcore fans to appreciate and engage
installation,
media environment further
painting, etc.
Written word, more

Literature detailed, fixed time,
Encourages readers imagination
(Novels) but longer than most
other media
Written word, images,

Graphic Novels, Encourages readers imagination, niche
expressive, fixed time
Comics market
but duration is long.
Videos, audio, text, Direct interaction with the personal audience

image, networked, fast - personalization. Encourages audience
Social Media
connectivity, participation. Bridge between the story world
interactive and the real world.
http://convergenceishere.weebly.com

3 KEY FINDINGS
______________
3.1 Media Content

Many people have resorted to subscribing to Digital Satellite Television (DSTV), not just
to access wider content but also to receive the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC)
signal, which most respondents said was elusive in many parts of the country. Most
people from all provinces spoke of an information embargo imposed on them by the
public broadcaster. They argued that they are completely cut off from what is happening
in the country, hence they are forced to consume foreign information products or free-to-
air channels. They said they would rather pay high subscription fees to access a variety of
better quality shows.

There was general concern from a number of stakeholders over the content of radio and
television programmes. Content producers were accused of focusing more on urban areas
and in the process interviewing urban sources and not those from the countryside. They
were not venturing into rural areas to package developmental features and
documentaries that touch the lives of the people. As a result, rural residents felt that they
were not being afforded the opportunity to air their views and articulate their daily
struggles, aspirations and triumphs.

On the other hand, producers of radio and television content argued that their
organisations were not well-resourced with vehicles and financial resources to allow them
to cover news in remote areas. Furthermore, they argued that rural areas are often
inaccessible due to the bad state of road infrastructure and that some roads are almost
non-existent because of lack of maintenance. In terms of news coverage in both rural and
urban areas, reporters said they are hampered by a shortage of transport where they
squashed into one vehicle yet they are expected to cover several different assignments in
one day. On the few occasions that the reporters have opportunities to speak to people
from rural communities, two or three interviewees are often made to appear as
spokespersons for the whole district or province.

The shortage of resources exposes reporters to brown envelopes since they are more
likely to cover NGOs or politicians who offer them transport or money. As a result, the
story is likely to be biased towards the one who offered the transport to highlight a
specific project.

In terms of news content considered, most of the people surveyed revealed that they
prefer development stories, at 45 percent of the respondents; followed by education and
development news at 14 percent; while educational articles alone account for 10 percent.
The statistics confirm that education and development are important when society
samples media products, hence the need for media houses to deepen the quality of
programming and content in these areas to sustain their business models.

The inquiry found out that various ZBC programmes in Shona, Ndebele and English were
considered as mostly political and biased in favour of one political party. Content
producers explained that politicians were reluctant to let go their influence of the public
broadcaster, ZBC, and therefore reporters do not want to risk losing their jobs by insisting
on balance.

In terms of broadcast content, women said they do not hear their own voices -- as most of
the people interviewed are male. Programme producers said this is a result of the
patriarchal nature of Zimbabwean society, where some women prefer to leave men to
comment on issues (especially political issues) while they remain in the background. This
is also reflected in the demographics of the sample of the population to whom
questionnaires were administered during the inquiry. About 66 percent of the
respondents were men reflecting that males dominate in terms of interest in media issues
(see the statistical analysis that follows, in section 3.3).

In terms of content, people with disabilities said there is virtually no coverage of issues
that affect them except in instances where they are highlighted as charity cases. They are
not approached for comment on economic, social and scientific issues except when
receiving a donation of wheelchairs or sunscreen lotions. Their comments are not solicited
on policy issues. People with disabilities also expressed the view that journalists do not
understand how to cover issues that affect them. Journalists were silent when asked about
whether they are doing enough to cover disability issues. There was a complaint that
some radio stations such as ZiFM and Star FM have no programmes on disability.

Another important observation was that there are currently no radio dramas. People in
both urban and rural areas felt that radio stations are not making enough effort to
incorporate community drama groups into their programming. They said dramas present
opportunities to tell stories about their daily struggles, and make a contribution to
national development. On their part, journalists said they are not sufficiently resourced to
package dramas since the talent needs to be paid. Similarly, cultural performing groups in
the communities are not highlighted in radio programmes, through in-depth
compilations.

Respondents said there is no business and financial reporting that focuses on rural
communities. Thus the activities of junior and senior business people, including
grassroots projects are not highlighted sufficiently in radio programmes. Some listeners
complained about explicit lyrics in music, which run counter to the countrys cultural
ethos. Producers did not give an excuse for the practice, but said they would address it.

Sensational news, especially salacious stories, sex scandals, and witchcraft, are finding
space in traditionally reputable family papers such as The Chronicle and Manica Post. Such
stories are no longer the sole preserve of H-Metro and B-Metro, or the Kwayedza/Umthunya.

A threat to publish personal details in the tabloids is often used by unscrupulous people
as an instrument of extortion. Misleading headlines often distort or overshadow the
content of an article.

There were complaints about the poor sound quality of the radio signal in rural areas,
which affects access to the content because listeners are not able to follow the programmes
broadcast. Station owners put the blame on Transmedia, which they said has failed to
expand transmitter coverage countrywide. Transmedia is a state-owned enterprise
established to support broadcasting and broadband infrastructure to enable access to
communication services in the furthest and most remote places in the country.

Radio listeners in rural areas complained that there is no coverage of national events such
as Independence Day and Heroes Day celebrations, and that the focus is on events in
Harare yet district and provincial celebrations have their own unique flavour which needs
to be captured. Producers said they are constrained by lack of resources such as transport
to cover such events.

Radio and television listeners and viewers in Matabeleland complained that there is very
little content generated by the ZBC Montrose Studios based in Bulawayo and mandated
to cover the Matabeleland region with content applicable to this region. Producers at
Montrose acknowledged this shortcoming but failed to give reasons, stating that the
studios are neglected, with very little coming out of the studios in terms of productions.

Stakeholders said the same programmes are recycled on ZBC radio and television,
showing a lack of creativity by the national broadcaster. People also complained about
poor, partisan, repetitive, boring and irrelevant ZBC TV content. Most people feel the
state broadcaster is not doing a good job, in fact they say it is poor and sometimes
disastrous, and thus complain about paying licence fees. This view was expressed both in
places where there is reception and in places where there is no reception.
This means that foreign broadcasters, mainly DSTV and Studio 7, have carved out their
market shares.

Sports events in rural areas and in high density areas in urban centres are not covered by
the media. Television and radio tend to concentrate on soccer in Harare or Bulawayo. This
means that talent in rural areas is not being discovered.

There were complaints that there is no educational content on radio and television as in
the case of radio lessons in the 1970s. People felt the media could be harnessed to be
useful to people who do not have any access to books.

There were complaints that childrens programmes are organised and packaged from
Harare, yet there is a lot that is happening in rural communities. Journalists said that it is
difficult for them to venture into those areas due to capacity constraints. Complaints were

made about the lack of creative programmes by and for children on radio and television,
as such programmes would help to expose talent in communities, especially through
theatre. There were also complaints about the portrayal of older people. It was felt that
through their programme content, radio and television are presenting a negative
perspective of the elders rather than showing dignity and respect for their wisdom,
knowledge and story-telling. Journalists reports said they are not producing enough
programmes on older people because of limited capacity.

There were complaints that programmes on radio and television are packaged mainly in
Shona, English and Ndebele, while minority languages are ignored. Programmes in such
languages could also be packaged with sub-titles. Viewers and listeners said that
journalists do not make an effort to understand their languages with the result that in-
depth features are not packaged in communities by competent journalists. In addition,
war veterans from former ZANLA and ZIPRA are not being given enough coverage in the
media.

3.2 Information Platforms
During the outreach programme, coupled with submission from stakeholders and
interviews, a number of issues came out strongly, with some crosscutting and others
applying to certain communities, interests groups and special groups. Some of the issues
include lack of access to information due to inadequate, insufficient and inappropriate
media platforms reached, including ZBC, newspapers, magazines and other platforms.

There was recognition of the importance of government information officers as
communicators of information and general organizers in the community, notifying people
and bringing people together, as they did for the IMPI outreach. Some information
officers are exceptional and enthusiastic in the execution of their duties, while others are
not as active. However, they operate as a key information platform and outreach
mechanism within the State structures.

There was little perception of the information sector as inclusive of schools, churches and
political parties, who are also purveyors of information to the community. Interpersonal
and verbal/oral communication remains an essential part of information and transfer of
cultural knowledge, particularly in the rural areas. One community noted their belief that
the Ministry of Health is the best communicator of official information, that which focuses
on health matters, as they use visual material such as posters as well as mass sms
messages sent through mobile phones. Some communities requested government to
publish relevant administrative information, such as the birth and death registration
requirements, in all accessible languages.

People outside big towns said they have no access to ZBC because of lack of transmitters
and signals. Where signal is available, access is inconsistent and unreliable. ZBC TV is
limited to major towns, its reach was estimated to be about 100km radius of Harare and a

THE MEDIUM IS THE MESSAGE
40km radius of Bulawayo and other cities and main
towns. Therefore, listeners in border areas rely on
radio and television stations from neighbouring countries (Botswana, Mozambique, South
Africa and Zambia) for news, entertainment and current affairs. The Zimbabwean
recipients of these external services attested to developing sensibilities closer to the nation
hosting the station.

ZBC radio stations can be received in some areas and not in others. Some people have no
access or limited access, and when they do get access, they feel the content is irrelevant,
although in some other cases they loved ZBC TV and ZBC radio. In fact, Studio 7 is the
only platform with a national reach not ZBC or DSTV.

It is the only platform on which if you say Good Morning, everybody listening can hear
you at the same time across the country, one respondent said.

Newspapers were not readily available in
rural areas, growth points and small towns
if you say Good as they either reach there late, are
Morning, everybody expensive or dont come at all. In rural
areas, growth points and small towns, most
listening can hear you at people are outside the national information
the same time across the grid as they dont have reliable sources of
country information and news. This leads to
marginalisation and alienation of vast
swathes of communities.

Mobile phone technology is driving media
innovation in Africa, including Zimbabwe,
surpassing internet and transforming communications across the continent. The increased
access to mobile technology over the past four years has led to a rise in citizen journalism
while putting pressure on conventional media outlets. What is happening today is the
existence of a platform where anybody can get information and news on their mobile
devices. Mobile users can create and receive content on their own platform, a device they
own.

Leading websites for news such as NewZimbabwe.com or Nigerias Nairaland.com, a citizen
journalism site, show how the media landscape is changing. Digital technologies are
changing how journalists gather, process and disseminate information and news. Thanks
to mobile innovation, its now also possible to transfer money, or get critical information
about agriculture, education and health issues in some of the most remote places in
Africa. Local service providers have money sending and receiving platforms which allows
users to buy airtime and pay bills.


Kenyas leading mobile phone company, Safaricom, blazed the trail and has a huge
service called M-Pesa, which allows customers to transfer money to another mobile phone
user, withdraw cash, buy airtime, pay bills and make loan payments. African telecom
companies in general are leading the digital revolution, rather than traditional media
firms. Mobile companies in Africa no longer see themselves as mobile phone companies
but as media platforms and this is disrupting how traditional media works, particularly
as Africa has leapfrogged the internet and has gone to the mobile web. Because of new
technology, Africa is likely to undergo rapid changes, which will revolutionise the media
landscape on the continent, particularly if the media does not adjust and adapt to the
changing times. This impacts on platforms and content.

According to the Mid-Term Fiscal Policy Review Statement presented by the Finance
Minister Patrick Chinamasa, on September 10, 2014, the ICT sector during the first half of
the year showed significant investments in network expansion and fibre optic
infrastructure. A total of US$40 million has been invested into the sector by mobile and
fixed operators, as well as internet service providers, in this period.

As a result, total mobile subscribers increased from 13.6 million to reach 13.9 million
subscribers at the end of June 2014, raising the mobile penetration rate to 106.4 percent, as
many individuals have more than one phone.
Similarly, the use of internet data services rose to
43.1 percent over the same period, with data and
13.9 million mobile
internet subscribers growing by 2.9 percent to reach
phone subscribers in 5.6 million from 5.4 million. Fixed telephone
Zimbabwe by end of subscribers increased by 7.2 percent to reach
326,183 subscribers by end of June 2014, compared
June 2014
to 307,202 subscribers recorded in December 2013.

According to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ)
monthly review for July 2014, the value of mobile and internet-based transactions
increased by 44.61 percent, from US$268.62 million in May 2014 to US$388.46 million in
June 2014, as the wave of electronic payments continues to grow. The increasing use of
mobile devices in the country has opened the door for advanced financial products, with
consumers now able to access financial services at any time, even in the remote areas.
Econet Wireless said its mobile money-transfer platform now has 3.5 million subscribers.
Telecel Zimbabwe subscribers on a similar platform have reached 600,000 since the launch
in January 2014, with a target of 1.2 million subscribers by year end.

The total value of card-based transactions increased by just over 21 percent to $361.25
million in June 2014, from $298.46 million in May, and the value of cheque transactions
increased to $13.65 million in June 2014 from $12.42 million a month earlier. This explains
why the local media are going through serious turbulence and disruption as readers
migrate from the newspapers and even TV and radio to digital media.

3.3 Statistical Analysis of Findings from Outreach Sessions
The following represents the statistical analysis of primary data gathered through
questionnaires under the theme of Information Platforms and Content of Media Products.
The population space was drawn from all provinces. The analysis is based on 256
questionnaires.

Figure 1: Age Profile of Respondents
42.91
45.00
40.00
35.00 28.74
30.00
19.03
25.00
20.00
15.00 9.31
10.00
5.00
0.00
18-24 25-35 36-45 46-70
The age profile of the respondents as shown under Figure 1 above is dominated by the 46-
70 years category at 42.9%, followed by the 36-45 years group at 28.7%. The two categories
account for 71.6%, that is more than 2/3 of the population space, implying that these age
groups have a significant interest in the media, and hence any targeted media instruments
or products should have a fair understanding of the expectations of this market segment.

It can also reflect the high literacy rate in Zimbabwe that stretches the appetite for media
interest beyond the legally pensionable age of 64 years. Surprisingly, the youth, a major
game changer in the countrys social, economic and political dynamics, account for only
27% of the respondents covered by the survey.

The following chart showing distribution of respondents by gender, Figure 2 indicates
that males dominate media interest. Males account for 66% of the interviewees, while the
balance 34% is accounted for by females.

3.3.1 Preference for Media Platforms
The survey also reveals that the most preferred media platform by the general public is
radio at 23%, followed by mobile phones (16%), and newspapers (13%), as depicted in
Figure 3. It may be inferred that the Zimbabwean society has embraced e-based media
platforms (due to the preference for mobile phones) in line with global developments.

Figure 3: Most Preferred Information
Platforms
non
more than 7%
three newspaper
22% 13%
all tv
6% 11%
mobile
16%
radio
25%
Twenty-two percent of respondents indicated that they prefer more than three of the
media platforms, mostly radio, television and newspapers.

When content is considered, as shown in Figure 4,development stories are ranked highly
at 45%, followed by education and development at 14%, while educational articles alone
accounts for 10%. These statistics confirm that education and development are important
when society samples media products, hence the need for media houses to deepen the
quality of programming and content in these areas to sustain their business models.


Figure 4: Favourite Content for the General Public
development
and none
entertainment all 9%
0% 18%
education and
entertaiment
2%
development
and education
14%
development
45%
ententainment
2%
education
10%
Figure 5: Information Platforms prefered by Media

Practioners
2.33
13.95
4.65
55.81
23.26
whatsapp email internet word of mouth all

When the views of media practitioners are considered, focusing on responses from 43
journalists and content producers across the country, a total of 56% said they use all
media sources, that is, internet, email, WhatsApp, and word of mouth in generating their
news content, as shown in Figure 5. Based on qualitative review of the responses, word of
mouth is also significant at 23.3%, followed by email at about 1%.


4 EMERGING ISSUES
________________________________
The summaries of some of the Focus Group discussions are relevant to note here as they
present emerging issues and recommendations. Some of the emerging issues are similar
to the Findings, and efforts have been made by the committee to separate the two,
although inevitable overlap remains as thefindings above lead to the emergence of issues
to consider. See also Recommendations in Section 6.

Summaries of Focus Group discussions in three areas of the country are included at the
end of this section so the reader can see some of the opinions expressed. These represent
only a small fraction of the outreach sessions held throughout the country, and are
presented as illustrative and indicative rather than representative or geographical.

4.1 Summary of Emerging Issues and Opinions
4.1.1 Many respondents believe that there is need for a complete overhaul of products
on local TV. Improved service will benefit all parties, as more people who access
the local stations will pay their fees, and increasing the number of viewers will
attract advertisers. This development can help local TV to be viable.

4.1.2 Some people said that the media have forgotten their obligation to viewers to
inform, educate and entertain, and now focus only on political concerns. Many
said that radio has been a relatively freer space where they can access the pirate
radio stations that give them a different opinion. Some do not mind ZBC at all but
would prefer a bit more international exposure and news.

4.1.3 There is a belief and hope that in line with its constitutional obligations, the State
should license community radio stations that can address local matters more
effectively than the national broadcaster.

4.1.4 In recent years, after the 99 percent local content requirement was scrapped, radio
and television have improved. People have appreciated that local content was
given preference but the fact that it was to the exclusion of all else became
problematic. Many people gave examples of neighbouring countries which have
state-owned television but also manage to air both local and international shows.

4.1.5 Of major concern to some viewers is the fact that ZBCs second television channel
is also not widely accessible. Those who have access to ZTV Channel Two
complained of poor picture and sound quality, while those who had to pay DSTV
subscriptions to access Channel One felt they should also be able to access
Channel Two, which they consider to have better programming.


4.1.6 Many people complained that the content presented is boring and does not relate
to our current situation or the world today; that the timing of shows is ill-
prepared, and that inappropriate shows are screened at any time without warning.

4.1.7 Many journalists now push products with a biased editorial slant to the exclusion
of the truth, and there is grave distrust and general disinterest in the real matters
of the day. Newspapers such as H-Metro and B-Metro thrive because they provide
the kind of escape that people seek in far-fetched and hard-to-believe stories.

4.1.8 The content of newspapers, radios and TV is believed to be too heavily politicised.
Many people expressed the opinion that this is relatively ok when its an election
year but not all the time. They said it is necessary to focus on growth, and creating
a stronger and better Zimbabwe. There is a perspective that we have become
complacent about progress and growth, and that it shows in our media industry.

4.1.9 Many residents in outlying areas complain that they cannot access newspapers,
radio or national television, and say that infrastructure must be set up to enable
access. Some people can access ZBC only through the DSTV network and they
have resorted to accessing foreign stations and papers to get information about
their own country. What became apparent from the outreach was that, although
confidence in the local industry had waned, it has not completely faded.
Zimbabweans still believe they are capable of being more competitive regionally,
but only with a complete revamp of the industry.

4.1.10 Competition among players is expected to improve the standard of production,
particularly for ZBC, and give ZBC a reason to produce better quality
programming. Another important submission is that since most people cannot
afford satellite TV, they have no option but to watch local TV, which is not up to
standard. Many stakeholders confessed their unwillingness to pay radio and TV
licenses, which they believe are too high and unjustified. More so, most people do
not even access or use the services. Of those who own satellite TV, very few turn
to local TV.


4.2 Samples of Data Collected in Focus Group Discussions throughout the Country

Province Venue Date
Mashonaland Central Mt Darwin June 11, 2014
Focus Group Discussion Number of Participants 20 Males 15 / Females 5
Emerging Issues
Broadcasting
v ZTV is not accessible without satellite connection.
v ZTV has poor content quality.
v ZBC content is heavily lacking when it comes to programmes that promote
cultural and family values.
v News is urban-centric, mainly Harare.
v There are 40 Wards in Mt Darwin and all ministries are represented yet there is little
or no coverage of the developmental projects that are going on in the district.
v ZTV news is boring and often lacks adequate visual clips to support the stories.
v ZTV should continue using sign language on major programmes.
v There is need to cater for the blind in both news and general information.
v Some people said they want TV and radio stations to increase religious content
given that Zimbabwe is a Christian country.
v Entertainment content should pay attention to type of costumes and fashion that
they promote as children are easily influenced and tend to imitate. They want
entertainment to mould and not destroy the young people.
v A public performance regulation should be introduced for costumes that cannot
be used by stage entertainers.
v Dancehall music is increasingly full of vulgar words and this needs urgent
regulating.
v They felt if the local entertainment industry promotes good values it is possible
that other nations that Zimbabwean artists copy from now might be compelled in
future to copy from Zimbabwe.
v They wanted to know who is supposed to control values in the media and
particularly entertainment content.
v TV should support good parenting.
v They want increased childrens content and programming.
v Programmes promoting worship should use books authored by local pastors. For
example, the people did not understand why Christ Embassy on Radio Zimbabwe
uses Nigerian Pastor Chriss books yet there are local pastors who have authored
books.
v TV and radio stations must broadcast 75% of local culture and traditions and
these programmes should be of good quality to compete with foreign content.
v Music lyrics should promote local cultural values and traditions. Music with vulgar
lyrics must be banned from airwaves.
v Backyard studios must be banned if their owners do not censor vulgar lyrics from
artists whose work they produce.

Print Media
v The community receives only The Herald and Financial Gazette on an irregular
basis.
v Newspaper content is vastly different from paper to paper even when the papers
report on the same issues and this confuses readers.
v Papers do not focus on serving the people and nation but are concerned with
making profits even through the publication of content that was described as
rubbish.
v They encouraged newspapers to provide accurate and reliable information and
eliminate biased reporting.
v They also want newspapers from other regions such as Bulawayo to be accessible
in Mt Darwin so that they are informed about what is happening in other parts of
the country.
v They said H-Metro must seek permission before publishing peoples pictures. They
asked if this is legally permissible, to publish without permission?
v They felt that the media do not promote local values and norms because of lack
of clear-cut priorities on content.
v Editors were accused of using falsehoods to fill their papers and entertain their
readers in a quest to boost sales.
v They want the media to inform the public on diverse topics of public interest and
use local languages.
v Newspapers must be national and carry educational material of interest to young
and old.
Internet
v The only available Internet caf in the district is expensive at a dollar per hour.

Province Venue Date
Masvingo Civic Hall Masvingo April 17, 2014
Focus Group Discussion Number of participants 85
Emerging Issues
Broadcasting
v There is too much inappropriate material on local television, which is creating a
negative impression for young people.
v Radio and television are not always accessible and when signal is available the
sound and picture quality are poor.
v More thought should be put into both radio and television programming to cater
for all ages and various interest groups.
v Most of the coverage is about Harare and Bulawayo and rarely about Masvingo
unless it is negative or focused on politicians from the area.
v The media report negatively on people with disabilities and place more focus on
their disability than the matter under discussion.
v Radio and television license fees should be revised downwards.

Print Media
v The media do not verify stories and this has fuelled conflicts among people with
different political backgrounds.
v Some sections of the media treat justice as a foreign concept thereby making it a
very expensive commodity.
v Journalists operating from Masvingo lack the necessary resources to conduct
their work.
Internet
v The internet is having a negative impact on young people in Masvingo.

Province Venue Date
Matabeleland South Umzingwane May 10, 2014
Focus Group Discussion

Emerging Issues
Broadcasting
v Radio and television reception should be strengthened to ensure everyone in
Umzingwane gets local radio and television transmission. People in some parts of
the area access foreign programmes.
v The media do not promote drama groups in Umzingwane.
v Drama groups on radio and television should be heterogeneous in terms of
regions that are covered.
Print Media
v The content in Kwayedza/Umtunywa is different from that of The Herald and
respondents said this should not be the case.
v The public media have a partisan stance on its reporting.
v There are no public libraries in Umzingwane but there are those under some
ministries and schools, which are not well-stocked.
v Public libraries should be introduced in the area.

Province Venue Date
Mash Central Shamva Country Club June 10, 2014
Focus Group Discussion Number of participants 30 Males 21 Females 9
Population Breakdown 121 000 district population
Emerging Issues
Broadcasting
v They said they can receive a clear Studio 7 signal, but can access ZBC TV only if
they subscribe to DSTV, although the picture and sound quality is still poor.

v They get information through government ministries, on public transport and
through word of mouth.
v They want to know if Zimbabwe is up to standard with broadcasting technology.
v ZBC license fees must be revisited, lowered or scrapped. They feel they should be
exempted from paying ZBC license fees because they are already known to
have no access to ZBC signal.
v Government must deal with piracy more effectively.
v Producers of local content should improve packaging and distribution.
v Programmes should be culturally relevant so that Zimbabweans do not have to
watch Nigerian films all the time.
v Indecent media content and music must be censored.
Print Media
v They want to read factual and truthful news that is not polarised.
v There are no journalists resident in the district and when there is any news about
Shamva it is mostly negative. There should be resident journalists in all districts.
v Newspaper delivery is not consistent.
v They want more development information particularly on Shamva and about life
skills and other issues that affect them.
v They want the media to generate news on farming, mining, development, sport,
gender and youth programmes.
v They accused newspapers of running misleading news headlines.
v Journalists are failing to pursue news stories to their logical conclusion as seen in
the recent coverage of corruption stories.
Internet
v They feel inundated by the deluge of promotional text messages sent out by the
various mobile phone networks.
v Their few available landlines are unreliable making it difficult to disseminate
information on this platform.
v Mobile networks should introduce affordable data bundles that work across the
networks.
v Internet must be more accessible and less expensive.
Youth Clubs
v The government must develop a funding formula for rural youth clubs. There is
need for funding for youth clubs in the district so that they can disseminate
information through their creative and sporting activities.


5 MEDIA PRODUCTS AND INFORMATION PLATFORMS USED
________________________________
The content of media products including newspapers, television, radio, magazines, and
social media is subject to the impact of the fast-changing technologies that deliver the
content. Over the next five to ten years, Africa is likely to be a changed continent where
people have a deeper sense of how they can change their lives with technology. The
information and media sector will change significantly as a result, and change could
become a constant condition, through adjusting and adapting both the medium and the
message to remain relevant. Some of the issues to be considered are cross-media or cross-
platforms, the rapid changing of tools, and impact on media policies. These will exist
alongside the traditional means of cultural communication, which need specific attention
to remain strong and resilient, and not be washed away in the deluge of technology
change and foreign content.

The committee sought to hear views on the various media products that exist at present
and to establish what information platforms are most used to access them. The table is
indicative.
Various Media Products and Information Platforms Used
PLATFORM USE BY WHOM / DESCRIPTION / CHALLENGES
Social Media Mass short messages - Mostly civil society and mobile networks
Telephone and Accessed mostly by those in formal
internet - employment
Blogging - Elite urban dwellers
Facebook - Spreading to rural Zimbabwe
Twitter - Urban-centric
WhatsApp - Most popular communication platform
Email/Internet - Mostly office mobile phone access
Instagram - Not in use in rural Zimbabwe and limited use in
urban areas
Content Availability, contentious issues such as nudity,

relevance, language, cell films
Cell philms mobile shot films user
Film as Media generated/ zvirikufaya
Product and Challenges facing Funding, equipment, technical expertise, local
Information local producers of content and globalisation
Platform content
Theatres, halls, Providing film material and viewing
exhibition centres, opportunities to the community, cultural
libraries villages, mobile cinemas
Music as Media Still considered the Family friendly spaces are lacking
Product and best form of Mainly in beer halls, nightclubs, festivals, galas,
Information entertainment and churches, etc. or political parties
Platform education tool

Challenges Sexually explicit lyrics (Gumukumu and
Seunononga), language, quality, content,
packaging of information that has relevance
to culture, family values, socio-economic
Content Availability, contentious issues, eg relevance,

language
Challenges facing Funding, equipment, technical expertise,
Theatre as local producers of directing, local content, script writing, acting
Media Product content skills, donor constructed themes
and Information Venues such as Providing film material and viewing
Platform theatres, halls, opportunities, cultural villages
exhibition centres,
libraries
Arts and crafts A communication tool linked to tourism

Libraries,
Challenges of Sustainability
Museums,
developing cultural
Cultural
villages
Artefacts as
National strategy Developing a national strategic link between
Communication
linkages arts/crafts and communicating their culture
Platforms
and place in Zimbabwean society
Formal and informal Word of mouth or media platforms

Need to observe Community and traditional leaders through
Government, protocol hierarchies and authorities. After protocol even
Political Parties, sensitive issues discussed
Churches and Schools Children relay messages to parents
Civil Society Police and Information officers unknown in rural areas
government depts
Ministry of health Posters effective communication tool
Ethnic-based arts and Located ad hoc but should be well planned,

crafts eg arts/crafts centre linked to Chimanimani
festival
Internet not widely Challenges are connectivity, availability,
used affordability
Lack of use of local Relevance to local communities, content
languages mainly urban or foreign
Dominant Poor road networks Poor distribution of newspapers
Thematic Poor ZBC signal while Studio 7 is widely
Concerns Accessibility accessible Unable to recharge mobile phones
Incessant power cuts to access online papers and send/receive
information
Print, radio, TV failing Weather, producer prices, livestock prices, etc.
to provide relevant Follow-up on stories in-depth
information License fees too high, not aligned to quality of
programmes, could introduce pre-paid juice
cards.

INFORMATION &
MEDIA PANEL OF
6 RECOMMENDATIONS
INQUIRY
INFORMATION PLATFORMS AND
CONTENT OF MEDIA PRODUCTS
6.1 Information Platforms

6.1.1 Radio is the most popular information platform and must be made more
widely accessible, especially in rural communities.
6.1.2 Theatre is a low-cost platform that should be used in disseminating
relevant information to rural communities.
6.1.3 Information centres should be revived and used as focal points for
receiving and disseminating information, including electronic access.
6.1.4 Country clubs, community halls, information centres, adequately
equipped libraries, and cultural villages should be rehabilitated or built in the
communities.
6.1.5 Existing institutions and film media should be used to disseminate
information relevant to rural communities.
6.1.6 Internet access must be improved to cover the entire country, with
affordable access fees.
6.1.7 Mobile network coverage must be strengthened as more people now
access information through their mobile phones.
6.2 Access
6.2.1 Radio and television must be accessible countrywide.
6.2.2 Government must ensure that Multichoice adheres to the agreement
that when a DSTV subscriber is switched off for non-payment, the ZBC signal
should not be switched off too.
6.2.3 Road network to be improved to facilitate information distribution.
6.2.4 Rural schools must have working computers and power supply.
6.2.5 Cost should be reduced for both the print and online versions of
newspapers to make them affordable.
6.3 Regulation
6.3.1 Press freedom must be guaranteed through alignment of media laws with
the Constitution.
6.3.2 People should have a choice of various media platforms.
6.3.3 There is need to open up airwaves and licence community radio stations,
which should employ properly trained, ethical journalists.
. continued
5.7 MEDIA PRODUCTS
Content for Broadcasting

v ZBC radio and television must improve the quality of sound, images and content,
and serve all sectors of the community.
v ZBC must be recapitalised to make it competitive in terms of access, quality and
delivery of content that is relevant and appropriate.
INFORMATION &
6 RECOMMENDATIONS (continued)
MEDIA PANEL OF
INFORMATION PLATFORMS AND
CONTENT OF MEDIA PRODUCTS
INQUIRY
6.4 Media Products

Content for Broadcasting
6.4.1 ZBC radio and television must improve the quality of sound, images and
content, and serve all sectors of the community.
6.4.2 ZBC must be recapitalised to make it competitive in terms of access, quality
and delivery of content that is relevant and appropriate.
6.4.3 A public service broadcasting model should be used to reposition ZBC, not
a state-run model, including a three-tier system of public, commercial and
community broadcasting.
6.4.4 ZBC TV must generate and purchase content now in preparation for
digitisation in mid-2015, which can offer many channels including news, movies,
history, documentaries, lifestyle and sports.
6.4.5 Existing institutions such as the Film School and Production Services must be
strengthened in the context of modern technology and used to create content
to meet the digitisation deadline for mid-2015 and beyond, or the country will be
flooded with foreign content.
6.5 Media Products

Content for Print Media
6.5.1 Rural information officers with relevant skills should be recruited to gather
and disseminate information for communities and supply content to media.
6.5.2 Parliamentary debates should be broadcast live on radio and TV.
6.5.3 Radio education programmes for primary school must be revived.
6.5.4 Languages and cultures of various ethnic groups reflected in the
Constitution must have more visibility and programming in the public sphere.
6.5.5 Family newspapers must publish decent content as some content is
lacking in respect for family values.
6.5.6 Media must be a tool for nation building and not destruction.
IMPI

6 APPENDIX
_____________

6.1 REGIONAL STUDY VISITS
6.1.1 United Republic of TANZANIA

Country Venue Date
Tanzania Media Council of Tanzania August 18, 2014
Interview John Murray Publications, Research & Documentation Manager, TMZ

Emerging Issues
v A model of self-regulation for the media industry by all media owners and their
employees.
v Flooding of poor content across all platforms during the early years of media
reform and opening of the media sector motivated the formation of Media
Council of Tanzania (TMZ).
v Overhaul of 40 media laws that do not support the open media environment.
Situation
Up to 1995, most of the means of generation and production of media content were
owned by the government and the ruling party through the ownership of two
newspapers and one radio station. The party also owned one newspaper. There was
no television in the country up to 1994 leading to zero production of local TV and film
content. After 1994, the media landscape opened up at a fast pace driven mainly by
private players, thus creating a serious skills gap for well-trained human resources to
create quality local content. The media sector faced a serious lack of production
capacity.
Today, Tanzania has many media platforms, with 90 radio stations;15 TV stations; 40
newspapers; and 5 mobile networks, all providing access to internet platforms on
mobile phones. Content is largely in the national language of Swahili with only three
newspapers writing in English out of all the 40 newspapers. Radio stations and TV
stations also produce content mainly in the national language. The industry faces a
shortage of soft resources (e.g. books) and hard resources (e.g. cameras) to develop
and train media content producers.
The industry tends to prefer externally produced content as it is expensive to produce

local content. There is no special fund to support the production of in-house and
independent content, with 80 percent of print media content generated by
correspondents. The public does not pay viewer licenses.


Country Venue Date
Tanzania Ministry of Information, Culture and Sports August 19, 2014
Interview Assah Andrew Mwambene Director of Tanzania Information Services
Emerging Issues
v Digital migration from analogue to digital has been implemented.
v Funding model for supporting information access to the rural population.
Situation
Despite the vibrant broadcasting industry in the country, the film and independent
production industry has failed to take off and, in fact, has gotten worse than before
the media reform. A Bill is in the drawing board to support capacity-building in
production and training for the media industry in Tanzania.
Government has realized that there is revenue to be made in the film and TV
production industry, and in July 2013 passed a Bill that addresses piracy as a starting
point to matters affecting the film industry. A few days monitoring of the top three
leading TV stations in the country showed a lack of focus in programming of local film
and TV drama across the channels.
In terms of promoting access to information to the population, the government set up

a funding model called Universal Communications Services Access Fund, whose
mandate is to fund the establishment of radio and TV stations by business people who
want to set up in rural communities. It does not support city-based broadcasting
initiatives. This fund raises revenue from the operational radio/TV channels only.
The Information Ministry manages the content while the Ministry of Communications
manages the technical aspects of the nations broadcasting services. It took time and
error for the government to find a model of migrating from analogue to digital
platforms but they eventually got it right by creating a partnership company between
government, the private players and religious-owned media houses. To date 70
percent of the urban areas of the country have been covered.

6.1.2 Republic of KENYA
Country Venue Date
Kenya Media Council of Kenya August 19, 2014
Situation
Council started as a regulatory body and has jurisdiction over 365 licensed radio
stations, with 126 stations active. The airwaves were opened up to other players in
2002, without regulatory mechanism. Amendment Act of 2013 is being debated to put
in place broadcast authority. There are 19 TV stations, 8 of which cover the whole
country. There are 2 online TV stations. There are 4 pay-for-view companies. TV license
fees were scrapped in 2000.The government earns US$9million revenue from
broadcasting sector. Some 60% of the revenue is from radio which has the widest
reach. Media Council of Kenya gets funding directly from government. There are also
subscriptions from media houses and news agencies.

Accreditation of journalists is US$20 per annum. Before accreditation is renewed
journalists have to prove they have undergone a refresher course. There are 3 200
accredited journalists. Newspapers have an ombudsman for complaints. Veteran
journalists participate in well-structured refresher courses. Has a complaints council
were 7 people sit. It is chaired by a judge of the high court. It sits two days a week. In
2013 it handled 27 cases (co-regulation model). There is one media code of conduct
which is an annex to the Media Act. There is a safety and security code on sexual
harassment which is signed by all editors. Disability has not been adequately
addressed in terms of journalism recruitment and training .
The Council runs annual journalism awards on the 4th of May which coincides with
World Press Freedom Day. World Press Freedom day brings together journalists from
throughout the region and is networking platform. Council also has role of defending
media freedom and also takes government to court.
Explicit Content
People have complained about the evening talk shows. This is difficult to regulate
because there is no broadcasting code. TV adheres to watershed hours.
Community Radio Stations

Most of these are donor-funded like churches and some are owned by local
authorities and some government departments.
Kenya Broadcasting Corporation

Viewership has gone down and cannot compete with commercial stations. Facing
financial and technological problems. Facing manpower challenges and high
turnover of talent. Broadcasts in 17 languages (overall) Kenya have 42 languages.
Kenyans dissatisfied with insufficient cultural and developmental programmes.
Commercial stations are not covering these areas. KBC is in charge of digital migration
signet is competing with a Chinese company, the Pan African group. The issue is in
court and locals feel the responsive should have been given to Kenyans. Digitisation
should have been completed on 15 June 2014.
6.1.3 Republic of ZAMBIA

Country Venue
Zambia Zambia Institute of Mass Communication Educational Trust (ZAMCO)
Interview Oliver Kanene Executive Director and Board Member of the Daily Mail
Situation
The Daily Mail (DM) now headlines more of human interest stories. Over a two-year
period its production rose from 5,000 to 8,000 copies a day. During the 2011 elections,
the paper took a people-centred focus and is now selling 19,000-22,000 copies. This is
the only Zambian paper registered with the Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC) to
legitimise its circulation and print run statistics. Many journalists are not on the payroll
but work on contract. The Zambian newspaper market is quite small and some
newspapers such as the Times of Zambia are almost closing down. They have five
months arrears and are not paying salaries. The Zambian economy is not strong
enough to sustain many newspapers.

Recommendations
v Journalism training must emphasise entrepreneurship. A person with journalism
training can be a freelancer or even start a magazine. He gave the example
that Zambia is now more like a massive construction site because of numerous
construction projects. One enterprising journalist has since launched a
magazine entitled The Contractor in response to the changing times.
v Journalists must also be trained to understand that they can be business
people. At the Daily Mail, a person with a strong business background was
appointed as Managing Director, and tasked to make profits.
Country Venue Date

Zambia Daily Mail Boardroom August 18, 2014
Interview Nebat Mbewe Executive Director and Board Member of the Daily Mail
Situation
The DM started in the 1950s when it was established by Alexander Scotts Central
African Agencies. Scott was the father to Guy Scott, the current Vice President of
Zambia (now acting President). In 1964, government took over the weekly paper and
renamed it initially as Zambia Mail. The DM competes with other newspapers including
the Times of Zambia, The Post and The Nation.
The advent of community radio has also put pressure on newspapers as the print
media now have challenges to break news.
Mbewe said the Daily Mail is second to The Post on the market. However, the DM
faces some challenges in terms of distributing its papers to various parts of the country
on the same day. Distribution is usually by road, and in some cases by air.
The Daily Mail has signed an MOU with the Zambia Postal Services so that they can use
ICTs at the ZPS premises where people can access and read the newspaper online. In
rural areas, the Zambia Post Offices are accessible but print newspapers are not
distributed on time. Weekend figures are low both for circulation and advertisement.
The preferred advertisement and content ratio is 60-40. This is often achieved except
for weekends. When advertisements are many, the DM increases the number of
pages. Major source of advertising revenue are Telecommunications companies,
although government, parastatals and NGOs are significant.
Press Freedom
There is a lot of press freedom in Zambia, according to Mbewe, although publicly
owned media are sometimes hesitant to write freely about what they want.
The Daily Mail is stated-owned but the paper is also driven by a commercial
imperative since the Board was asked to run the paper as a business venture and to
be self-sufficient in terms of payment of salaries.DM is diversifying and has a
commercial printing press for materials such as calendars, etc.
Distributing the newspaper to the rural areas as a part of the social responsibility policy
is generally expensive. However, Government compels DM to distribute to rural areas,
and support for doing so is rendered to the DM in the form of vehicles.

Government has expressed complaints about what the DM sometimes published but
the editorial management is not sure whether the complaints are heard by the
government or they are from individuals who only hold senior positions in government.
This is because the editorial takes directives from its Board or from the Ministry on such
complaints.
The Zambian press are grappling with the Freedom of Information Bill (FOI). Mbewe
does not see FOI as a direct media law but something to enable the general Zambian
population to access information. Zimbabwes legal and constitutional instruments
pertaining to access to information were praised by Mbewe. There has been an
opening of freedom of the press space under the current PF regime.
Strategies for revenue streams

Catch them young strategy youths at schools are encouraged to contribute
articles to The Daily Mail with companies sponsoring youth columns. There is need for
as many sponsored columns at DM as possible although there is recognition that not
everyone is inclined to read stories that are not journalistic per se, and that is why
conventional journalism is maintained regardless of the commercialisation.
Regional stories are also promoted because people want to read about is happening
in various parts of the country. To ensure regional content, offices have been
established in the countryside in areas such as Kitwe, Kabwe, Choma and Livingstone,
and there are correspondents based in those areas to provide news coverage.
The e-paper is another stream of revenue which targets mainly Zambians in the
diaspora. Advertisers do influence content although Mbewe observes that there has
not been anything adverse from their advertisers that would stop the paper from
publishing particular stories. Daily Mail is developing a gender policy, and there is a
deliberate policy to employ female reporters who can rise within the ranks.
Circulation
Many Zambian newspapers make unfounded claims about circulation figures often
claiming to be the best and biggest selling. Registration with ABC is a way of
legitimising figures and verification of claims.
The highest circulation for the Daily Mail is 70,000 copies per day. Circulation figures
are dropping, however, due to economic hardships and new media platforms.
Pagination as a broadsheet has been 32 pages but on special occasions such as the
50th independence anniversary of the Daily Mail might carry 60 pages. The cover price
is 3Kr (about 50c).
Content
Human interest stories are highly regarded. There is a thin line between being
sensational and being truthful about what happened, Mbewe says. The newspaper
writes sensitively about people living with HIV and AIDS because they also have
employees who have come out into the open within the newsroom and this compels
writing in a way that is not hurtful to others. The paper uses appropriate language for
people with disabilities. Most stories are about men. Women are adversely reported,
especially when raped or abused.


6.2 RESOURCE MATERIALS
Batist, D. (2010). SW Radio Africa and the challenges of operating a Zimbabwean exile radio
station in London, Journal of African Media Studies, 2(2): 155-171.
McLuhan, E. and Zingrone, F. (ed.) (1995). The Essential McLuhan, New York: Basic Books.
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

INFORMATION &
MEDIA PANEL OF
INQUIRY
CHAPTER 3
POLARISATION, PERCEPTION AND INTERFERENCE
Polarisation, Perception and Interference
PANELISTS
Vincent Kahiya, Committee Chairperson
Constantine Chimakure
Stanley Gama
Gift Mambipiri
Programme Officer
Sibusisiwe Dube
IMPI

CONTENTS
Years of adversarial and polarised

CHAPTER 3
relationships have levied a
horrendous toll on professional and
ethical standards. The desire for
1. Introduction
entrapment has been mutual on the
2. Polarisation part of information holders and
information seekers.
3. Interference
The effect has been one of mutual
4. Perceptions ruin for those in authority and those
in the publishing industry, and a
5. Issues Emerging from the Inquiry
real disaster for citizens who should
6. Recommendations be well served by both.
7. Appendix The sectors values crisis has to be

addressed in a comprehensive way
Speech by Minister of Media, Information that seeks integrity and
and Broadcasting Services, Hon. Prof. professionalism in the sector.
Jonathan Moyo, at NUST, December
2013 ...From Terms of Reference for An
Official Inquiry into the State of the
Questionnaires used for Journalists, Information and Media Industry in
Editors, and Political Parties Zimbabwe


1 INTRODUCTION
_______________

This was one of the most topical thematic areas during the outreach programme. A total of
42 outreach meetings were conducted in all the 10 administrative provinces to solicit the
views of members of the public, journalists, civil society organisations and politicians on
the topical issues of polarisation, perception and interference in the media. The oral
discussions during the outreach meetings were combined with the distribution of
questionnaires to participants and members of the public. In addition, some stakeholders
submitted written reports to the committee. This chapter is therefore a result of the
responses to questionnaires, the outreach report, and stakeholder submissions.

1.1 Background and Context
The Zimbabwean society has been polarised since the colonial era, although this started to
improve after Independence in 1980. The situation worsened again since the late 1990s,
particularly after 2000, as various interest groups took divergent positions on the causes
and effects of the 1997 crash of the Zimbabwe dollar, and the land reform programme that
featured the compulsory acquisition of land from white commercial farmers for
redistribution to the black majority. These two events strengthened opposition politics and
saw the mushrooming of several political parties. These included the Movement for
Democratic Change (MDC) made up of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU),
civic groups, commercial farmers and academics, which later split into the MDC and MDC-
T, and other smaller parties.

Reflecting the prevailing situation in the country, the media took different sides in the
coverage of a wide range of issues, but especially on politics, governance, and the economy.
The media have, therefore, since the late 1990s mirrored the generally polarised
environment in the Zimbabwean society. This saw the public media supporting the
government and ruling political party sentiments, while the private media generally gave
an opposing perspective in supporting views dissenting from government. These
perceptions spilled from the editorial and opinion pages onto the news and features pages,
to the selection of international news and columnists, and into entertainment and sports
coverage. The terms public and private media reinforce the notion of a polarised media
landscape in Zimbabwe, although professional ethics would require all to pursue a
balanced perspective, regardless of ownership.

The polarisation has not been limited to the political realm, as the inquiry found, but also
the coverage of business and sports. An illustration was given during one of the outreach
meetings in Lupane, Matabeleland North province that The Chronicle based in Bulawayo
tends to report favourably about Highlanders Football Club while The Herald, based in
Harare, does the same with Dynamos Football Club. However, this is not uncommon for
sports coverage in newspapers throughout the world, with local papers in Liverpool or
Manchester City in UK supporting the home team.

The following table shows the mainstream newspapers, radio and television stations as
classified under the public and private media, as well as electronic and print categories.

Mainstream Media Registered in Zimbabwe
Public Media Medium Private Media Medium

The Herald Print daily Daily News Print daily
Chronicle Print daily Newsday Print daily
Sunday Mail Print weekly The Zimbabwe Mail Print daily
Sunday News Print weekly Zimbabwe Independent Print weekly
Manica Post Print weekly The Standard Print weekly
H-Metro Print daily Daily News on Sunday Print weekly
B-Metro Print daily Southern Eye Print Daily
Star FM Electronic The Patriot Print weekly
ZTV Electronic ZiFM Electronic
Radio Zimbabwe Electronic
Power FM Electronic
National FM Electronic
Spot FM Electronic
New Ziana Print daily / electronic

In addition to these sectors, a number of newspapers and radio stations have been
publishing or broadcasting from outside the country, including The Zimbabwean, a print
weekly; another weekly, The Sunday Times (Zimbabwe edition); the Voice of Americas
Studio 7, as well as Short Wave Radio Africa (SWRA), now defunct, and Radio Voice of the
People, mainly funded by governments in Europe.

In the following sections, this chapter will try to unpack the causes and effects of
polarisation, perceptions and interference in the information and media industry in
Zimbabwe as well as how these have influenced the way in which the public views the
media. The chapter will seek to offer suggestions on how to improve the situation in the
information and media industry with regard to polarisation, perceptions and interference.

2 POLARISATION
_____________

2.1 Background and Context
The rift between public and privately-owned media has been a trait of the media landscape
dating back to the colonial era when the newspapers and broadcasting services were
divided into media for whites and for blacks, and the latter were often closed down. The
Rhodesia Herald was set up for the purpose of circulating news and information among the

white minority in the colonial period, and mostly supported their predominant political
party, the Rhodesian Front (RF). The paper was used to attack the liberation movement and
criticise white liberals. The Rhodesian regime used the media to propagate its agenda while
the few media outlets that were in the hands of the nationalists would do the same by
promoting the ideals and values of democracy, then called majority rule, but the latter
were soon banned.

At independence when government bought Argus Press and rebranded it Zimpapers, we
removed a system that supported RF and replaced it with one which rooted for post-
liberation movements, according to Prof. B.K. Sibanda. The hand of the state remained.

This method of media ideology in which the media are polarised to the same degree as
the political system is polarised by allowing political definitions to define the facts and
focus of what is covered or not covered in the mainstream media, is revealed by any
comparative study of the print media in the United Kingdom. Therefore, it can be seen that
the media in Zimbabwe is modelled largely on an inherently British media system, with
several newspapers of competing political perspectives and a national broadcaster that
operates several radio and television stations.

This has been perpetuated by the existence of hegemonic battles between, first, the settlers
and the natives; and then their conflict with the liberation movement; and more recently,
Zanu-PF and MDC political formations, and the Zanu-PF government and Western
countries. The last two battles, being the most recent, are the most significant to this study
of polarisation in the Zimbabwean media from the turn of the new millennium to date.

To put Zimbabwes post-2000 polarisation into context, Patrick Bond and Masimba
Manyanya note that the MDCs neoliberal policy agenda made it a logical political
sanctuary for white capital. Further, the opposition partys promise of post-nationalist
politics, good governance and rule of law (including the protection of private property)
endeared it to the white business and farming communities reeling under the spectre of
farm occupations and perceptions of wholesale seizure and redistribution of white-owned
businesses by the State1. This was accompanied by the emergence of a viable political
opposition, an active and well-funded civil society, and a critical private press.

The ensuing political struggles played out in the local media are evident in the manner in
which pertinent issues have been reported on during the past 14 years. Government
policies and programmes such as the Land Reform Programme, Operation Murambatsvina,
the Look East policy, and the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic
Transformation (ZimAsset) received negative reviews from the private media.

1Bond, P., & Manyanya, M. (2003). Zimbabwes plunge: Exhausted nationalism, neoliberalism and the search for
social justice. Pietermaritzburg: University of Natal Press

2.2 Definition of Polarisation
To polarise is to be separated into two very different groups, opinions or situations that
are opposed to each other, according to any English dictionary, or to cause this to happen.
It is, therefore, the grouping of opinions around two opposing positions.
In our case, the polarisation existing in our media is an offshoot of the polarisation in our
politics(We) have the divergence of political attitudes to ideological extremes; principally
between Zanu-PF and the Movement for Democratic Change. (Financial Gazette Editor,
Hama Saburi)

Polarisation is, therefore, the process that causes people to take sides, or to be identified by
their different perspectives. This can also cause people on different sides to take
increasingly rigid positions becoming more and more opposed to each other and more
clearly defined as "different" from the other (hence moving towards the "poles" or
becoming "polar opposites), although this is not necessarily the case by definition.
Scholars tend to concur that polarisation in Zimbabwes media has been influenced mainly
by the countrys prevailing political environment at the time.

Media are, by their nature, polarised, as their intention is to provide access to information
from different perspectives, and give the readers a choice of information sources and
opinions. If a degree of professional ethics is incorporated into the media coverage, then
this polarisation is channelled in the same manner that Parliament channels the polarisation
of political debate, giving a platform for different opinions and interests.

Media are therefore a complex institution, informed in their nature by similar complexities
whether national or international media. These complexities can be applied beyond the
consideration of local newspapers to the internet and new media, however for the purpose
of this chapter, the focus has been directed mainly to national print and broadcasting.

2.3 Dynamics of Polarisation in the Zimbabwean Media since 1999
Scholars tend to concur that polarisation in Zimbabwes media has been influenced chiefly
by the countrys prevailing political environment. This has influenced the media, which, for
strategic reasons, has aligned with the prominent political parties whose supporters became
their readership. This notion was acknowledged by Wallace Chuma2 who contended that,
The press both shaped and was shaped by the shifting contestation(s) within and between
different centres of power during the second and part of the third decade of
independence.

The prevailing political environment also saw local politicians and interested foreign
parties vying for a stake in the media as they offered influence and support to their
favoured candidates that were manifest through the media. The media have therefore
remained strategic political tools, and more so during election periods as perceptions are

2 http://www.academia.edu/6677275/Zimbabwe_The_media_market_failure_and_political_turbulence

built and competing characters are attacked. It is due to this influence that voices of
opposition leaders are mostly quoted in negative reports in the public media while the
same can be said for government officials in the private press. As a result, most local media
outlets have resorted to publishing half-truths in their portrayal of the countrys political
economy, with the same story framed differently to suit partisan interests.

Even though journalists are influenced by editorial policies in the manner in which they
report on certain issues, they are also responsible for facilitating the polarisation that exists
in Zimbabwes media as they play an active role in shaping the countrys political reality.
Chuma observes that three models of journalism were applied in his framing of the 2000
election, that is, patriotic, oppositional and independent nationalist. He contends
that the press became one of the most visible sites of struggles for control of the State3.
Therefore, during times of intense political contestations, the media become a political
boxing ring where ideological battles are fought with journalists as protagonists.

Writing a month ahead of the 2000 elections, then Herald editor Bornwell Chakaodza
admitted that his newspaper had exercised its democratic right and press freedom and
took the political decision to support the majority shareholder in Zimbabwe Newspapers
the government of Zimbabwe, in its election campaign (TheHerald, May 4, 2000)4. This
notion is also present in observations by a local media watchdog, the Media Monitoring
Project Zimbabwe (MMPZ), which noted in its Hate Speech Reports (May-September 2013)
that in the run-up to, during and after the 2013 general elections, the media were
responsible for fanning political divisions in the country through columnists and their
editorial comments. Columnists and journalists from the public media accounted for 82
reports containing divisive and inflammatory language, while the private press carried 52
reports with this type of language5.

The polarisation that exists in the local media is also rooted in the enforcement of media
laws in the country. While laws such as the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy
Act (AIPPA), Public Order and Security Act (POSA), Broadcasting Services Act (BSA), and
the Interception of Communications Act (ICA) provide a legal framework, there have been
allegations of partial application of these statutes. For example, AIPPA and the Constitution
give journalists the privilege to access public information held by state bodies but in
practice journalists from the public media have been accorded more cooperation by public
authorities.

The media landscape in Zimbabwe has not been a level playing field as journalists from the
private press have over the years operated under relatively tougher conditions. Some
clauses in the above-mentioned media laws, including the Criminal Law (Codification and
Reform) Act and the Official Secrets Act, have limited media freedom. Between 2012 and

3Ibid 2
4http://www.academia.edu/6677105/Mediating_the_2000_elections_in_Zimbabwe_Competing_journalisms_in_a_
society_at_the_crossroads
5http://www.mmpz.org/media-analysis/hate-language-1

2014, a total of 33 cases of harassment, threats, arbitrary arrests and assaults against media
personnel were recorded, and the majority of these media personnel belonged to the
private media. Private media houses have also been targeted with lawsuits by prominent
public figures accusing them of defamation.

Political and economic interests in the media that do not acknowledge the medias role as a
fourth arm of governance, rather view it as a tool to perpetuate political dominance. This
applies to the ownership and structure of both the public and private media.

2.4 Causes and Effects of Polarisation
Various reasons were given during the outreach meetings for the media polarisation, and
common threads established. Participants felt that media polarisation in Zimbabwe has
been caused by and is mainly driven by political influence on media content; the business
interests of the owners of media houses; editorial policies, including different sourcing
patterns; and the bribing of journalists to give positive coverage to some politicians or
businesspersons, or entertainers or sports personalities, while lambasting others.

Other participants at outreach meetings, such as the one at Lupane, felt that the
government and public media, in particular, initiated the lopsided and angled coverage of
issues and the rest of the media followed.

While media polarisation is a factor of the industry in most parts of the world, and in the
UK for example, different newspapers support different political parties, this is considered
usual practice for opinion pages while varying degrees of factual coverage inform the news
pages. Media polarisation, therefore, can be soft or hard, or a range of shades in between. In
that sense, media everywhere are by nature polarised to some degree, giving the readers an
opportunity to choose their favourites.

Soft polarisation would cover the usual political debates and positioning, while a Silveira
House report (2012)6 states that hard media polarisation can fan hate speech, violence, and
other disharmonies in a country. This report suggests that the local media have been stuck
in a polarisation trap for the past 15 years, in which political and commercial interests
have dominated national interest and the media (as they do in other countries); while
others note the external pressures and decline in the economy leading to reduced resources
that have also fanned this division as media outlets competed for survival through political
and commercial space, advertisers, and external supporters. Economic interests and the
budget bottom line can facilitate ever wilder headlines and billboards to sell newspapers, a
feature that remains prominent across the media spectrum in Zimbabwe.

Responsible and ethical journalism fades as the media openly supports some political
persuasions on news pages, without identifying this clearly as opinion. Several reports and

6See Silveira House research paper among the full submissions in the Annex to this report.

IMPI respondents on the state of the media in Zimbabwe have noted that sections of the
media have become commissariats of different political parties. The inquiry found that it
has become difficult in the Zimbabwean context to report in a fair, balanced and accurate
manner given such hard-nosed political polarisation, and many journalists who have
grown up in this polarised environment do not see a situation in which they could choose
between jobs across the media spectrum.

Legislation related to media and information has contributed to polarisation in the media.
Laws such as the AIPPA and the Criminal Codification and Reform Act, have fuelled media
polarisation, as well as some aspects of the BSA. This is despite the backdrop that the new
Constitution of Zimbabwe guarantees freedoms that are violated in the above laws.

Sections 61 and 62 of the Constitution accord the media and ordinary citizens the right of
access to information and freedom of expression, as follows:

v Every Zimbabwean citizen or permanent resident, including juristic persons and the
Zimbabwean media, has the right of access to any information held by the State or by any
institutions or agency of government at every level, in so far as the information is required in
the interests of public accountability.

v Broadcasting and other electronic media of communication have freedom of
establishment, subject only to State licensing procedures that

are necessary to regulate the airwaves and other forms of signal distribution; and

are independent of control by government or by political or commercial interests.

v All State-owned media of communication must
be free to determine independently the editorial content of their broadcasts or other
communications;
be impartial; and,
afford fair opportunity for the presentation of divergent and dissenting opinions.

2.5 Submissions from Stakeholders
In this section, the report summarises the key points of some of the submissions by media
houses and media civil society organisations on the subject of polarisation, and these are
included in full in the Annex to this report containing Submissions and Presentations by
Stakeholders and Interest Groups.

2.5.1 Community Newspapers Association of Zimbabwe
In a submission to the IMPI panel, the Community Newspapers Association of Zimbabwe
said polarisation has transformed Zimbabwes newsrooms into barracks that are
moulding half-baked political activists and analysts. Their submission noted that the
polarisation of the media, mainly along political lines, has over the years massacred the
Fourth Estate through interference in its business operations and as a source of information
dissemination.

According to the association, polarisation has damaged the medias credibility as a
trustworthy source of information as different newscasts sourced from the same venue or
event can be so conflicting to an extent that the public itself becomes confused.

Most newsrooms no longer possess an independent watchdog eye as everything today is
being made to be seen through rosy speculations of politicians who desire to safeguard
their political will and lifespan via the media and, by so doing, the media becomes crucial
in determining popular polarisation.
Popular polarisation takes place when public opinion is divided over particular political
issues and policies as a result of attempts by TV stations, newspapers or any other form of
media to appeal to the public by broadcasting content influenced by particular political
ideologies or interests.

Political polarisation carries with it intimidation that has forced publishers /newspaper
owners to interfere or become editors themselves as a way of protecting themselves and the
business. In this case Editors are told what to write and not to, and this cascades down to
compromise the journalists who gather news that are non-partisan. Editors / journalists end
up glorifying and defending political parties or politicians and or even policies that
subjugate the rights of the ordinary men on the streets or the nation as a whole.

Draconian media laws such as AIPPA and POSA have effectively forced journalists into
self-censorship which in turn affects the way in which news are published. As a result the
business community has taken advantage of the circus in the media to determine the
editorial content. Advertisers by default have grown muscles to an extent that, even if they
operate outside the confines of the law of Zimbabwe, know very well that they can easily
get away with the crime because the media opts out of exposing them for fear of losing
business. And as such, instead of correcting the abnormal, we end up enhancing corruption
and fraud, not by desire, but by default to the need to survive in an environment that is for
us a cul de sac.

Community papers are calling therefore for the re-alignment of media laws to the new
Constitution in order to wean ourselves from AIPPA and POSA. We are calling for the
establishment of self-regulatory boards that are staffed by journalists. This we advocate
basing on the reservations we have upon the Zimbabwe Media Commission. We see no
reason in the demand for US$500 application fee and US$2,000 as registration fees. Why
should the media be subjected to extremes yet universities and colleges are churning out
graduates expected to be employed by institutions now under siege by policy makers who
continue to preach economic development.

2.5.3 Media Monitoring Project Zimbabwe
The Media Monitoring Project Zimbabwe (MMPZ) said in its submission that the
polarisation of newsrooms in Zimbabwe has resulted in the arrested development of the

media environment. It noted that as a result of the propaganda war, primarily waged by
the state media, Zimbabwes media community has inherited a highly intolerant and
polarised environment that does nothing to contribute to Zimbabwes socio-economic and
political development.

This is where Zimbabwes media community stands today. But with the threat of political
contest no longer a realistic proposition (for the time being), there is a chance to rebuild
using the new Constitution as the backbone to develop a strong, vibrant and professional
media community that will lead the way towards a more democratic and informed
society.
It is clear from the background described above that Zimbabwes media community has
had little chance to develop in any direction, having inherited problems relating to training,
professionalism, the economy, growth, the legal environment, and a culture of intolerance.
It is little wonder that in many of the new newspapers (not to mention the state media) the
quality of their content is often seriously unprofessional and a reflection of the intolerance
and vindictiveness that for years pervaded the state media outlets that set these appalling
standards. Many of the young journalists working on these new media outlets would have
only had the state medias performance as a measure for their own behaviour. It is this that
has been largely responsible for the polarisation for which the media are accused of
generating. Of course, it can be said the polarised political environment was the genesis of
this vice, but it needed the media to give it the voice and venom that has traumatised
Zimbabwean society.
MMPZ makes the following recommendation.
Professional training will be an essential element in developing a professional journalist

community that will play a critical role in neutralising the poisonous culture of intolerance
and abuse that has characterised the media environment in the last decade. While this is
urgent, it must be understood that this will be a process not a revolution in the
development and promotion of professional journalistic practice. Today there are precious
few if any journalists training institutions, since nearly all tertiary learning centres focus
on media and community studies at university level, producing academics rather than
journalists.
MMPZ observed that donor-funded journalism training is irregular and unfocussed and is
of little value without the development of a proper journalism practice curriculum, a
thorough mapping of needs and the collaboration of media institutions themselves. Only
the National University of Science and Technology is attempting to combine journalism
with its academic media studies programme. Structured courses need to be developed and
consistently implemented with regular follow-ups and measures that ensure
implementation and adherence.


2.5.4 Zimbabwe National Editors Forum (ZINEF)
The Zimbabwe National Forum (ZINEF) says the media landscape in Zimbabwe has been
polarised between the public and private media, mainly as a result of political differences
between the various media organisations. ZINEF says the divisions have at times resulted
in slanging matches between media houses, not on the basis of healthy competition but
more on the basis of political bias.

Addressing the inadequacy of media professionalism and ethical practices, the ZINEF
submission referred to a recent study commissioned by the Voluntary Media Council of
Zimbabwe (VMCZ)7 that noted the dearth of ethics and professionalism in the media,
saying this has been exacerbated by the political environment, poor working conditions of
journalists, and an under-performing national economy.
As a solution, ZINEF called for the establishment of common ground among media houses
in terms of professionalism and ethics; editorial independence of media houses; and a
shared understanding and interpretation of the section of the new Constitution dealing
with the founding values and principles of the Republic through establishing a democratic
interpretation of the National Interest, in tandem with Sections 61, 62 and 248 of the
Constitution of Zimbabwe.

ZINEF was founded in 1999 by editors from the privately owned media as an association of
editors who subscribe to press freedom and freedom of expression, creating a space to
enable them to speak with one voice in challenging press laws, victimisation from any
entities, arrests and other forms of pressure that threaten the viability of their profession
and media houses. Some members say that their association would have a stronger voice if
it represented editors across the media spectrum.

2.5.5 Vincent Kahiya, Editor-in-Chief of Zimbabwe Independent
There is a direct relationship between polarisation and perception.... We have, as media
practitioners, pandered to the whims of politicians who have for a long time sought to
divide journalists in their quest to own and control the media space. Political players in
Zimbabwe have projected media as either hostile to their ideas or as willing instruments
of their power projects.

So we have political players who believe state-owned media must support Zanu-PF and
even celebrate the party's failures as successes. By equal measure, opposition parties like
the MDCs believe privately-owned media must sympathise with them and ignore major
flaws in their organisational set-up. This has entrenched perceptions that private media
work for opposition parties and that public media are extensions of Zanu-PF and, with it,
polarisation.

Zimbabwe's media need to look beyond the close horizons of the current political order
to prepare for a new normal where readers will buy professionalism and integrity.

7 Study commissioned by the Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe (VMCZ)

2.5.6 Hama Saburi, Editor of The Financial Gazette
Saburi said the media polarisation in Zimbabwe is an offshoot of the polarisation in our
politics whereby there are divergent political attitudes to ideological extremes,
principally between Zanu-PF and the MDC.

What is debatable is whether it is the media influencing political polarisation or vice versa.
... In my view, its both. On the one hand, you have a country with a strong political
inclination that competes to influence the media, hence the polarisation. On the other hand,
you also have media some of whose owners would want to influence political outcomes,
again hence the polarisation. ...Despite our good policy intentions, there is discord in
interpretation. It is the reason why we cannot speak the same language outside of our
borders. It is the reason why some of our companies, especially media houses, are now
perpetually operating in the red, because they have been caught up in the polarisation.

2.5.7 ZBC Reporter Regis Mhako
We should not think in the same way. Diversity and pluralism are important. But there are
crosscutting issues that make up common good. For example, what can we do to remove
poverty? There should be criticism but the end result should be same.

2.6 Political Perspectives Interviews with Stakeholders
Interviews were conducted with key politicians and players in the information and media
industry in Zimbabwe to get their views on this issue of media polarisation. The inquiry
found that politicians on both sides acknowledged the role that the polarised political
landscape has played in fuelling the polarisation in the media.

We are polarised and thats a fact, Rugare Gumbo, then Zanu-PF information secretary,
said. We are polarised because of the political polarisation that has been in the country. I
do not think journalists per se are polarised but they have taken positions based on political
lines and I do not think Zimbabwe benefits from that.

The former MDC-T secretary-general (now with the MDC Renewal), Tendai Biti, added
that, The problem is not fundamentally with journalism but it is the nature of our
society. Its a predatory societyThe politics have never been free. Those who had
liberated us still own us, we have to think the way they want us to, we have to watch
what they want and say what they want.

2.6.1 Prof. Jonathan Moyo, Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services
The minister gave a historical perspective of polarisation and proffered solutions going
forward. He said there is national consensus on the fact that, in the past 15 years or so, the
Zimbabwean society has been characterised by deep-seated polarisation and that this has
manifested itself in the media. Media reports, when you read them, reflect polarisation
which is deep-seated which has reflected divisions which have impacted on the
important issue of the society values, governance and most tellingly, the economy.

He said the causes of the polarisation are about governance and the Constitution, noting
that the 2000 draft constitution was rejected less about its substance or contents and
more about differences and views about what is a good constitution.

He cited the main players in polarisation as politicians, donors, and the international
players who imposed sanctions.... Our polarisation has been notable because on the one
hand it has been political polarisation between Zanu-PF and the MDC formations, and
between us and Britain since the land reform (programme) All these are pointers to
polarisation.

The minister said it is unfortunate that the media ended up becoming major players in the
issue. The media reported on the players but became part of the story themselves, he
said. The media took positions. He said the polarisation of the media went out of
control over the years and has come at a heavy economic cost to the country. We have
had one of the worst sovereign risk assessments for a country that is not at war in the
history of modern countries, because of polarisation.

On media law, Minister Moyo said Western economic sanctions influenced the enactment
of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) in 2002, noting that
AIPPA was a bulwark against the use of the media as an arm of regime change. You
have got to say they were effective.

When a foreign government says that they are going to work against your government,
surely, you should take measures. It is a hostile action. It is an unfortunate situation we
found ourselves in. What would have been easier for us if there was no polarisation, that
offer would have had no takers. But to find some other comrade saying mari yacho
ngaiuye kuno tidhile naana blaa ava [let the money come to us instead so that we deal with
these people in government], then you have to introduce laws to protect the Republic.
Very, very unfortunate situation. I hope we dont ever find ourselves in that kind of a
situation again.

Minister Moyo also addressed this subject during a speech at the National University of
Science and Technology (NUST) in December 2013, when he said:

We are definitely committed to de-polarising the media. We dont want the media to be
defined on the basis of who owns it, we want the media to be defined on the basis of what
it does professionally. To us, there is no Daily News, NewsDay, Southern Eye, Northern Eye,
Western Eye, Eastern Eye, nothing of the sort. There is everyone and we are interested in
working with everyone. Thats the first thing.

You cannot have national development with a divided, polarised media fighting against
each other; failing to come to grips with major centres of thought in the country; failing to

unleash creativity of thought and action in the country; caught up in political debates
giving the false impression that politics is the only major sub-system of our society; failing
to appreciate that the most important part of our society is our economy and that
everything else including our politics depends on our economy.
(See Appendix 7.1 at end of chapter for relevant part of Ministers speech, with Recommendations)

2.6.2 Dr Simba Makoni, Opposition Party Leader
Dr Simba Makoni is a former Zimpapers Chairman and ex-Finance Minister. He is now
the leader of Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn political party. He believes that the current polarised
environment was mainly a manifestation of political instability in the country.

You cannot have spontaneous polarisation. It is caused by polarisation in the society.
...There is polarisation because we are not a stable country in that sense. We tend to differ
in too many respects. We need to deal with polarisation among political leaders.

2.6.3 Rugare Gumbo, former Zanu-PF Spokesman
The former Zanu-PF party spokesman, Rugare Gumbo, who was expelled from the party
in December 2014, agrees that the media are polarised because of the political
polarisation that has been in the country but said the local media were not that
polarised until year 2000.

Zimbabweans are some of the nicest people you can ever come acrossbut what has
happened is that from year 2000 when land reform started, it became clear that people
started to take sides. Some wanted regime change. When we had opposition political
parties and the MDC getting support from outside to effect regime change, thats when
the Pandoras Box was opened.

Gumbo said the political parties are responsible for dividing the people with their hostile
messages such as labelling of each other as puppets and so forth, and he called on the
media to move away from the fixation on personalities to focus on real issues. To be
frank, I do not like it when ZBC and The Herald give a positive spin to everything the
Zanu-PF or government says. I would rather people focus on developmental projects, and
not the private media way of always moaning.

2.6.4 Tendai Biti of MDC Renewal
Tendai Biti, the former secretary-general of MDC-T who is now with MDC Renewal, was
of the opinion that the main problem facing the Zimbabwean media is a culture of fear in
the country. I dont think there is an editor in this country who can actually say I am
writing a genuine story without a subjective self-consciousness guided by fear and lack of
freedom He echoed sentiments that the media mirror society, saying journalists have
taken positions based on political lines during the past 15 years, adding that some
journalists now see themselves as spokespersons of political parties.


There are three things. The first is that you have the public media occupying a
disproportionate spaceThey are the most well-funded and are ubiquitous, you have got
ZBC, you have got The Chronicle, The Herald, H-metro, Kwayedza. They are not occupying
the space to pursue a national agenda but are only pursuing a party agenda which is
Mugabe. There are others who see that as wrong, and already you have polarisation, a
we and them attitude. So naturally the private media are set up to propound an
alternative view because they cannot all be praise-singers. I blame the polarisation on
politics.

The second thing, which is the essence of polarisation, is that the media become the
mirror of society. We are deeply divided as society, we are intolerant. It does not matter
whether in the church or some newspapers reflect that as well, particularly when some of
you make the crime of seeing yourselves as spokespersons of political parties, thats very
wrong. In as much as we blame The Herald for being an extension of The Peoples Voice,
some of you private media are an extension of The Changing Times, and thats very wrong.

I see the private media contributing much as well to that polarisation. When a
newspaper becomes the story, or generates the story, I think we have a problem. When
the editor thinks like the organising secretary, or president of a party, I think we have a
problem I like British newspapersthe journalists there have ideological positions but
when they write, they are not prisoners of that constituency...

Thirdly, journalists mainly from private newspapers are not totally free of the private
views of their shareholders. If you want to see a political view of shareholders then open
the Financial Gazette, open Newsday, open The Zimbabwe Mail. I do think that is also a
major cause of polarisation.

There is the un-free regulatory element. We dont have a free market of the media. Tied
to that, there are other collateral issues of ownership. Where it becomes a problem, is
when the subjective political views of the shareholder become the makeup of that
newspaper

As a solution to polarisation, Biti called for reforms to the media regulatory environment,
particularly on matters involving the public broadcaster. Lets have reforms which will
include the following. Kick out the State from ownership of the media, especially the so-
called Public Broadcaster because the old arguments justifying that are fallacious. ...You
can still license community broadcasters. ...They deal with local issues....So we need
community broadcasting licences.

2.7 Effects of Polarisation
As the inquiry discovered, the effects of media polarisation are varied and far-reaching but
the most common one cited during the outreach meetings was that polarisation has
generally fuelled the deep divisions that currently exist in Zimbabwe. Most people who

attended the meetings were of the view that the polarised media landscape has disrupted
efforts at attaining stability and harmony in the country.

Many people said they now avoid reading certain newspapers as well as listening to or
watching some radio and television stations to avoid the biased reporting by these outlets.
One participant at an outreach meeting held at Tusimpe Community Centre in Binga said
she only reads The Chronicle and The Herald as, in her view, private papers were biased. She
went on to call for the banning of some private papers. Similar sentiments were expressed
about state-run newspapers and the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, which were
accused of acting like Zanu-PF mouthpieces or commissariat departments.

Other effects of media polarisation highlighted by respondents during the inquiry were:.
Media polarisation destroys important values of tolerance, love, togetherness and
peaceful co-existence.
Polarisation of the media stifles development.
Polarisation retards socio-economic development by wasting money, time and
political space, and promoting conflict.
Polarisation reduces media voices.

During the outreach, the panellists also witnessed incidents that illustrate a polarised
environment. These were evident in the Uzumba-Maramba-Pfungwes Mutawatawa area
and at Stodart Hall in Mbare, Harare, where IMPI panellists were ordered to vacate the
venues or risk being harmed. Reasons for the hostile reception ranged from political to
logistical, reinforcing the fact that the environment is politically polarised and the media
are simply reflecting what is prevailing.

2.8 Findings from the Outreach
The survey established that there is unanimity on the causes of polarisation, with that
associated with political party lines being dominant, as confirmed during the build-up to
the hosting of elections. The trend that emerges lends credence to the hypothesis that the
political dispensation has compounded polarisation in the media, with the media across
the spectrum of public and private media blamed for the selective coverage of their
favoured political players. Polarisation has also compromised the ethical standards of
journalism in the country and the media have, therefore, fuelled the polarised
environment.

The findings are as follows:
} Public and private media are partisan and write news in a sensational way.
} The political divide impacts on media, and access to political parties by the opposing
media is often restricted.
} Media houses are reporting with an agenda, soliciting the views of the side that
conforms with their political views, without presenting views of the other side in an
informed manner.

} Media houses have editorial policies that define their approach to content, but often
produce articles to please their funders and investors.
} Journalists tend to exercise self-censorship to avoid offending political and economic
interests of media owners.
} There is self-censorship because of pressure for advertising (both corporate and
government), especially big business interests.
} Both public and private newspapers are aligned to political parties; advertisers and the
commercial sector are also aligned.
} Journalists have accepted bribes from powerful and influential individuals to write
about them or not to write about them, across all sectors, not only in politics but also
business, sports and entertainment.

3 INTERFERENCE
_______________

Media interference can be broadly defined as the influencing or manipulation of journalists
and media outlets internally or externally, and from within or outside the country, to
facilitate favourable news content, production and presentation. These pressures on the
mainstream media exist in most countries for political, personal and economic reasons,
either subtle or blatant, and the main defence is professional ethical journalism and
knowledgeable, experienced editors who know the fine line between advice and
interference.

Mainstream professional journalism is always a trade-off, between the story and the
sources and access to the information needed to explain a matter to the public, including
background information. This is not an easy profession, but it carried respect and authority
in the past due to a perceived integrity and work ethic. Much of that respect has been
diluted and lost, globally, mainly for the same reasons that formed the basis of this inquiry
the conduct and ethics of journalism and media, and resilience of the profession in a
changing world.

The starting point for us to appreciate interference is to understand media freedoms.
Another way to look at it will be to look at each media houses editorial policy or editorial
charter. And yet another way to look at it would be to look at journalistic ethics or
standards. When you have an external influence guiding the direction and pace; that
becomes interference! And this applies to issues of editorial policy/editorial charter,
standards/ethics or freedoms. By way of an example, the vetoing/barring of something
from appearing in any media outlet for reasons that are not necessarily journalistic;
instructing news personnel to cover something even against their news judgment is a
form of interference. Hama Saburi, Editor of the weekly Financial Gazette.


3.1 Legal
The enactment of AIPPA and POSA, and the Broadcasting Services Act at the turn of the
century when Zimbabwe was undergoing abrupt economic and political changes, changed
the media landscape. These three pieces of legislation criminalised defamation in the
practice of journalism, and ushered in regulations for annual licensing of media
practitioners and media houses by the Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC), a statutory
body that can decline registration or deregister licensed persons or media organisations.

The forced closure of ANZs Daily News and Capitol Radio in the early 2000s sent a clear
message that the government meant business, and that players could not ignore the laws,
except at their own peril. A zealous police force ensured that journalists complied or they
found themselves in a cell, with many remand hearings before cases were abandoned. The
fear of police harassment and spending days in prison or court rather than writing stories,
meant that many a journalist and media house chose to exercise self-censorship. In this
respect, the external circumstances circumscribed the conduct of the media.

3.2 Self-Censorship
For a practicing journalist, even an ethical one, self-censorship is a tricky concept, because a
story cannot contain everything known about an issue or activity, and therefore the
selection of facts, data and other information to go into a story is by its nature subjective.
Self-censorship is therefore specifically about deliberately omitting a very important aspect
known to the writer during the selection of contents for an article, in self-interest, because it
would not please someone influential in the newspaper or in society.

3.3 Owner Interference
The ownership structure of the media in Zimbabwe and elsewhere facilitates interference,
as the media are owned by the public through the state, and by private companies and
individuals who have their own agendas. Despite the media having editorial charters, some
editors admitted that owners dictate what they want projected by their media products.

3.4 Proprietary Interference
The IMPI outreach programmes revealed an influential factor of interference that is internal
to the media industry, where there are several forms of media interference, including
political, corporate, and media ownership; and this interference is rampant in both the
public and the private media. Many media proprietors adapted to the changing economic
landscape where companies who were clients were restructuring or collapsing, with the
resultant impact on advertising revenues, by deliberately avoiding stories that negatively
portrayed their potential advertisers, as a means to keep afloat.

This subtle economic pressure applied by business and the corporate sector on the media
has negatively affected the production of news. Many corporate scandals have gone
unreported, not because the media are unaware, but because it is not financially prudent to

report on them. In some instances, the media owners have told their employees openly who
are the untouchables in the corporate sector.

3.5 Corporate Interference
Interviews with editors of The Herald, The Daily News and Alpha Media Holdings group
confirmed corporate interference in news generation, production and presentation. The
editors alleged that big corporations took advantage of the economic challenges facing the
country to determine news content. They withheld advertising if the media published what
they considered to be negative stories against them or their friends.

Two corporates listed on the stock exchange were mentioned as the main culprits in one
example. They have huge advertising budgets, and without their support, most media
houses would struggle. Another example given by a weekly newspaper was a court case
initiated by a corporate entity a few years ago to prevent publication of an article about an
impending loan. The company stopped all advertising until the proprietor approached the
owner and apologised. Financial muscle was used to determine media content.

Corporates also exert influence by determining advertising rates, and seeking
concessionary rates, and the media houses often have no option but to accept because
every dollar counts in a fragile economy.
3.6 Political Interference

There is a perception among the public that interference is rampant mainly in the public
media, affecting the national broadcaster ZBC and the publicly-owned Zimpapers that
publishes The Herald,The Chronicle, The Sunday Mail, The Sunday News, The Manica Post,
Kwayedza, Umthunywa, H-Metro, and B-Metro, and operates Star FM radio.

Most people interviewed during the outreach felt that political interference has damaged
the credibility of the national broadcaster to the extent that they no longer listen to the radio
stations or watch the television programmes. This is compounded by the fact that they may
have been unable to listen or watch consistently, as access in many parts of the country is
limited, another factor noted by most of the respondents. During the outreach programme,
several respondents also said that the public media are run by the information ministry to
propagate government and ruling party policies, and are under instructions to attack
government opponents; while it is rare for government opponents to feature positively or
prominently in the public media.

The inquiry found that there is also an increase in what has become known as diskette
journalism, where stories are allegedly written by politicians and other influential
individuals, and then given to newspapers, radio and television stations to publish. Such
allegations have been levelled against both the private and public media, with the latter
said to have stories planted by the Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting
Services. Professor Jonathan Moyo, the current Information Minister, denied such planting

of stories, but was unapologetic for determining the editorial policy direction of Zimpapers
and ZBC as public institutions8.

Hama Saburi, editor of The Financial Gazette added that, We often hear of perplexing
stories elsewhere where journalists are told what to write by their owners; where diskette
journalism has taken root, with diskettes being brought into the newsrooms and fed into
news queues without any alteration, editing or verification of facts; where journalists
participate in brainstorming sessions for political parties and thereafter guide the editorial
line to be taken by their respective media houses in conformity with party agendas; and
where politics of the stomach is carrying the day. This is not good for the industry.
Hopefully, IMPI will go a long way towards providing the basis through which these
issues could be addressed.

3.7 Corruption as Interference
The issue of journalists taking bribes was also highlighted by editors as a form of
interference. Politicians and businesspeople allegedly pay some journalists to influence
coverage and at times to kill negative stories. Chequebook or brown envelope
journalism has become rampant because of the political and economic challenges in the
country, the editors said. Media houses are struggling to pay workers on time and
remuneration is often low; making them susceptible to bribes. This occurs not only in
politics and business, but also in sports and entertainment sectors. Some journalists boast of
their illegal earnings.

3.8 Key Findings
The media in Zimbabwe are generally regarded by the public as manifestly corrupt and
designed for disinformation, propaganda and information cover-up, across the spectrum.

There is no longer a mass media publication of public record that is widely respected and
regarded as factual, as with The Herald through the decade of the 1980s into the 1990s, when
the opinion pages were fully separate to the news pages and clearly labelled. Interference in
the media comes from many directions, and those who interfere often have personal,
political or commercial interests in the way that content is generated, packaged and
presented.

The interference may be crude or subtle, paid or unpaid, and the response can be ingrained
in media training or mentoring, as well as in active service. Zimbabwes media have
suffered multiple interferences from both public and private sector within the country, as
well as from external factors.

8 Recorded interview with IMPI

Media Council of Kenya (MCK) experience

The Media Council of Kenya is a statutory body established by the Media Council Act, No. 20
of 2013 as the leading institution in the regulation of media and the conduct and discipline of
journalists.

The council started as a self-regulating body in 2004 to regulate the media industry in Kenya but

transited through the Media Act 2007 and adopted a co-regulation approach, where board
members and the secretariat, while receiving government funds to support some of its activities,
remain very independent in their operations.

The fundamental public interest maxim of media freedom and freedom of expression, and
principles of open and independent media that promotes participatory democracy, rule of law
and accountability, underpin the media regulation process by the council. The rights and

privileges of journalists are protected while professionalism, and accountability of media
workers is upheld.

Training on the code of conduct for the practice of journalism is a major activity, while dispute
resolution by the Complaints Commission of the Media Council ensures that the public have an
opportunity to raise complaints against the conduct and behaviour of journalists and media
houses.

The MCK receives modest funding from the government and also levies media houses and
individual journalists. The funds are used for activities undertaken by the council.

4 PERCEPTIONS
_______________

Perception is the process by which people translate sensory impressions into a coherent
and unified view of the world around them. Though necessarily based on incomplete and
unverified (or unreliable) information, perception is equated with reality for most practical
purposes and guides human behaviour in general. (Business Dictionary)

4.1 Key Findings
4.1.1 Public media vs Private Media
The IMPI inquiry observed that individual perceptions of media bias affect the ability of
individuals and groups to properly assess bias in the news content of the media houses. It
is normal for different media houses to present different perspectives, but some of the
responses suggested that all of the many newspapers and radio stations should be
presenting the same opinion, whether public or private media. The challenge is in
separating the opinions from the news coverage in the newspapers and in broadcasting.
Both are normal components of the media, when clearly identified.


What we observed during the IMPI outreach meetings, in the form of attendances,
successes and in some cases meetings that were disrupted, clearly showed that
perceptions stand in the way of information dissemination in Zimbabwe. Some
participants perceived IMPI as a pro-government inquiry, ignoring the presence of
panellists from across the media spectrum, while others seized on the presence of
practitioners from the private media to reinforce their perception that this was an
opposition initiative.

There seemed to be little understanding, in some cases, that it would be possible for
representatives from public and private media to sit together to conduct a joint inquiry to
assess and inform the future of their profession and collect information about the
information sector in general, and the specific needs and ideas of the people of Zimbabwe.

4.1.2 Perceptions of the Messenger
If the message is from government, then pro-government and ruling party structures are
activated and their people attend. If there is a sense that the message or messengers have
an opposition background, inclination, flavour or history, then people from the opposition
parties are more enthusiastic about attending, than those from the ruling party. There are
perceptions that if information in the form of public enquiries such as IMPI, has come from
government, then the process is part of electioneering and will not produce tangible results.
People have more faith in or identify with the messenger, than the message, and choose to
believe the information delivered on the basis of who is delivering it.

4.1.3 Perceptions Fuel Polarisation
Perceptions fuel polarisation in the media. There have been cases where individuals have
been assaulted or their properties destroyed for buying papers perceived to belong to a
rival political party. More than 95 percent of stakeholders who spoke to IMPI agreed that
there is polarisation, interference and deeply ingrained perceptions in the information and
media sector in Zimbabwe. These have come at a cost to the nation. Therefore, the media
stakeholders must work together to change this perception.

5 ISSUES EMERGING FROM THE INQUIRY
_______________________

5.1 A Statistical Analysis of Basic Data from Outreach Focus Groups
The Information and Media Panel of Inquiry (IMPI) undertook a countrywide review of the
state of the information and media industry in Zimbabwe to generate baseline information
that would inform policy interventions to improve the sector going forward. As part of the
methodology, the 10 provinces of Zimbabwe provided the population space from which
respondents were sampled. A total of 2,817 participants were sampled for the outreach.


Table1 Polarisation, Perceptions and Interference Focus Group Outreach
Mat Mat Bulawayo Mash Mash Mash Manica- Ma- Mid- Chitu- Harare TOTAL
North South Metro East West Central land svingo lands ngwiza Metro
Males 46 106 92 45 542 111 80 178 300 34 654 2188
Females 11 83 18 47 186 74 0 78 0 12 120 629
TOTAL 57 189 110 92 728 185 80 256 300 46 774 2817

This analysis straddles across qualitative and quantitative data to try to provide an
objectively balanced picture of the subject under review. A total of 44 Focus Group
meetings were held across the provinces to generate primary data on the theme, attended
by 2,817 participants, as shown in Table 1. Of these participants 629 (22.3 percent) were
females, while the balance of 2,188 (77.7 percent) were males.

This distribution of participation at the meetings indicates that gender representation is an
important consideration when it comes to media, and one can infer that males dominate
interest in this regard. This could emphasise a gap in the media sector that women are
maybe undersold to the significance of media in the socio-economic and political landscape
of Zimbabwe, implying an opportunity for strategies to actively engage women in the
media sector.

Harare, Mashonaland West and Midlands accounted for 64 percent of the participants, with
each accounting for 27 percent, 25.8 percent, and 10 percent respectively.

5.1.1 Polarisation
Feedback from Outreach sessions across all provinces agree that polarisation manifests in
the media, and primary information generated from 75 questionnaires also reflects this
view. The questionnaires were distributed to media personnel in Bulawayo, Harare,
Masvingo, Matebeleland North, Mashonaland Central, and Midlands. This picture
confirms that public opinion identifies a high degree of polarisation in the media, with 87
percent agreeing that it exists, whilst a negligible 4 percent disagree with that hypothesis, as
shown in Chart 1.

Chart 1: Propor9on of Opinion that believes there is Polarisa9on

in the Media
Not sure
9%
Disagree
4%
Agree
87%

The Survey also provides evidence that there is unanimity of opinion on the causes of
polarisation, with that associated with political party lines being dominant, as confirmed
during the build-up to the hosting of elections. Based on Chart 2 below, 73.5% of the
respondents indicated that an election period magnifies the polarisation in the media, while
25% identify polarisation with any period. Very few of the respondents (1.5%) see
polarisation as a factor in national and international commemorations.

The trend that emerges lends credence to the hypothesis that the political dispensation has
compounded polarisation in the media, with the media across the spectrum of public and
private sector being blamed for the selective coverage of their favoured political players.
The media have further fuelled the polarised environment, and polarisation has also
compromised the ethical standards of journalism in the country.

A further probing on the areas in which polarisation is prominent indicates that
respondents believe this is a factor mainly in the politics and governance subsector, as
noted by 89.5% of the respondents. The social and the business sector record a negligible
5%. The polarisation debate is also rooted in the political economy that shapes the media
space in Zimbabwe, dating back to the pre-independence era.

5.1.2 Interference
The IMPI survey results drawn from primary data gathered across the 10 administrative
provinces covering journalists, reporters, and editors reveals that 88 percent of
respondents confirm that their articles are guided by an editorial policy, five percent say
no, while seven percent do not know. This is illustrated by Figure 1.


Figure 1 Does Your Organisation Have an
Editorial Policy?
88%
5% 7%
YES NO DONT KNOW

According to the survey results, as shown in Figure 2, management determines editorial
policy, with 52 percent of the respondents holding that view, while government also has a
bearing on that, with 28 percent influence. What can be inferred from the results is that
this picture could be representing the scenario for private media, where management may
influence editorial policy driven by the profit motive. If this scenario is taken to reflect the
public media, it can be noted that the 28 percent government interest in editorial would be
a measure of the influence of the Ministry of Information. It is therefore apparent that
shareholders have a significant influence on editorial policy if they run media businesses.

Figure 2 Who Determines Editorial Policy?
52%
28%
15%
5%
Government Management Board of Dont Know
Directors

On interference in the newsroom, the results reveal that 51 percent of the respondents
discount the influence of owners, while a sizable 42 percent believe there is interference.
This picture illustrated as Figure 3, points to a significant influence in the newsrooms by
owners, at 42 percent.


Figure 3 Do Media Owners Interfere in
Newsrooms?
51%
42%
7%
Yes No Dont Know

The survey results also confirm some correlation between editorial policy and a
compromise to journalistic independence. Of the 75 media practitioners covered by the
questionnaires, half (51%) indicated that this was a constraint to their ethical conduct and
professionalism, as depicted in Figure 4.

Fig 4: Impact of Editorial Policy on
Independence
NO 49.18
YES 50.82
48 48.5 49 49.5 50 50.5 51

The survey indicates therefore that interference is present in the public media, with the
expectation of coverage understood to suit specific social, economic and political contexts;
while the privately owned media face similar challenges to meet the expectation of owners,
advertisers, sponsors and readers.

When the position of the media practitioner in the hierarchy is considered as a variable, it
was found that on the issue of interference, editors discount the possibility of this
constraint. Ironically, when shifting down in hierarchy towards reporters, and lower ranks,
interference is cited as a constraint to ethical and professional conduct.


5.1.3 Perceptions
On this aspect of the survey the analysis is confined to qualitative data rather than
quantitative data given the nature of the variable under investigation. For example what
emerges is that given the extent to which polarisation is rampant in the media, those
practitioners working in the public media are perceived to favour government, while those
in the private media are perceived to the part of the opposition to government.

The survey further reveals that this observation also played out during the fieldwork, with
these perceptions affecting the attendances at the IMPI Outreach meetings. The successful
hosting of these meetings hinged a lot on how the Outreach sessions were held and where.

It was also observed that public perceptions have a bearing on the hosting of public fora,
with those organised by pro-government agencies perceived as worthwhile attending. This
picture changes when the perception is that such a forum is organised by individuals
perceived to be from the opposition, again depending on how and where it was held.
_________

INFORMATION &
6 RECOMMENDATIONS MEDIA PANEL OF
POLARISATION, PERCEPTION AND INTERFERENCE INQUIRY
6.1 Polarisation
6.1.1 One agreed Code of Ethics and a Common Media Training Curriculum
There must be accuracy, integrity, correctness and consistency, and fairness in media
coverage, and this professionalism can return to the media if all are guided by one
agreed Code of Ethics and a common Media Training Curriculum. All media, both
public and private, must adhere to professional standards of journalism.
6.1.2 6.1.2 Co-regulatory body with a complaints system

There should be a system of co-regulation of the media statutory and voluntary
which has a complaints system that is representative and a mandatory adjudicative
panel of first instance for every media-related complaint, with the option of recourse
to the courts on appeal, thus reducing the financial burden of recourse to courts at
first instance.
6.1.3 Public media should be national in scope reflecting the public interest. The
national broadcaster should be a public service broadcaster.
6.1.4 The media space should be depoliticised

Journalists should stand apart from political engagement and use appropriate
language when analysing political issues. Public meetings should be open to all media
across the spectrum. There should be a platform to discuss national interest issues and
content.
6.1.5 6.1.5 All stakeholders must demonstrate willingness to reduce polarisation

The Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services, as well as media houses,
journalists, political parties and the commercial sector should demonstrate willingness
to reduce polarisation.
6.2 Interference
6.2.1 Public media must serve the interests of the public and the nation
Government must create an enabling legislative framework based on the
Constitution, and leave the public media in the hands of boards of directors with
responsibility for selecting and assessing senior management and ensuring that they
have the policy, vision and support to do their work in a professional manner. The
boards in consultation with the shareholders should define an editorial policy that
speaks to the public interest, professionalism and integrity.
6.2.2 Private sector owners and corporates must not interfere with media content
A binding Code of Ethics should be agreed by stakeholders to define ethical
conduct by all participants including owners and corporations, to stop the corporate
sector from interfering with media products. The Advertising Media Association
(ADMA) should ensure that corporates do not interfere with content gathering,
production and presentation, or use advertising rates to force unethical decisions.
....continued


INFORMATION &
RECOMMENDATIONS continued
POLARISATION, PERCEPTION AND INTERFERENCE

MEDIA PANEL OF
INQUIRY
6.2.3 Co-regulation of the media is the preferred approach

To deflect interference by owners, editors or journalists and to promote media
professionalism and ethics, it is recommended that Zimbabwe adopts a system of co-
regulation of the media statutory and voluntary similar to the Media Council of
Kenya model, and enforces an agreed Code of Ethics for media houses and journalists
that is anchored in professionalism and integrity. All media houses and journalists should
be members of a Media Council with powers to discipline its members.
6.2.4 Media training curriculum must include non-interference

Media training institutions should be obliged to include this component of non-
interference, through a common curriculum and formal accreditation.
6.3 Perceptions
6.3.1 Media space must be depoliticised
The media space must be depoliticised to rebuild public confidence and enable
media houses to implement their editorial policies within a regulatory framework set
by government.
6.3.3 A professional media community can develop through training and mentoring
There must be professional training and mentoring to develop a professional media
community, with due attention to the opportunities and challenges offered by the
changing technology and changing perceptions of the information sector.
6.3.4 There must be an agreed Code of Ethics

Media practitioners must find common ground on professionalism and ethics through
an agreed Code of Ethics that is a public document.
6.3.5 Conditions for journalists must be improved to avoid corruption

Conditions of service for journalists must be addressed to insulate them against
corruption, and contracts to include an enforceable anti-corruption commitment.
6.3.6 Perceptions must be changed by the media.

The perceptions that fuel polarisation have been built up by the media over many
years, and these perceptions must now be changed by the same media.
IMPI

7 APPENDIX
____________
7.1 Part of the Speech by the Minister of Media, Information and

Broadcasting Services, Hon. Professor Jonathan Moyo, at the National
University of Science and Technology, in December 2013, about the
reasons for the current media situation in Zimbabwe and the way forward
We have to remember that, in Rhodesia we had the electronic media, broadcasting and
then the print media. The electronic media was run and owned by the Rhodesian state and
the print media by business interests from South Africa which supported UDI [Unilateral
Declaration of Independence] such that the mainstream media in our country during the
liberation struggle, both print and electronic, supported the Rhodesian state, supported
UDI.
So there was nothing to inherit, nothing progressive to inherit at independence from a

media point of view and in a comprehensive, inclusive sense of the media, we have had to
pay a price for that, we are paying a price today for that.
The state of the media today is very polarised. Partly because of that inheritance of the
liberation struggle during which the media was not a factor, in fact the media was used to
demonise the liberation struggle, to demonise freedom fighters, to suggest that they were
anti-Christian, evil, barbaric, with no values worth celebrating or worth being proud of,
that was the view of the mainstream media. Now that is the first reason why we have this
situation.
The second reason is that at independence, the new state inherited the media that was set
up by the Rhodesians and in the case of broadcasting we even asked the British through the
BBC to help us set up a new broadcasting service and all this thing of Radio 1, 2, 3, 4 which
was not really creative at all, is British stuff.
But we inherited that and asked the erstwhile colonisers to help us set up a new thing, but
we did not think seriously about how to ensure that this new broadcasting service should
reflect multiple viewpoints, the full spectrum of national discourse, national opinion based
on one common national platform, one nationality, united nation and driven by
professional values.
So we took a lot of things for granted and did not consider the ideological challenges that
come with the construction of the media in a new independent state. And in the case of the

print media we simply bought out the South Africans, Angus Press used to own all the
mainstream media. We bought them out thanks to a grant that was given to us by the
Nigerians who gave us $5 million. We just bought them out.
Again, without raising fundamental issues about the redesign, if you look at Zimpapers
today its structure is as it was in Rhodesia, as we speak right now. Still structured like that.
It has some sense of a southern and northern part of the country and there is a belief that
the northern part is more important than the southern part.
Instead of viable business units, it uses branches as if it is a tree. We havent subjected it to

an ideological shake-up that reflects the values, ideals and ethos of the new nation of
Zimbabwe as a united nation, not one with southern and northern and branches and so
forth. We inherited that. That is the second reason that has come to haunt us and we have
paid a price.
On the Private Media
The third issue which explains why the situation is like this is that those interests in our
country which have sought to come up with whatever you want to call it alternative
media, independent media, which we all know is a fallacy, or private media, which we also
know is a fallacy if it is private why dont you do it in your house in private and leave us
alone?
But the private media, independent media, has emerged in Zimbabwe in opposition of
what has been perceived as the state media or a public media. It has not emerged out of
independent values of expressing a legitimate but perhaps different viewpoint which is
national, based on national interest and which is professional as opposed to political; which
is run by men and women who have diplomas and degrees and experience in the
profession, as opposed to political commissars masquerading as journalists and doing so in
opposition of the state media inherited without a critical reformation and therefore
emerging out of a historical circumstance which is in fact very narrow.
This is the way the independent media is developed and sometimes formed by very angry
people who have been victimised by the state in one way or the other and then who
conclude they were victimised because they didnt have a platform of self-expression or self
defence. If you are a human being with the God-given capacity you can rule, speak and
defend yourself but if you dont, what do you do? So some of these elements who had been
in their view victimised, they found it necessary to start the media and fight the state, fight
the government.

But before that development, here in Zimbabwe there were attempts by international
capital to form independent newspapers, especially by Lonrho and Tiny Rowland. This
they were doing all over colonial states, you would get a multi-national corporation which
used to support colonial interests but now finding themselves in an independent country
and making capital available to form newspapers to defend their interests. We had The
Times here, even the history of the Financial Gazette has those elements.
We are paying the price for that because that is inconsistent with the kind of dispensation
of the media I said is coming in the future.
Polarised Public Opinion
The fourth reason is that these three paradigms, these three first reasons ended up creating
a climate of opinion in our country that divided Zimbabweans along political lines or along
political positions and polarised public opinion and polarised public discourse.
The polarisation is what we have seen over the past 13 years. The reason it happened this
way, which is really the fourth reason, is that the erstwhile colonial power took advantage
of this situation and started having media projects, new media projects which purported to
be about democracy in Zimbabwe claiming there was no democracy in Zimbabwe; about
human rights, about good governance, about fighting corruption, about personal freedoms,
and gave the impression that these things were not present in our country and they started
being sought in 2000, that until the year 2000 these things were not part of our public life,
our politics, our policies, our relations and our governance.
This comes up only 20 years after our independence. Twenty years may be a long time in
your life yourselves, but it is not a long time in the life of a country, it is nothing. And 20
years down the line you find the country facing this whole human rights onslaught, a
country which actually fought for its liberation struggle and which liberation struggle was
informed by a historic need to restore these things democracy, human rights, good
governance, freedom. Suddenly somebody comes and says but this is precisely what is not
here, so lets fight for these things and creates multiple media projects.
Media as Regime Change Agents
You will recall, I think in 2001, the former American Assistant Secretary of State for African
Affairs Walter Kansteiner, when he was making a presentations before a sub-committee of
congress boasting that the US government was working with NGOs and media

practitioners in Zimbabwe and outside Zimbabwe within the region to effect regime change
in Zimbabwe. And the media became a major, major partner in the regime change agenda.
We're working with the civil society that is in Zimbabwe, and that includes a number of human
rights groups, includes some independent journalists groups, and so we're actively doing that, as are
a number of the European Community countries, too,"Assistant Secretary Kansteiner said.
So we had the development of a whole media sector informed by, driven by, controlled by
and sponsored by merchants of regime change having nothing to do with that
communication capacity which God gave us but which disappears in a mass society and
which requires us to invent ways of continuing that communication which became driven
by a political agenda to fight the roots of our existence as a new country, an independent
country.
And we have so many examples of that media, which some schools like yours were
either recipients of this support or celebrated it or presented it as an example of media
freedom, contributing to the polarisation. Academics have been part of this, right in the
thick of things.
Recommendations
You cannot have national development with a divided, polarised media fighting against
each other; failing to come to grips with major centres of thought in the country; failing to
unleash creativity of thought and action in the country; caught up in political debates
giving the false impression that politics is the only major sub-system of our society; failing
to appreciate that the most important part of our society is our economy and that
everything else including our politics depends on our economy.
We said we must now engage each other as to what is our national interest. Do we have a
shared understanding of that national interest? We now must engage ourselves as to what
are the professional requirements of media practitioners?
We are definitely committed to de-polarising the media. We dont want the media to be
defined on the basis of who owns it, we want the media to be defined on the basis of what
it does professionally. To us, there is no Daily News, NewsDay, Southern Eye, Northern Eye,
Western Eye, Eastern Eye, nothing of the sort.
There is everyone and we are interested in working with everyone. ...

Fifth, we are now clear in terms of our Constitution that there must be recognition of the
inherent dignity and worth of the human being. We cant allow our colonisers to run away
with the notion that they are more interested in the dignity of our people than we are, it
does not make sense. That was political theft and we must now reclaim what is ours and
make clear that is indeed our own commitment and that is why it is a founding value and
principle in our own constitution.
Sixth, we now have to be very clear that we recognise the equality of all human beings.
There are no human beings that are more equal than others as a matter of our constitutional
commitment.
Seventh, which is good news to all the women here, because we fought for our liberation
knowing that it was women and men fighting for it, we must be very committed in real
terms to gender equality as a constitutional commitment, as a foundation and a principal
value. Its not someone else telling us that, its ourselves. Its our own Constitution; its not
a British agenda.
Eighth, we must be committed to good governance not only in terms of national

institutions and agencies but to all public institutions and that is why we have to do things
at ZBC, we have to do things at Zimpapers and all these places, and where we find them
not doing things according to good governance, we are not going to accept any reasons
based on history, status and so forth. Its proficiency, performance!
And lastly, nine, we must show respect for and of the liberation struggle as a constitutional
requirement. Its in the Constitution which was voted for by Zimbabweans on the 16th of
March and which first became law, some aspects of it on the 22nd of May and all aspects of
it on the 22nd of August now binding us and this is very good stuff. We didnt have this
background, now we do and that assures me that the future of the media can only be bright
because this is now the new foundation. __________________________

7.2 QUESTIONNAIRE USED IN THE INQUIRY
IMPI
Information and Media Panel of Inquiry

TO PROMOTE AND ELEVATE THE STANDARDS OF MEDIA PRACTICE
Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services

Production Services, 57 Mazowe Street, Harare
Telephone:263-4-795521/263 (0)716801275
impi.zimbabwe@gmail.com
Polarisation, Perceptions and Interference
a) Questionnaire for Journalists and Presenters
Gender
Male Female
Age: 18- 35 36- 65 65 and above
Province . Town/City
1. What type of media organisation do you work for?
i) Mainstream newspaper ii) Radio Station
iii)Television station iv) Online media
v) Community newspapers
b)What position do you hold?..............................................................................................
2. Are the Zimbabwean media polarised?
i) Agree i ii) Disagree iii) Not sure
Explain
3. a) In your view what causes polarisation?

..........................................................................................
b) Who is responsible for the polarisation? .
4. Does your organisation take a position when covering issues?
i) Yes ii) No iii) Not Sure
5. Have you ever fallen victim of any form of interference in covering your stories?

i) Yes ii) No
Explain
.
6. Do you have regular commentators or analysts in your stories?
i) Yes ii) No
Explain if you have........
..
7. Are you affiliated to any political party?
i) Yes ii) No
8. Does your political affiliation affect your work?
9. Are you aligned to any corporate interests?
i) Yes ii) No
Explain
10. Do you have an editorial policy?
i) Yes ii) No
10. b) Does your editorial policy have any provision on polarisation and interference?
i) Yes ii) No
Explain
.
11. Which occasions do you think generate polarisation and interference?
i) Any occasion ii) Elections iii) Constitution making
iv National and international commemorations
12) What can be done to eliminate polarisation and interference in the media?
13) Any other comments / recommendations.

b) Interview Questions for Editors,TV and Radio Producers
1. What is your definition of polarisation?
2. Do you think the Zimbabwean media are polarised? Explain (details when it started)
3. Which beats / issues have rampant polarisation and interference?
4. How would you define interference in the media?
5. In your view what action would constitute interference?
6. Do owners have interference over content?
7. What is your source of funding, are you donor or investor funded?
8. Do your advertisers have any influence over your content?
9. Has your paper / station and publication taken a positional stance in the coverage of
issues? If yes, why?
10. What is your comment on the general perception that polarisation has compromised
ethical and professional journalism?
11. Do you believe you exercise freedom of expression?
12. In what way do polarisation and interference affect media as a business?
13. Does your editorial policy have provisions on polarisation and any form of interferences in
the media? Explain.
14. In your view how can polarisation be curbed?
15. How can interference be curbed?
16. Any recommendations?
c)Interview Questions for Political Parties (representatives)
1. What is your general perception on the Zimbabwean media today?

2. How would you define polarisation in the media? Any ideas on what causes the media to
be polarised?
3. Does your political party have any preference in terms of newspapers or broadcasting
stations? Which ones are these?
4. Why those ones in particular?
5. What is your working relationship with the media?
6. What is your view on the general perception that politicians interfere with the media?
7. In what way do you think polarisation and interference can be curbed?
8. Any recommendations? ____________________________________________

INFORMATION &
MEDIA PANEL OF
INQUIRY
CHAPTER 4
ETHICS AND STANDARDS OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISM
Chapter 4 and 5
Training, Training Capacity and Ethics
PANELISTS
Susan Makore, Committee Chairperson
Cris Chinaka
Geoffrey Nyarota
Farayi Chimbindi
IMPI

CONTENTS

CHAPTER 4
Editorially the information sector

faces a real values dilemma. This
1. Introduction
has gone beyond being a charge
2. Summary of Findings against journalism by those in
power. It has become a self-
3. Some Challenges for Professional
admitted shortcoming by
Standards of Journalism in Zimbabwe
practitioners of the industry.
4. Conduct and Ethics of Journalists and
Media Years of adversarial and polarised
relationships have levied a
5. Code of Conduct Developed by the horrendous toll on professional and
Voluntary Media Council of ethical standards.
Zimbabwe
The sectors values crisis has to
6. Recommendations
be addressed in a comprehensive
7. Appendix way that seeks integrity and
professionalism in the sector.....
Media Code of Ethics / Conduct
From Terms of Reference for An
Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, Official Inquiry into State of the
Zambia Information and Media Industry in
Zimbabwe
Information and Media Panel of Inquiry IMPI

1 INTRODUCTION
_________________________

Chapter 4 and 5 reflect the findings of the Thematic Committee on Training, Training
Capacity and Ethics from its inquiry process undertaken alongside six other IMPI
thematic committees from April 4, 2014. Under the Training component, the committee
examined aspects involving the enhancing of professional skills; under Capacity building,
the committee examined means, ways and facilities that enable the strengthening of such
skills; and ultimately, under Ethics, the thrust was on values, in other words, the way of
life under which these skills are put to use. This chapter presents the findings and
recommendations on Ethics and Standards of Professional Journalism, while Chapter 5
addresses Media Training and Training Capacity.

1.1 Terms of Reference
The committee was mandated to inquire into the values and standards of professional
journalism to seek ways of addressing the sectors value crisis in a comprehensive way
that could return integrity and professionalism to the sector, and further to seek ideas and
policy direction through comparative study of selected neighbouring countries in this
regard.

1.2 Methodology

The committee used both quantitative and qualitative methods to gather information on
the values and standards of professional journalism in Zimbabwe, while also drawing
examples from other countries in the region, with particular emphasis on the status of and
the need for a national Code of Ethics for journalists. Methods employed were public
outreach inquiries, desk research, stakeholder interviews and a regional study tour.

2 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
_____________________________

There is no single body of rules or standards of ethics or professional behaviour to guide
Zimbabwean journalists in the practice of their profession, although a few media
organisations have crafted their own Codes of Ethics to guide editorial operations.

It is apparent that, generally speaking, there is confusion in media circles, including at the
Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe (VMCZ), over what constitutes a journalistic
Code of Ethics, as opposed to a Code of Conduct of Employment. A Code of Ethics of
Journalism lays down the rules for the proper practice of journalism, while a Code of
Conduct regulates employment practices in and out of the media sector. What VMCZ

calls its Code of Conduct is, in fact, a Code of Journalism Ethics. By way of illustration, a
Code of Conduct will state that an employee must receive two warnings before being
suspended, for instance, while a Code of Journalism Ethics will enjoin journalists to
always report truthfully.

The closest to a national Code of Ethics is that developed by the Voluntary Media Council
of Zimbabwe (VMCZ), a self-regulatory body created by the media industry. This code is
currently under review. Most privately owned newspapers subscribe to the tenets of the
VMCZ Code of Conduct and print the VMCZ logo on their leader or op-ed page
alongside their commitment to truthful, accurate, fair and balanced news reporting.

If we do not meet these standards register your complaints with the Voluntary Media
Council of Zimbabwe, the compliant newspapers advise their readers. VMCZ staff are
kept busy attending to such complaints as registered by disgruntled members of the
public. This committee reviewed a long list of the complaints that the council has dealt
with during 2014.

Unfortunately, the largest media organisations, Zimbabwe Newspapers (Pvt) Ltd and the
national broadcaster, Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, are not members of VMCZ.
They do not officially subscribe to its Code of Conduct. Of late, the Ministry of
Information, Media and Broadcasting Services, the parent ministry of these organisations,
has made efforts to influence a change of perspective within the State media in this
regard.

Ethics are values or sets of standards, and are defined as the systematic reflection of what
is moral. In the context of journalism, this is a question about what is good and what is
right journalistically. Morality encompasses opinions, decisions and actions with which
journalists express what they think is good or right. Functioning media are founded on
ethical standards that promote informed opinions in a well structured environment.
Every society has experienced a situation in which the powerful in politics and business
find their affairs critically observed by the media, and so find themselves under public
scrutiny. However, due to corruption and abuse of power, journalistic ethics are often
thrown out through the window by editors and reporters.
According to the Constitution of Zimbabwe, freedom of the press and freedom of speech
are essential elements of a democratic society, because only the continuous struggle
between opinions and constant intellectual debate will safeguard democracy, hence the
need for ethics.

Constitution of Zimbabwe, Section 61 Freedom of expression and freedom of the media
(1) Every person has the right to freedom of expression, which includes
(a) freedom to seek, receive and communicate ideas and other information;

(b) freedom of artistic expression and scientific research and creativity; and

(c) academic freedom.
(2) Every person is entitled to freedom of the media, which freedom includes protection
of the confidentiality of journalists sources of information.
(3) Broadcasting and other electronic media of communication have freedom of

(a) are necessary to regulate the airwaves and other forms of signal distribution; and
(b) are independent of control by government or by political or commercial

interests.

(4) All State-owned media of communication must
(a) be free to determine independently the editorial content of their broadcasts or
other communications;

(b) be impartial; and
(c) afford fair opportunity for the presentation of divergent views and dissenting
opinions.

(5) Freedom of expression and freedom of the media exclude
(a) incitement to violence;
(b) advocacy of hatred or hate speech;
(c) malicious injury to a persons reputation or dignity; or
(d) malicious or unwarranted breach of a persons right to privacy.

2.1 Issues Emerging from the Public Inquiry

Generally speaking, there is a belief among Zimbabweans that standards of journalism in
their country have gone down and communities expressed this opinion repeatedly during
outreach meetings organized by IMPI. Some attributed the lack of appropriate conduct by
journalists to poor journalism training in the country. They identified a lot of
misrepresentation of stories on which locals had first-hand information. Issues were
raised around the following five categories, although the overlap is noted, and all have an
ethical dimension.
2.1.1 Ethics
v Members of the public recommended that journalists must take an oath that they
will uphold the ethics of their profession.

v Recent reports on corruption appear to have stopped, but the cases were not
resolved. The media has a tendency not to follow stories through to conclusion,
thus suggesting corruption among media practitioners as well, called brown
envelopism.


v Journalists must always be professional and ethical, as some of their deviations
from these standards are not to be expected in a country that has existed as an
independent nation for 34 years.

v Some reports, especially on the Internet do not present an accurate picture of the
situation on the ground. They are always on the attack, with no analysis of what
Zimbabweans are doing to develop their country.

v The polarisation of the media, despite being initially confined to that existing
between the State and the private media, has significantly impacted on the
accountability of the journalism profession, by evoking un-statutory actions that
defy the tenets of ethical conduct, leading to a proliferation of unreliable
information being disseminated.

v Journalists need to find a platform where they agree on common goals as
Zimbabweans.

v Newspaper headlines must not incite the public. Some newspapers are guilty of
inciting violence. Some headlines are not factual.

v Journalists must not be arrested. They should be left to perform their duties
professionally and ethically, always mindful of the need to do their job properly,
while upholding the ethical standard to report truthfully.

v There is need for an ethical body to be established that is empowered to deal
effectively with those editors and writers who lie.

v Hope was expressed that in the same way that doctors, accountants and lawyers
have ethics to guide them, media practitioners should be guided by the ethics of
their own profession.

2.1.2 Training

v Sentiments repeatedly expressed at several venues were that newspapers are
merely preoccupied with making money. Contributors said it appeared that
journalism colleges were teaching journalists to write lies just to make money.
They said they expect that journalists are educated and trained to do their job
properly. They said some newspapers behave as if they are the mouthpieces of
political parties.

v There seems to be a difference between what students are taught in journalism
school and how they execute their duties, once in the newsroom.


v Members of the public demanded that the media report objectively, and follow
through on alleged corruption cases to determine if they are true or partly true at
all, or not true, as well as what action is being taken. Factual details should be
confirmed through investigative reporting.

v It was recommended that journalism training curricula in colleges should be
standardized to include ethics.

v The editors, especially, seem to be in need of training or retraining. One editor
was accused by his readers of an obsession with sex and witchcraft. Editors are
accused of generally pursuing only those stories that they believe will sell their
newspapers.

2.1.3 Content

v The view was expressed on more than one occasion that polarisation affects
industrial development, insofar as the truth builds while lies and
misrepresentation destroy. From a different perspective it was suggested that the
media should let political parties do their own public relations job, while the
media concentrate on informing the public on matters of interest and relevance to
them professionally.

v The privately owned press was not giving the public in Zimbabwe value for their
money. Newspapers were accused of lying. Freedom of press did not mean
alarmist reporting. Most banner headlines on the front pages were crafted merely
for purposes of selling newspaper copies, and not to reflect the reality on the
ground.

v Members of the public also questioned the level of integrity when journalists are
allowed to publish such obscene photographs as are depicted in newspapers such
as H-Metro and the major question raised was what the law says about taking
photographs of people without their consent, especially when they are naked, and
publishing them.

v Newspapers such as H-Metro should focus on publishing productive stories
instead of concentrating on spying on people's private lives.

v The Daily News of the 1950s was described as a good paper that supported the
nationalist cause and the development of the country. The view was repeatedly
expressed that the current The Daily News is politically divisive, and needed to be
reformed. The radical view was expressed several times that The Daily News,
alongside H-Metro and the Voice of Americas Studio 7 should be banned.


v ZBC must ask viewers what they want to watch, while radio stations ask the
public what they want to listen to. There was a wholesale demand for community
stations, which listeners can have access to.

v People said they wanted journalism that looks at national issues without pushing
political positions. ZBC must tell the public the truth because journalism ethics are
all about telling the truth. They must not abuse the public by playing jingles that
are one-sided politically.

v ZBC is asking people to pay $50 licences when the service they are offering is not
worth that much. The public receives biased reporting. People said even $5 is too
much for the quality of service that the public is getting.

v People asked for more developmental reporting, and said they want to read news
about the economy. There is little reporting on how or why Zimbabwes industry
is dying. There is need to move away from propaganda reporting to reporting the
reality on the ground, that unemployment is on the increase because industry is
dying.

v Some members of the public spoke on the need for what they termed patriotic
reportage.

v The content of some TV programmes was not suitable for viewing by children.
There is nothing educational about some of the rather obscene scenes shown.
Others said the language used in the media must deter children from being
naughty.

v Newspapers must correctly reflect issues affecting the community without
sensationalism or exaggeration. Even with issues to do with women, there is much
sensationalising, leading to some women pursuing wrong practices, only because
the papers will have emphasised certain behavioural aspects, including those that
deviate from our cultural norms. Parents who discipline their children in a manner
consistent with cultural norms are accused by the media of child abuse.

v There is need for more positive coverage of women, especially achievers such as
business people and female politicians. Most news about women is negative. Some
newspapers expose women in situations that are denigrating or downgrading of
them.

v The view was repeatedly expressed that there is need to treat people living with
disabilities as equal members in society and not exclude them from debate in the
media.


v An IMPI meeting at Dema Business Centre in the Seke District of Mashonaland
East was told that it is common practice for news crews to solicit the views of only
three people at the centre and then present the views as representing the
sentiments of the entire population of Seke District. Yet such views were not
representative of the population, especially when community leaders were not
consulted.

v Seke District is not too far away from Harare so journalists should be able to cover
events more adequately or correctly from Harare, instead of relying on hearsay
before proceeding to misrepresent to the public. A suggestion was made that there
should be resident journalists in the area.

v Such a view was echoed in other provinces where it was proposed that media
organisations should join forces to establish information centres at district level.
Reporters representing different media organisations would operate from there,
while members of the public could access newspapers, radio, television and the
internet there.
In fact, while IMPI was in the middle of its Outreach Programme, President Robert
Mugabe officially opened one such media centre at Murombedzi Growth Point in
Mashonaland West.

v Journalists were accused of not covering all artists fairly, of being biased towards
musicians and being ignorant on the broadness of the arts sector. Not all artists are
musicians, it was pointed out, and there was need for other areas of entertainment
to be covered by the media as well.

2.1.4 Working Conditions

v There should be standards to guide and protect journalists and especially editors
so they are not vulnerable to influence or payment from powerful and rich
citizens. Journalists are not highly paid and therefore become susceptible to
bribery by influential people. Minimum standards for conditions of service should
be established through the Ministry of Information and Media Panel of Inquiry or
the Zimbabwe Media Commission.

v The view was widely expressed that perhaps poor working conditions are a cause
of polarisation in the media. Journalists need to be paid decent salaries in order to
reduce the incidence of brown envelope journalism.

v There is a need for an employment council for journalists so that they are not
lumped together with other employment councils.

v There should be a Sexual Harassment Charter to protect female journalists.

2.1.5 Media Business

v People in politics must not own media organisations because there is conflict of
interest, especially where they exercise their influence. There are business
opportunities in the media but the major problem is corruption. Once Zimbabwe
rids itself of the cancer of corruption then it will be easier to address other
problems afflicting the media.

v It was stated that because of recent media reforms there are now too many
newspapers and they are struggling to sell copies, resulting in some resorting to
political partisanship in favour of one political party or another.

v It was a publicly expressed expectation that media practitioners must be employed
on merit, not party affiliation. People said they expect leaders of media
organisations to be professionals who are qualified to do their job.

v Journalists come out of college with a good grounding in ethics but the media
houses introduce them to new unethical standards, which they accept with little
resistance because their bread is buttered by their employers.

v A view was expressed that journalists appear to be well-trained but behave as if
they are programmed, once they are employed.

2.2 Statistical Analysis From Outreach Sessions and Focus Groups

The Information and Media Panel of Inquiry (IMPI) undertook a country-wide review of
the state of the information and media industry in Zimbabwe to generate baseline
information that would inform policy interventions to improve the sector going forward.
As part of the methodology, the 10 administrative provincesof Zimbabwe provided the
population space from which respondents were sampled.
A total of 2,319.participants were sampled for the Thematic Focus Group Outreach
sessions, as shown in Table 1.

Table 1 Training Capacity Building And Ethics
Mat Mat Bulawayo Mash Mash Mash Manicaland Masvingo Midlands Harare
North South Metro East West Central Metro
Males 57 104 94 132 289 283 150 500 176 1785
Females 46 20 75 34 101 187 9 62 534
TOTALS 103 124 169 166 390 0 470 159 500 238 2319

This global statistical analysis is based on the Outreach Sessions and buttressed by an
analysis of primary data generated through questionnaires. Analysis of the questionnaires
provides a disaggregated picture to dramatise the behaviour of the variables under
investigation. This should further characterise and dramatise the feedback from the
Outreach Sessions.
Using triangulation, the feedback from the Outreach is analysed together with that from
stakeholder meetings (primary data), and buttressed by that from secondary data
(literature review) for a complete picture. This analysis straddles across qualitative and
quantitative data to provide an objectively balanced picture of the subject under review.
A total of 26 Focus Group meetings were held across the provinces (to generate primary
data on the Theme: Training, Capacity Building and Ethics in the Media, that were
attended by 2,319 participants as shown under Table 1 above. Of these participants 23%
were females (534) and 77% (1,785) were males. This distribution of participation at the
meetings reflects that gender representation is an important consideration when it comes
to the media, and one can infer that males dominate interest in this regard.
It could also be explained by the fact that there may not have been adequate publicity of
the IMPI survey and its objectives to garner much interest from females. This though,
could emphasise a gap in the media sector that females maybe undersold to the
significance of media in the socio-economic and political landscape of Zimbabwe,
implying an opportunity for strategies to actively engage females in the media sector.
Midlands, Manicaland and Masvingo Provinces accounted for 58.6% of the participants,
with each accounting for 21.6% (500), 20.2% (470), and 16.8% (390) respectively.
2.2.1 Further Review of Primary Data

Apart from the Outreach Sessions, the primary information generated from
questionnaires distributed to media personnel in Bulawayo, Harare, Manicaland,
Matebeleland South, and Midlands Provinces also provides more information on training,
capacity and ethics related issues. The analysis is focused on 151 questionnaires that were
completed for the exercise and depicted below under Figure 1.

2.2.2 Ethics
The media are a strategic tool for economic development, and as such, journalism as a
profession should uphold high degrees of professionalism to ensure objective and
balanced reportage. Thus, media professionalism and ethics/morals are related
phenomena that are key in moulding an informative media, and a building block towards
sustainable human development in Zimbabwe.

According to findings from the questionnaires, the probability of obtaining a media
student who does not adhere to media ethics is 60 percent, implying that for every 10
students who graduate, six will not adhere to media ethics in their tour of duty.


The survey dramatised the relationship between the quality of journalistic tuition
represented by rating lecturers on a scale of average capacity to excellent, and the study
reveals that regardless of how good a lecturer is, the student will not adhere to media
ethics if he or she does not have full interest in the media profession.

In other words, there is no correlation between the quality of journalistic tuition and
adherence to media ethics once the student leaves school.

It was further observed that interest alone can have a bearing on the possibility of
students upholding ethical journalist conduct, than such morality being triggered by a
lecturers effort.
Figure 1 shows the relationship between payment (bribe), lies and a lecturers way of
providing tuition.
Figure 1 Relation between Bribes, Falsehoods and Lectureship Approach
The results show that the lecturer`s personal (professional) abilities also have a bearing on
the reduction of false reporting by the students trained. Yet, regardless of the formers
effort, if the student receives an incentive (bribe) to write a story, he or she will not follow
any ethical conduct in his/her reportage, and hence will propagate lies in his or her
writing. It is therefore, quite apparent that false stories are a result of the bribes, and an
appetite for money, and not necessarily due to poor training as dramatised by the
findings of the survey.

3 SOME CHALLENGES FOR PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS
OF JOURNALISM IN ZIMBABWE
_____________________________

Information and communication play a formative role in the personal life of citizens and
their society, thus media practitioners have an ethical responsibility, in addition to legal
rights and obligations. A basic principle is that a clear distinction must be made between
news and opinion. News should be based on facts and data presented, and well-informed
sources that are reliable and identifiable. Rumours should not be confused with news.
Opinion should convey thoughts, ideas and analysis on the part of the writer. The inquiry
found that in practice, this distinction is not clear in most of the media in Zimbabwe, and
the responsibility for accurate articles that are factual is not a primary consideration.

The reasons given for this were many, but the key factor that emerged is the lack of
appropriate media training that is ethics-based. Therefore many writers in the media are
not familiar with professional ethics, standards and responsibilities. In other cases, the
distortion may be deliberate. Given the power of visual images, care should be taken to
ensure that news broadcasting is facts-based with appropriate means of verification and
presentation, and the Inquiry found extensive public disquiet about the content of the
national broadcaster, ZBC.

Headlines in newspapers and television were an issue that was raised often. News
headlines and summaries should reflect as closely as possible the substance of facts and
data presented.
Generally, the response to radio was more positive, with people expressing their opinion
that radio, both public and private, does not sensationalise as much as newspapers and
television, and so they are more inclined to believe what they hear on radio. When
pressed for reasons, the response was that because it is so easy to switch to another station
radio broadcasters have to find other non-sensational methods of attracting attention and
retaining the interest of their audiences, such as good music or sports or current affairs
discussions.
Those who have access to internet tend to place it in this category as well, having more
confidence in the information accessed than for newspapers or television. Several reasons
given for this include that they think they are accessing the information themselves, rather
than through a third party, especially for social media.
Other challenges to professional standards of journalism in Zimbabwe include the

pervasive use of unnamed and anonymous sources and analysts. Good journalism
requires that a reporter creates a network of knowledgeable, reliable and credible sources
of information. A journalist can only be as good as his or her sources of information.

The most desirable and best sources are those who can be identified by name by the
journalist. Although there could be occasional exceptions to this rule, the reporters should
not extend guarantees of anonymity to all sources in exchange for sensitive or sensational
information, because continued use of unidentified sources may suggest that the reporter
invented the source. In some cases sources may request that their identity should not
disclosed for genuine reasons. Even then the identity of such sources cannot be ethically
regarded as confidential from editors. Editors carry the responsibility of publishing
articles. Quite often their decision whether or not to publish an article depends on their
assessment of the credibility of the sources of information.
Zimbabwean newspapers have become notorious for publishing articles crafted on the
basis of information supplied by sources who refuse to be identified even when they
supply innocuous information. The credibility of a newspaper depends to a considerable
extent on how readers assess the quality of the sources of information. Credibility suffers
when reporters rely heavily on unnamed sources, who are not easily recognizable as
experts or knowledgeable on the subjects on which they speak or disclose information,
especially sensitive or controversial information. Credibility is reinforced when sources
willingly agree to be associated by name and occupation with their opinions or
pronouncements on newsworthy events.
Reliance on unnamed sources can undermine or damage the credibility of a newspaper by

over-using the following phrases:
said a senior insider said the source said a close ally
unnamed sources said the source declined to give a name
the source who asked to remain anonymous a provincial youth leader
...highly placed sources in the party [or government] said

One thread runs through this collection of allegedly reliable sources they are all
anonymous.

Political reporting is one category of journalism which ultimately contributes to
polarisation and conflict. It has potential for begetting violence on Zimbabwes political
landscape. Articles are often crammed with the opinions of journalists masquerading as
the opinions of unidentified sources. This is tantamount to gross misrepresentation, which
is unethical journalism. Speaking to Bulawayo editors at a function hosted in September,
2014, by the Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe (VMCZ), board member, Tapfuma
Machakaire, said journalists should desist from taking positions in support of individual
politicians of political parties.
The journalists should avoid becoming political players themselves, he said. We
now see articles quoting unnamed sources and I am saying to you as editors, beware
of being sold dummies by your reporters.

Another weakness of Zimbabwean newspaper journalism is over-reliance on so-called
analysts, as sources, and treatment of their analyses as factual news, especially in political
reporting. In many cases there is nothing in the body of the article that supports the
screaming headline under which stories are published.
Instead of quoting reliable sources, preferably identifiable, to develop the story

highlighted by the headline, reporters turn to the utterances of analysts, some with no
identifiable connection to or expertise in the subject under discussion. A popular but
dismaying ploy in some newspapers is to sell a banner headline as the utterance of an
official source when they may be articulating a personal view. It is only on reaching the
end of the article that disappointed readers realise that they have been sold yet another
bogus story by reporters and their editors. Sadly this realisation occurs only after readers
have sacrificed their hard-earned dollar to buy the newspaper instead of buying lunch.
An eye-catching, banner headline can have newspaper readers scrambling to buy a copy,
even though it is deliberately misleading or mischievous. The headline serves as a fine
example of the gross misrepresentation that Zimbabwean newspaper readers have
become accustomed to encounter every morning in their newspapers; headlines designed
to lure them into buying newspapers expecting to read the latest episode of a currently
very topical issue only to discover to their utter dismay that the story appearing below the
sensational headline is crafted on a totally different issue altogether. In other words,
copies of a newspaper are sold in large numbers through cunning and wilful
misrepresentation.
Misrepresentation, which is often coupled with sensational headlines has become an

unfortunate phenomenon of Zimbabwes journalism and a cause of constant frustration
among newspaper readers who have sadly become accustomed to the realization that the
stories appearing on the front pages of Zimbabwes various newspapers do not always
bear any resemblance to the sexy headlines below which they are printed.
The fact that there is a dearth of meaningful, serious, interesting or relevant news is no
excuse for journalists to cheat the public into buying media products on false pretence.
This is especially so when the perception that there is a scarcity of hard news of interest
and relevance to Zimbabweans is based on a misunderstanding of the expectations of the
public, as the IMPI Outreach Programme discovered, wherever it held meetings. It was
suggested that a pre-occupation with politics was one of the causes of the decline in
newspaper sales and radio listenership or television viewership.

The view was expressed during various meetings that journalists should veer off the
beaten track of constant coverage of the conflict between government and opposition
politicians. Reporters were repeatedly enjoined, even by rural newspaper readers and
radio listeners that they have interests outside the politics of the capital city. Such
interests encompass stories of local developments, achievements, sport, entertainment
and education, to mention some.

Citizen Journalism is an emerging issue that should be considered seriously. This has been
largely ignored despite the fact that it has overtaken mainstream media with several
consequences on the definition of the role of media. Examples include platforms on websites
enabling video feeds, voice-overs regularly updated with contributions from citizen
journalists, whose information may or may not be factual. Because there have been no
measures put in place to monitor the type of postings made on these sites, it is difficult to
control the citizen journalist as well as the thousands of viewers with access to the news
posted on the platforms.
Does citizen journalism have ethics

and professional standards?
!
While Africa is lagging behind in terms of technological advancements, the challenge of
citizen journalism lurks and will catch up, thus there is need to come up with effective ways
to manage it. This also raises a lot of ethical concerns if the media fails to control it. The
rise of citizen journalism serves as a rude awakening for journalists because if the stories are
now coming from the audiences, it should indicate an inherent problem with the present way
that news is being covered and disseminated to the audiences.
There has been a tendency by journalists to assume that they know what people want to hear
yet they hardly find out the real issues appealing to the audiences. If this is not addressed,
then citizen journalists will take over the media platform regardless of the minimal
journalistic training they may have. However, it was also observed that there may be need to
look for the opportunities arising from the technological advancements shaping news
coverage. The media should find a way of adopting the platforms in a positive manner for
development purposes. This may be a challenge for the websites as some stories may be
uploaded before the required verifications are made.
Furthermore the emergence of citizen journalism shows an equally emerging irrelevance of

journalists since everyone has taken over in expressing their opinions. If the profession is
going to withstand the challenge, then journalists must perfect their skills to distinguish
themselves from non-skilled journalists. It is the existing training gap within the media that
has allowed the citizen journalists to take over.
From the Proceedings of a Roundtable of Media Executives from East and Southern Africa on the Challenges,
Prospects, and Opportunities of Media Practice in the African Context, organised by Africa Universitys Institute
for Peace, Leadership and Governance in 2009 and attended by some 20 media executives from public and private
media in 11 countries including Zimbabwe, both print and broadcasting .
4 CONDUCT AND ETHICS OF
JOURNALISTS AND MEDIA The 1980 UNESCO publication on
____________________________ press councils reflected a general
global agreement on basic moral
Ethics and professional standards are principles of:
applicable to specific challenges faced by
Honesty and fairness;
journalists in disseminating information to the
Duty to seek the views of the
public, often captured in a Code of Ethics first subject of any critical
which contains the principles of truthfulness, reportage in advance of
accuracy, objectivity, impartiality, fairness and publication or broadcast;
public accountability. Duty to correct factual errors;
Duty not to falsify pictures or
Such a code of professional standards normally to use them in a misleading
specifically rules out discrimination on the fashion;
basis of gender, race, religion, or disability, and Duty to provide opportunity
respects the principle of innocent until proven to reply to critical opinions as
well as to critical factual
guilty. The outreach found that readers and
reportage;
audiences generally do not believe that these Respect to p rivacy;
principles are upheld by the media in Duty to distinguish between
Zimbabwe, both print and television. Again, facts, opinions and
radio fared a bit better as it was described as conjecture;
being less sensational. Duty not to discriminate or
inflame hatred on grounds as
See below for Case Studies from Tanzania and race, nationality or gender;
Duty not to use dishonest
Kenya.
means to obtain information
except in special
See end of this chapter for Codes of
circumstances;
Ethics/Conduct: General standards of decency
and taste;
Appendix 7.1 Tanzanian Media Council - Duty not to divulge
Journalists Code of Conduct confidential sources;
Duty not to prejudice the guilt
Appendix 7.2 Code of Ethics of the Media of an accused person and to
Council of Zambia publish the dismissal of
charges against or acquittal of
Appendix 7. 3 Code of Conduct for the Practice of anyone about whom the
Journalism in Kenya paper/TV/ Radio previously
reported that charges had
been filed or that a trial had
commenced.

United Republic of Tanzania Case Study
Tanzania has a vibrant media environment featuring a myriad of publications and a huge
electronic media offering. The country has a self-regulation regime led by the Media Council
of Tanzania (MCT) and keenly supported by the state. The countrys media laws however
stain this progressive self-regulation template. It is hoped that the ongoing constitutional
review process will exorcise the statutes of old colonial laws, among them the 1976
Newspaper Act which is still used to ban newspapers or suspend them from publishing,
ostensibly on security grounds.

While the media scene in the country portrays admirable plurality, there is a dichotomy in
that the multiplicity of media outlets has not necessarily resulted in diversity. Ownership
structures are still very much steeped towards political exponents some of whom have seen it
fit to use their publications as tools in the political power game.
Before 1991, there was only one daily newspaper, Daily News (and its Sunday edition,
Sunday News), which was owned by the government. There were two radio stations in Dar es
Salaam, that is Radio Tanzania Dar es Salaam (RTD) Baraza la Muziki la Taifa
(BAMAUTA), both broadcasting Tanzanian music and promoting Tanzanian musicians, in
addition to the national broadcaster, the Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation. The country had

no television station until 1994.
Now there are at least 90 radio stations and 15 TV stations which mostly broadcast in
kiSwahili. KiSwahili is also the pre-dominant language in the print media, with only three
newspapers publishing in English. The growth in the number of media outlets exposed a
skills deficit as there was only one institution which was training journalists at the time.
There have been concerted efforts to address the skilling of journalists as the number of
tertiary institutions training journalists increasing exponentially over the last 20 years.
The poor quality of graduates remains a major cause for concern for the employers. The
government together with the Media Council of Tanzania have been working on a standard
curriculum in a bid to improve skills. Generally, the media in the country are sensitive to
religious issues and have steered clear of fomenting religious conflict. The people of
Tanzania have also coalesced around a common language and values. There is still robust
debate on social issues, the economy and the succession in the ruling party.
The issue of ethics has caused acrimony between media practitioners and the authorities, who
usually dont take time to wield the axe, and justify their action by citing national security
concerns. The private media dig in and blame leadership whom they accuse of rarely
responding to questions forwarded to them to balance articles.
In trying to bring sanity to the industry, government met players in the media fraternity in
1995 to set up the Media Council of Tanzania that became fully operational in 1997. Among
its various responsibilities, the MCT has an Ethics Committee whose doctrines are premised
on the 1980 UNESCO publication of press councils that adopted a worldwide general
agreement on basic moral principles.


Media Council of Kenya Case Study
The Media Council of Kenya (MCK) is a statutory body established by the Media Council Act No. 20 of
2013 as the lead institution in the regulation of media and the conduct and discipline of journalists. The
Council started as a self-regulating body in 2004 to regulate media industry in Kenya but transited through
the Media Act 2007 and adopted a co-regulation approach to media regulation. The board members and
secretariat of the Council, while receiving government funds to support some of their activities, remain
very independent in their operations.
Media freedom and freedom of expression, and the principles of open and independent media that
promotes accountability in the governance process underlay the media regulation process at the Council.
The rights and privileges of journalists are protected while professionalism and accountability of media
workers is upheld. Training on the Code of Conduct for the Practice of Journalism is a major activity
while dispute resolution by the Complaints Commission of the Media Council ensures that the public have
the opportunity to raise complaints against the conduct and behaviour of journalists and media houses. The
Council receives modest funding from the government while at the same time it levies media houses and
individual journalists. The funds are used in running the several activities undertaken by the MCK.
Vision A professional and free media accountable to the public

Mission To safeguard media freedom, enhance professionalism and arbitrate media disputes
Core Values 1. Integrity 2. Independence 3. Professionalism 4. Transparency and Accountability
Councils Role, Mandate, Functions and Authority

The Council draws its mandate and authority from the Media Act 2013. Its functions are to:
Promote and protect the freedom and independence of the media;
Prescribe standards of journalists, media practitioners and media enterprises;
Ensure the protection of the rights and privileges of journalists in the performance of their duties;
Promote and enhance ethical and professional standards amongst journalists and media enterprises;
Advise the government or the relevant regulatory authority on matters relating to professional,
education and the training of journalists and other media practitioners;
Set standards, in consultation with the relevant training institutions, for professional education and
training of journalists;
Develop and regulate ethical and disciplinary standards for journalists, media practitioners and media
enterprises;
Accredit local journalists and foreign journalists by certifying their competence, authority or credibility
against official standards based on the quality and training of journalists in Kenya including the
maintaining of a register of journalists, media enterprises and such other related registers as it may
deem fit and issuance of such document evidencing accreditation with the Council as the Council shall
determine;
Conduct an annual review of the performance and the general public opinion of the media, and publish
the results in at least two daily newspapers of national circulation;
Through the Cabinet Secretary, table before Parliament reports on its functions;
Establish media standards and regulate and monitor compliance with the media standards;
Facilitate resolution of disputes between the government and the media and between the public and the
media and intra media;
Compile and maintain a register of accredited journalists, foreign journalists, media enterprises and
such other related registers as it may consider necessary;
Subject to any other written law, consider and approve applications for accreditation by educational
institutions that seek to offer courses in journalism; and
Perform such other functions as may be assigned to it under any other written law.

Media Council of Kenya -- Comparisons and Lessons for Zimbabwe
Media Council of Kenya Zimbabwe Media Council/VMCZ
Single regulatory body Adopt a single regulatory body by merging the Zimbabwe
Media Commission and Voluntary Media Council of
Zimbabwe.
Co-regulation model Adopt a co-regulatory model that encompasses the

principles of both self and statutory regulation as opposed
to the antagonistic approach that exists in Zimbabwe
between the media (both public and private) and the
statutory authority. A co-regulatory model will ensure that
the interests of all parties are promoted and safeguarded.
Training and safeguarding the The ZMC and VMCZ dont play a statutory role in setting
principles and professional conduct of the standards of journalism in Zimbabwe or helping to
journalism develop journalism training curricula as well as
monitoring schools that offer courses, diplomas or degrees
in journalism.
Appointment of MCK board members Political appointments for the ZMC should be abolished
by the media industry so that key media stakeholders appoint their own
representatives.
Appointment of an Independent An amalgamated ZMC and VMCZ should set up an

Complaints Commission headed by a independent complaints commission that should be able to
former judge of the High Court arbitrate all cases and complaints to do with media
infringements.
The current Kenyan president, key No high profile cases have been tried or arbitrated by
ministers and commissioners of police either the ZMC or VMCZ.
have appeared before the commission.
Defence of media freedom Verbal
Political ownership of media houses Same
Scrapped television licensing ZBC collects radio and television licence revenue while
ZMC levies media houses
Funded by the exchequer, levies Similar funding models but with no benefits accruing to
media houses and individual media houses, journalists or the profession.
journalists.

5 CODE OF CONDUCT DEVELOPED BY THE
VOLUNTARY MEDIA COUNCIL OF ZIMBABWE

The following Code of Conduct for Zimbabwe Media Practitioners has been submitted to
IMPI by the Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe. What the VMCZ calls the Code of
Conduct for Zimbabwes Media Practitioners is in fact a Code of Ethics to guide the
practice of journalism in the country.
A Code of Conduct guides the employment terms for employees of an organisation, while
the Code of Ethics is a set of standards that guide the practice of journalism, which is
what the following document seeks to do. To call the document a Code of Conduct is
therefore a misnomer. Different media organisations can have different Codes of Conduct
but one Code of Ethics should provide the standard of professional practice for all
journalists.
This document is voluntary and is not enforced, even by publications that have agreed to
it, but provides the basis for discussion of an agreed national Code of Ethics.
Code of Conduct/Ethics for Zimbabwe Media Practitioners
The purpose of this Code is to provide a set of common professional standards of conduct for
media practitioners and media institutions in Zimbabwe.
Media practitioners and media institutions should abide by these standards, and the public is
entitled to expect that they will do so. There should be a remedy for those harmed by media
conduct that violates these standards. This Code will be applied and enforced by the Media
Complaints Committee.
1. Interpretation
In this Code:
media institution means any institution in Zimbabwe, whether in the public or
private sector, that disseminates news to the public through the medium of a newspaper
and/or other written and electronic publication or through electronic broadcasting
media practitioner means a reporter, editor, radio and television programme
producer and presenter employed by a media institution or a freelance reporter or columnist
who is a stringer or writes columns for a media institution

2. Application
This Code will govern the conduct of media practitioners and media institutions that have
agreed to be bound by this Code and to submit to the disciplinary jurisdiction of the
Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe.

3. General standards
a) Media practitioners must maintain the highest professional and ethical standards. They
must carry out their functions of informing, educating and entertaining the public
professionally and responsibly.

b) Media practitioners must defend the principle of the freedom of the media to freely access,
collect and disseminate information and to publish comments and criticisms. They must
oppose censorship, suppression of news and dissemination of propaganda.

4. Accuracy and fairness
a) Media practitioners and media institutions must report and interpret the news with
scrupulous honesty and must take all reasonable steps to ensure that they disseminate
accurate information and that they depict events fairly and without distortion.
b) Media practitioners and media institutions must never publish information that they
know to be false or maliciously make unfounded allegations about others that are intended to
harm their reputations.
(c) When compiling reports media practitioners must check their facts and the editors and
publishers of newspapers and other media must take proper care not to publish inaccurate
material. Before a media institution publishes a report, the reporter and the editor must
ensure that all the steps that a reasonable, competent media practitioner would take to check
its accuracy have in fact been taken.
(d) Special care must be taken to check the accuracy of stories that may cause harm to
individuals or organisations or to the public interest. Before publishing a story of alleged
wrongdoing, all reasonable steps must be taken to ascertain the response of the alleged
wrongdoer to the allegations. Any response from that person must be published together
with the report setting out the allegations where possible.
(e) Media institutions must endeavour to provide full, fair and balanced reports of events
and must not suppress essential information pertaining to those events. They must not
distort information by exaggeration, by giving only one side of a story, by placing improper
emphasis on one aspect of a story, by reporting the facts out of the context in which they
occurred or by suppressing relevant available facts. They must avoid using misleading
headlines or billboard postings.

5. Correction of inaccuracy or distortion
(a) If a media institution discovers that it has published a report containing a significant
inaccuracy or distortion of the facts, it must publish a correction at the earliest possible
opportunity and with comparable prominence.
(b) If a media institution discovers that it has published an erroneous report that has
caused harm to the reputation of a person or institution, it must publish an apology promptly
and with due prominence.
(c) A media institution must report fairly and accurately the outcome of an action for
defamation against it.

6. Right of reply
Where a person or organisation believes that a media report contains inaccurate information
or has unfairly criticised the person or organisation, the media institution concerned must
give the person or organisation a fair opportunity to reply so as to enable that person or
organisation to correct any inaccuracies and respond to criticism.

7. Comment
a) A clear separation should be made between fact and comment or opinion.
b) A comment or expression of opinion must be a genuine and honest comment or
expression of opinion relating to established fact.

c) Comment or conjecture must not be presented in such a way as to create the
impression that it is established fact.

8. Bribes and inducements
Media practitioners and media institutions must not publish or suppress a report or omit or
alter vital facts in return for payment of money or for any other gift or reward.

9. Pressure or influence
Media practitioners and media institutions must not suppress or distort information which
the public has a right to know because of pressure or influence from their advertisers or
others who have a corporate, political or advocacy interest in the media institution
concerned.

10. Hatred or violence
a) Media practitioners and media institutions must not publish material that is intended or is
likely to engender hostility or hatred towards persons on the grounds of their race, ethnic
origin, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, physical disability, religion or political
affiliation.
b) Media institutions must take utmost care to avoid contributing to the spread of ethnic
hatred or political violence.

11. Reporting of elections
a) Media practitioners and media institutions must report on elections in a fair and balanced
manner.
b) Before reporting a damaging allegation made against a candidate or a political party, a
media practitioner should obtain, wherever possible, a comment from the candidate or party
against whom the allegation has been made especially where the allegation has been made
by an opposing candidate or an opposing political party.
c) A media practitioner or media institution must not accept any gift, reward or inducement
from a politician or candidate.
d) As far as possible, a media practitioner or media institution should report the views of
candidates and political parties directly and in their own words, rather than as they are
described by others.
e) A journalist must take care in reporting the findings of opinion polls. Any report should
wherever possible include details about the methodology used in conducting the survey and
by whom it was conducted.

12. Reporting of police investigations and criminal court cases
a) In our law a person is presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The
media must therefore refrain from publishing articles prejudging the outcome in criminal
cases or seeking to influence the outcome of the cases.
b) Media institutions are entitled to inform the public about the arrest of suspects by the
police and the trial of persons accused of crimes. They should not, however, publish the
names of suspects until the police have filed formal charges against them, unless it is in the
public interest to do so before formal criminal charges are laid.


c) Where a media institution has begun to report a criminal case, it must follow up and report
subsequent developments. For example, it is grossly unfair to report that a person has been
charged with murder and then fail to report that the person was acquitted. The report of the
subsequent developments must be given due prominence.

13. Privacy
a) It is normally wrong for a media practitioner to intrude into and to report upon a persons
private life without his or her consent.
b) Reporting on a persons private life can only be justified when it is in the public interest to
do so. This would include:
(i) detecting or exposing criminal conduct;
(ii) detecting or exposing seriously anti-social conduct;
(iii) protecting public health and safety;
(iv) preventing the public from being misled by some statement or action of that
individual, such as where a person is doing something in private which he or she is
publicly condemning.
c) Media practitioners may probe and publish details about the private moral behaviour of
a public official where this conduct has a bearing upon his/her suitability as a public official.

14. Intrusions into grief or shock
a) In cases involving personal grief or shock, enquiries should be carried out and approaches
made with sympathy and tact.
b) Media practitioners or photographers making enquiries at hospitals or similar institutions
should normally identify themselves to a responsible official and obtain permission before
entering non-public areas.

15. Interviewing or photographing children
a) Media practitioners should not interview or photograph children under the age of sixteen
in the absence of, or without the consent of, a parent or adult who is responsible for the
children.
b) In interviewing and photographing children in difficult circumstances or with disabilities,
special sensitivity and sympathy must be used.
c) Children should not be approached or photographed while at school, creche or similar
institution without the permission of the appropriate authorities.

16. Children in criminal cases
Media institutions must not publish the names of any person under sixteen arrested by the
police or tried in the criminal courts.

17. Victims of crime
Media institutions must not identify victims of sexual assaults or publish material likely to
contribute to such identification unless the victim has consented to such publication or the
law authorised them to do so.
18. Innocent relatives and friends
Media institutions should generally avoid identifying relatives or friends of persons
convicted or accused of crime unless the reference to them is necessary for the full, fair and
accurate reporting of the crime or the legal proceedings.


19. Surreptitious gathering of information
a) Media practitioners should use open methods of gathering information in which they
clearly identify themselves as media practitioners. Generally they should not obtain or seek
to obtain information or pictures through surreptitious methods such as misrepresentation,
deception, subterfuge or undercover technique.
b) Surreptitious methods of information gathering may only be used where open methods
have failed to yield information in what is public interest. These methods may thus be
employed where, for example, they will help to detect or expose criminal activity or will
bring to light information that will protect the public against serious threats to public health
or safety.

20. National Security
a) Media institutions must not prejudice the legitimate national security interests of
Zimbabwe or place at risk members of the Defence Forces who are on active military duty.
b) This provision does not prevent the media from exposing corruption in the security or
defence agencies or from commenting upon levels of expenditure on defence.

21. Plagiarism
Media practitioners must not engage in plagiarism. Plagiarism consists of making use of
another persons words, pictures or ideas without permission and without proper
acknowledgement and attribution of the source of those words, pictures or ideas.

22. Protection of Sources
a) Where a person has agreed to supply information only on condition that his or her identity
remains confidential and the media practitioner agrees to this condition, the media
practitioner must respect this undertaking and refuse to reveal the identity of the source.
b) However, the media practitioner may tell the source that his or her identity might have to
be revealed if it becomes clear in court that this information is needed to prevent or expose
serious criminal conduct.________________

INFORMATION &
MEDIA PANEL OF
6 RECOMMENDATIONS ON
INQUIRY
ETHICS AND STANDARDS OF
PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISM
6.1 A comprehensive Code of Ethics is needed for the media and should stipulate and
enforce how journalists behave. There was consensus during the outreach that there
should be a national Code of Ethics that all journalists should be bound by.
6.2 The minimum standards in ensuring balance, fairness and best practice should be
set out clearly and members of the public recommended that media workers must
take an oath that they will uphold the ethics of the profession.
6.3 Established organisations such as the Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe

(VMCZ), the Zimbabwe National Editors Forum (ZINEF), the National Union of
Journalists (ZUJ) and the Federation of African Media Women (FAMWZ) in Zimbabwe
should make strong input into the formulation of the national Code of Ethics that
should demonstrate the commitment of journalists and media stakeholders to ethics
and professionalism in the way they report issues in the public interest. Included in
this chapter is a draft from the VMCZ regarding best practices that can strengthen
the industry, and the codes from three other countries are appended.
6.4 The Code of Ethics will also address issues of corruption within the profession, as
manifested by the allegedly widespread practice of brown envelope journalism.
Journalists should be paid decent salaries as poor working conditions may
contribute to envelopism.

6.5 There should be national standards to guide and protect journalists, especially
editors, so that they are not vulnerable to influence from moneyed people,
including advertisers, business people, politicians, promoters and entertainers.
6.6 In the same way that doctors, accountants and lawyers have ethical standards to
guide them, media practitioners should be guided by the ethics of their own
profession. Ethics should be the foundation of media training.
IMPI

7 APPENDIX
_____________

7.1 Tanzanian Media Council Journalists Code of Conduct

A code of conduct adopted by the Media Council of Tanzania, a voluntary non-statutory body whose
task is to ensure the highest professional standards. The Codes are enshrined the Constitution of the
Association of Journalists and the Media Workers and Tanzania Journalists Association (TAJA).
Article 1 The Right to Truth
(a) Every journalist has a duty to tell, adhere to, adore and faithfully defend, the truth.
(b) A journalist shall make adequate inquiries, do crosschecking of facts in order to provide the
public with unbiased, accurate, balanced, comprehensive information/news.

Article 2 Professional Integrity
A journalist should not solicit, nor accept bribes or any form of inducement meant to bend or influence
professional performance.
Article 3 Non-Disclosure of Source
A journalist should not disclose sources of information given in confidence.
Article 4 Social Responsibility
A journalist shall, in collection and dissemination of information, bear in mind his/her responsibility to
the public which means to educate citizens and others on matters affecting them and their
surroundings, and consistently strive to put ahead of others, matters of public and national interest.
Article 5 Respect for Human Dignity
(a) A journalist should avoid violation of individual privacy and human dignity unless such violation is
done for a provable public interest.
(b) A journalist should guard against libel, slander and defamation in general.
(c) A journalist should respect and consistently work for attainment of human rights and fuller
freedom.

Article 6 Discrimination
A journalist should not engage in publication, directly or indirectly or by implication, of stories,

information, photos that injure, or discriminate against anybody for his/her colour, religion, origin or
sex.

Article 7 Identity and the Underdog
(a) A journalist should not open to ridicule the underdog including minors, the old, the bereaved and
any other underprivileged persons or communities.
(b) A journalist should avoid identifying victims of sexual assault unless the victim is dead and that a
journalist secure consent from a living victim.

Article 8 Facts and Comments
(a) A journalist should always draw a clear line between comment, conjecture and fact.
(b) A journalist should not plagiarise and where others material is used credit should be given to
source.

Article 9 Sensationalism
Sensationalism is mainly inherent in stories but a journalist must guard against highlighting incidents
out of context, either in headlines or in reportage/narration.
Article 10 Correction and Right of Reply
(a) Any warranted correction must be done promptly and with due prominence.
(b) Apologies should be published whenever appropriate and accorded due prominence.
(c) An individual, group, organisation who disputes a published report should be given an
opportunity to reply.

Article 11 Working Together
Journalists should work together in safeguarding this Code of Ethics which is applicable to members in
the state-owned media, private media and local freelance journalists. ________________________

7.2 Zambia Code Code of Ethics of the Media Council

Explanatory note
The purpose of distributing news and informed opinion is to serve the general welfare. Journalists
who use their professional status as representatives of the public for selfish or other unworthy
motives violate a high trust. Journalists uphold the right to speak unpopular opinions and privilege
to agree with the majority while at the same time respecting the will of the minority. A journalist
shall at all times defend the principle of the freedom of the press in relation to the collection of
information and the expression of comment and criticism. Council members therefore agree to
abide by the following ethics.


Code of ethics
1/ The public has the right to know the truth. Therefore journalists have a duty to report the
truth either as representing objective reality or representing what the source says fairly,
accurately and objectively.
2/ Newspaper headlines should be fully warranted by the contents of the articles they
accompany. Photographs and telecasts should give an accurate picture of an event and
not highlight an incident out of context.
3/ Journalists should respect the confidentiality of sources to whom they have pledged
anonymity.
4/ Only fair methods should be used to obtain news, photographs and documents except
where overriding public interest justifies the use of other means.
5/ Journalists should regard as grave professional offence, the acceptance of bribes in any
form in consideration of either dissemination or suppression of information.
6/ Journalists shall rectify promptly any harmful inaccuracies, ensure that correction and
apologies receive due prominence and afford the right of reply to persons criticised when
the issue is of sufficient importance.
7/ Journalists shall be aware of the danger of discrimination being furthered by the media,
and shall do the utmost to avoid facilitating such discrimination based on among other
things, race, sex, religious, political or other opinions of national or social origins.
8/ Secondary employment, political involvement, holding public office, and service in
community organisations should be avoided if it compromises the integrity of journalists
and their employers.
Journalists and their employers should conduct their personal lives in a manner that
protects them from conflict of interest, real or apparent. Their responsibilities to the
public are paramount.
9/ Plagiarism is dishonest and unacceptable.
10/ Journalists must respect the moral and cultural values of the Zambian society. Journalists
should respect peoples privacy unless when public interest demands otherwise.
________________

7.3 Code of Conduct for the Practice of Journalism in Kenya

Preamble
As the leading institution in the regulation of media and in the conduct and discipline of
journalists in Kenya, one of major functions of the Media Council of Kenya is to promote high
professional standards amongst journalists. Besides promoting and protecting freedom and
independence of the media, the Council also works to promote ethical standards among
journalists and in the media. The Code of Conduct for the Practice of Journalism as entrenched in
the Second Schedule of the Media Act 2013 governs the conduct and practice of all media
practitioners in the country.
Interpretation
In this code of conduct "a person subject to this Act" means a journalist, media practitioner,
foreign journalist or media enterprise.

Accuracy and fairness
1. A person subject to this Act shall write a fair, accurate and an unbiased story on matters of
public interest.
All sides of the story shall be reported, wherever possible.
2. Comments shall be sought from anyone who is mentioned in an unfavourable context and
evidence of such attempts to seek the comments shall be kept.
3. Whenever it is recognized that an inaccurate, misleading or distorted story has been
published or broadcast, it shall be corrected promptly.
4. Corrections shall present the correct information and shall not restate the error except
when clarity demands.
5. An apology that results from the determination of the Council shall be published or
broadcast whenever appropriate in such manner as the Council may specify.
6. A correction under this paragraph shall be given same prominence as that given to the
information being corrected.
7. A person subject to this Act shall not publish a story that fall short of factual accuracy and
fairness.
8. A person subject to this Act, while free to be partisan, shall distinguish clearly in their
reports between comment, conjecture and fact.
9. Headings shall reflect and justify the matter printed under them.
10. Headings containing allegations made in statements shall either identify the body or the
source making them or at least carry quotation marks.
11. A person subject to this Act shall present news fairly and impartially, placing primary value
on significance and relevance.
12. A person subject to this Act shall treat all subjects of news coverage with respect and
dignity, showing particular compassion to victims of crime or tragedy.
13. A person subject to this Act shall seek to understand the diversity of their community and
inform the public without bias or stereotype and present a diversity of expressions,
opinions, and ideas in context.
14. A person subject to this Act shall present analytical reporting based on professional
perspective, not personal bias.
Independence
1. Journalists shall defend the independence of all

journalists from those seeking influence or control over news content.
2. A person subject to this Act shall
a) Gather and report news without fear or favour, and resist undue influence from any
outside forces, including advertisers, sources, story subjects, powerful individuals and
special interest groups.
b) Resist those who would buy or politically influence news content or who would seek
to intimidate those who gather and disseminate news.
c) Determine news content solely through editorial judgement and not the result of
outside influence.
d) Resist any self-interest or peer pressure that might undermine journalistic duty and
service to the public;

e) Recognize that sponsorship of the news shall not be used in any way to determine,
restrict or manipulate content;
f) Refuse to allow the interests of ownership or management to influence news'
judgment and content inappropriately.
Integrity
1. Journalists shall present news with integrity and common decency, avoiding real or
perceived conflicts of interest, and respect the dignity and intelligence of the audience as
well as the subjects of news.
2. A person subject to this Act shall
a) identify sources whenever possible. Confidential sources shall be used only when it is
clearly in public interest to gather or convey important information or when a person
providing information might be harmed;
b) clearly label opinion and commentary;
c) use technological tools with skill and thoughtfulness, avoiding techniques that skew
facts, distort reality, or sensationalize events;
d) use surreptitious news gathering techniques including hidden cameras or
microphones, only if there is no other way of obtaining stories of significant public
importance, and if the technique is explained to the audience.
3. A person subject to this Act shall not
a) pay news sources who have vested interest in a story;

b) solicit or accept gifts, favours or compensation from those who might seek to
influence coverage;
c) engage in activities that may compromise their integrity or independence.
Accountability
A person subject to this Act shall recognize that they are accountable for their actions to the
public, the profession and themselves therefore they shall
a) Actively encourage adherence to these standards by all journalists and media

practitioners;
b) Respond to public concerns, investigate complaints and correct errors promptly;
c) Recognise that they are duty-bound to conduct themselves ethically.
Opportunity to Reply
1) A fair opportunity to reply to inaccuracies shall be given to individuals or organisations

when reasonably called for. If the request to correct inaccuracies in a story is in the form of
a letter, the editor has the discretion to publish it in full or in its abridged and edited
version, particularly when it is too long, but the remainder shall be an effective reply to the
allegations.
2) The summarized version of the reply shall not lose the core content.

Unnamed Sources
1) Unnamed sources shall not be used unless the pursuit of the truth will best be served by
not disclosing the source who, shall be known by the editor and reporter.
2) When material is used in a report from sources other than the reporter's, these sources
shall be indicated in the story.
Confidentiality
A person subject to this Act has a professional obligation to protect confidential sources of
information.
Misrepresentation
Journalists shall generally identify themselves and not obtain or seek to obtain information or
pictures through misrepresentation or subterfuge. Subterfuge can be justified only in the public
interest and only when material cannot be obtained by any other means.
Obscenity, taste and tone in reporting
1) In general, persons subject to this Act shall not publish obscene or vulgar material unless
such material contains news.
2) Publication of photographs showing mutilated bodies, bloody incidents and abhorrent
scenes shall be avoided unless the publication or broadcast of such photographs will serve
the public interest.
3) Where possible an alert shall be issued to warn viewers or readers of the information being
published.
Paying for news and articles
A person subject to this Act shall not receive any money as an incentive to publish any
information.
Covering ethnic, religious and sectarian conflict
1) News, views or comments on ethnic, religious or sectarian dispute shall be published or

broadcast after proper verification of facts and presented with due caution and restraint in
a manner which is conducive to the creation of an atmosphere congenial to national
harmony, amity and peace.
2) News reports or commentaries shall not be written or broadcast in a manner likely to
inflame the passions, aggravate the - tension or accentuate the strained relations between
the communities concerned.
3) Articles or broadcasts with the potential to exacerbate communal trouble shall be avoided.

Recording interviews and telephone conversations
1. Except in justifiable cases, A person subject to this Act shall not tape or record anyone
without the person's knowledge. An exception may be made only if the recording is
necessary to protect the journalist in a legal action or for some other compelling reason. In
this context these standards also apply to electronic media.
2. Before recording a telephone conversation for broadcast, or broadcasting a telephone
conversation live, a station shall inform any party to the call of its intention to broadcast the
conversation.
3. This, however, does not apply to conversation whose broadcast can reasonably be
presumed, for example, telephone calls to programmes where the station customarily
broadcasts calls.
Privacy
1. The public's right to know shall be weighed against the privacy rights of people in the news.
2. Journalists shall stick to the issues.
3. Intrusion and inquiries into an individual's private life without the person's consent are not
generally acceptable unless public interest is involved. Public interest shall itself be
legitimate and not merely prurient or morbid curiosity.
4. Things concerning a person's home, family, religion, tribe, health, sexuality, personal life
and private affairs are covered by the concept of privacy except where these impinge upon
the public.
Intrusion into grief and shock
1. In cases involving personal grief or shock, inquiries shall be made with sensitivity and
discretion.
2. In hospitals, journalists shall identify themselves and obtain permission from a responsible
executive before entering non-public areas of hospitals or similar institutions to pursue
enquiries
Gender non-discrimination
Women and men shall be treated equally as news subjects and news sources.
Financial journalism
1. Journalists shall not use financial information they receive in advance for their own benefit,
and shall not pass the information to others.
2. Journalists shall not write or broadcast about shares, securities and other market
instruments in whose performance they know they or their close families have a significant
financial interest, without disclosing the interest to the editor.
3. Journalists shall not buy or sell, directly or through nominees or agents, shares or securities
and other market instruments about which they intend to write in the near future.

Letters to the editor
An editor who decides to open a column on a controversial subject is not obliged to publish all the
letters received in regard to that subject. The editor may select and publish only some of them
either in their entirety or the gist thereof. However, in exercising this right, the editor shall make
an honest attempt to ensure that what is published is not one-sided but presents a fair balance
between the pros and the cons of the principal issue. The editor shall have the discretion to
decide at which point to end the debate in the event of a rejoinder upon rejoinder by two or more
parties on a controversial subject.
Protection of children
1. Children shall not be identified in cases concerning sexual offences, whether as victims,
witnesses or defendants. Except in matters of public interest, for example, cases of child
abuse or abandonment, journalists shall not normally interview or photograph children on
subjects involving their personal welfare in the absence, or without the consent, of a parent
or other adult who is responsible for the children.
2. Children shall not be approached or photographed while at school and other formal
institutions without the permission of school authorities.
3. In adhering to this principle, a journalist shall always take into account specific cases of
children in difficult circumstances.
Victims of sexual offences

The media shall not identify victims of sexual assault or publish material likely to contribute to
such identification.
Use of pictures and names
1. As a general rule, the media shall apply caution in the use of pictures and names and shall
avoid publication when there is a possibility of harming the persons concerned.
2. Manipulation of pictures in a manner that distorts reality and accuracy of news shall be
avoided.
3. Pictures of grief, disaster and those that embarrass and promote sexism shall be
discouraged.
Innocent relatives and friends
The media shall not identify relatives or friends of persons convicted or accused of crime unless
the reference to them is necessary for the full, fair and accurate reporting of the crime or legal
proceedings.
Acts of violence
1. The media shall avoid presenting acts of violence, armed robberies, banditry and terrorist
activities in a manner that glorifies such anti-social conduct.
2. Newspapers shall not allow their columns to be used for writings which tend to encourage
or glorify social evils, warlike activities, ethnic, racial or religious hostilities.

Editor's responsibilities
1. The editor shall assume the responsibility for all content, including advertisements,
published in a newspaper.
2. If responsibility is disclaimed, this shall be explicitly stated beforehand.
Advertisements
1. The editor shall not allow any advertisement which is contrary to any aspect of this Code of
Conduct.
2. The editor shall be guided by the advertiser's code of conduct issued under this Act.
Hate speech
1. Quoting persons making derogatory remarks based on ethnicity, race, creed, colour and sex
shall not be allowed.
2. Racist or negative ethnic terms shall be avoided.
3. Careful account shall be taken of the possible effect upon the ethnic or racial group
concerned, and on the population as a whole, and of the changes in public attitudes as to
what is and what is not acceptable when using such terms.
Any person aggrieved by any publication or media organisation may make a written complaint to
the Media Council of Kenya setting out the grounds for the complaint and the remedy sought. The
Media Council of Kenya is an independent national institution established by the Media Act no 46
of 2013 to give effect to Article 34(5) of the Constitution of Kenya by establishing the a body to
set Media standards and to ensure compliance with those standards and for connected purposes.
The Act establishes the Media Council of Kenya to set media standards and the Complaints
Commission to ensure compliance with those standards.
One of the Councils core functions is to facilitate mediation and or conciliation of disputes
between the Government and the media, the public and the media and intra-media. This
function is undertaken by the Complaints Commission which is an independent organ of the
Council. The Complaints Commission consists of Seven (7) members appointed through a
competitive and industry driven process provided for in section 27 of the Media Act. They include
a chairperson who has held a judicial position or is an advocate of the High Court of Kenya of not
less than 10 years standing and four other persons possessing experience and expertise in
journalism and related fields.
The services of the Commission are free and independent of the Media and Government. In
general, complaints must constitute a breach of the Code of Conduct for the Practice of
Journalism in Kenya (Second Schedule, The Media Act). The Code has 25 Articles incorporating the
dos and donts of the media including fairness and accuracy, right of reply, using unnamed
sources, misrepresentation, privacy, use of pictures and names, integrity, accountability,
obscenity and bad taste, intrusion into grief and shock, protection of children and victims of
sexual violence, acts of violence and hate speech. The decisions of the Commission have the force
of the decisions of a court of law and are only appealable to the High Court. ____________

INFORMATION &
MEDIA PANEL OF
INQUIRY
CHAPTER 5
MEDIA TRAINING AND CAPACITY BUILDING
Chapter 4 and 5
Training, Training Capacity and Ethics
PANELISTS
Susan Makore, Committee Chairperson
Cris Chinaka
Geoffrey Nyarota
Farayi Chimbindi
IMPI

By way of skills and training, the

situation on the ground is a sorry one.
CONTENTS Although training institutions have
grown numerically, and even escalated
CHAPTER 5 to levels of higher learning, the product
from these training institutions has
fallen far, far short, even when
1. Introduction benchmarked against the requirements
of old, pre-ICT revolution media
2. Summary of Findings
models.
3. Issues Emerging from the Inquiry
Training aids in these institutions belie
4. Emerging Issues Specific to Electronic rather than reflect the technological
Media revolution. The curricula followed have
not been attuned to the requirements of
5. Media Training Challenges
existing newsrooms, let alone
6. Impact of New Media on Journalism modernized ones towards which the
and Media Capacity sector should aspire.
7. Proposal for a Journalism Training There is no link between trainers and

Institution in Zimbabwe users of trained skills, indeed no
mechanism for interaction beyond ad-
8. Recommendations
hoc industrial placements which to
9. Appendix date only serve to reveal horrendous
inadequacies in current training
9.1 List of Stakeholder Interviews models. There is no relationship
9.2 Literature Review References
between the numbers of journalists
9.3 Recommendations by Two Leading
Training Institutions Harare Polytechnic, MSU spewed by training institutions and
9.4 Proposals by Independent Producers what the sector can absorb.
9.5 Proposal for National Film Board
9.6 Report on Meeting with Cooperating Clearly the information sector
Partners faces a training and skills crisis,
well before one talks about
modernizing those skills. ...From
Terms of Reference for An Official
Information and Media Panel of Inquiry IMPI Inquiry into the State of the
Zimbabwe


1 INTRODUCTION
______________________

Chapter 4 and 5 reflect the findings of the Thematic Committee on Training, Training
Capacity Building and Ethics from its inquiry process undertaken alongside six other
IMPI thematic committees from April 4, 2014. Under the Training component, the
committee examined aspects involving the enhancing of professional skills; under
Capacity Building, the committee examined means, ways and facilities that enable the
strengthening of such skills; and under Ethics, the thrust was on values, in other words,
the way of life under which these skills are put to use. Chapter 4 presented the findings
and recommendations on Ethics and Standards of Professional Journalism, while Chapter
5 addresses Media Training and Capacity Building.

1.1 Terms of Reference
The committee was mandated to inquire into general media training and training capacity
building through evaluating the arrangements for, scope and quality of
information/media training proffered in the country through a skills audit; as well as to
gauge the relevance and responsiveness of such training to the needs of the industry. The
committee was further tasked to inquire into the film industry and opportunities and
prospects for the development of a much-needed content industry in Zimbabwe, with
emphasis on investment and training.

1.2 Methodology

The Committee used both quantitative and qualitative methods to gather information on
the situation of training in Zimbabwe, while also drawing examples from other countries
in the region. The same methods were used to gather information on the important
subject of ethics, with particular emphasis on the status of and the need for a national
Code of Ethics for journalists and other media players. Methods employed were public
outreach inquiries, desk research, stakeholder interviews and a regional study tour.

1.2.1 Public Outreach
The main methods used to gather data for the study included organising a total of 88
public meetings throughout the 10 administrative provinces of Zimbabwe through a
programme of Public Outreach. General questionnaires were distributed and collected
during the exercise.

1.2.2 Stakeholder Interviews
The main focus of the study was engagement with the various journalism and media
training institutions. Interviews were also held with major media stakeholders, including
media outlets, printing and publishing companies, professional media bodies, electronic
media organisations, regulatory agencies, and civil society organisations involved in

journalism training, as well as the donor groups that fund their operations. The committee
also used the information obtained from the completed questionnaires drawn from
various categories of respondents, including the media organisations, editors, journalists,
trainees and heads of media training departments at relevant institutions. (See list of
Stakeholder Interviews at end of chapter)

1.2.3 Desk Research
A literature review was conducted around issues to do with media training and capacity
building, and ethics. Desk research was conducted to examine training and capacity
building activities in the region and beyond. An examination of syllabi of various media
training centres and media research institutions nationwide was conducted.

1.2.4 Regional Study Visits
Two panellists and a programme officer of the Committee conducted brief study tours to
Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia, seeking to learn about training, capacity building and
ethics issues in the respective countries.

_____________________________

The main findings from the inquiry into Training and Training Capacity are as follows:
5.2.1 There is a consensus in the information and media industry that the standard of
journalism and other media practices in Zimbabwe has plummeted to
unprecedented levels.

5.2.2 For training of journalists, the Harare Polytechnic School of Journalism and Media
Studies, along with other colleges, generally provide the focused practical and
hands-on training preferred by newspapers and broadcasting organisations.

5.2.3 Zimbabwean universities are concentrating on academic media studies and most
of their journalism courses are not adequately backed with practical training, an
issue cited by media houses who are hesitant to employ graduates from these
universities as journalists.

5.2.4 Editors generally treat the college graduates with disdain, saying that they are
unemployable and untrainable in an atmosphere where the editors want to send
the young cadets on assignments almost immediately. The majority of media
organisations do not have in-house training programmes of their own.


5.2.5 College graduates struggle to work effectively on entering the job market because
there is a huge gap between theory and practice, with many lacking the basic
writing and reporting skills.

5.2.6 Zimbabwean colleges produce about 1 000 media and journalism graduates
annually, with the majority coming from uncertified institutions.

5.2.7 At least a dozen colleges around the country offer media and journalism training
programmes that are not recognised or certified by the Ministry of Higher and
Tertiary Education.

5.2.8 Media and journalism departments at colleges around the country, like various
other departments, are under pressure from their authorities to increase student
enrolment to help to improve institutional sustainability through tuition fees. This
is often done without consideration to staffing capacity or impact on quality.

5.2.9 The Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) has so far not used the fees received
from the industry to support media training institutions and students.

5.2.10 There are no ready statistics on the cost of training media workers and teachers in
colleges or in the industry, and there is also no system of tracking what happens
to the thousands of media or journalism graduates from these colleges.

5.2.11 There is a general shortage of teaching material and equipment, including
broadcasting studios, cameras, books and computers.

5.2.12 There are no regular local courses for staff to help to standardise the methods and
quality of teaching in the field of media and journalism.

5.2.13 None of the universities and journalism colleges have special academic journals
for staff to publish research papers; staff and professionals interested in doing this
are publishing in journals and magazines outside Zimbabwe.

5.2.14 There are curriculum reviews going on within colleges but there is not yet one
with a widely recommended or recognised model standard that offers the right
mix of theory, practice and industrial exposure or experience.

5.2.15 Outside training is organised by some local and international media rights lobby
groups, there being no major cooperation or investment by Zimbabwean media
houses into training or capacity building.


5.2.16 Only a handful of media trainers or academics have been appointed to media
boards over the last 15 years, and similarly only about half a dozen senior editorial
or management executives have been invited to sit on advisory boards of
Zimbabwes media training institutions.

5.2.17 The major media houses are not sponsoring any scholarships or special awards in
training colleges, and only a negligible number of their senior staff are invited by
the colleges as guest trainers or speakers.

5.2.18 The national news agency and flagship, New Ziana, which was previously a
source of in-house training and experience for new journalists, is near collapse due
to failure to adapt to the emergence of online media. New Ziana survived on
government subsidy and subscriptions from local and foreign media consumers,
which also sustained the operations and survival of New Ziana in the provinces.

5.2.19 It is the same sad story with the once famous library at New Ziana where many
scholars and journalists went to undertake their research. What remains are old
desks and heaps of daily communiqus from the Government Department of
Information. This historical material can be salvaged if funds are made available to
capture it on electronic devices.

_________________________________________
This section highlights issues emerging from the various processes of inquiry undertaken
by the Committee by way of the outreach programme, stakeholder interviews, desk
research, and a regional study in which two committee members visited Tanzania and
Zambia.

The overall observation made by the committee after conducting this far-reaching
national outreach programme and engagement with stakeholders, is as follows:

u There is consensus that the standard of journalism practice in the country has
plummeted to unprecedented levels. This unwholesome situation is attributed to a
number of factors, the most widely cited being inadequate or poor journalism
training and training capacity-building in the media training institutions, many of
which are unregistered, and in universities. These factors need to be urgently
addressed.


3.1 Training Landscape

3.1.1 Colleges
Amid a widespread outcry about the sub-standard quality of journalism in Zimbabwe,
the panel interrogated officials in the training institutions, which include the primary
journalism training schools, the Harare Polytechnics Department of Mass
Communication and Journalism and the Christian College of Southern Africa (CCOSA),
as well as at tertiary institutions, which offer courses in media studies. They include
Bulawayos National University of Science and Technology (NUST) and Midlands State
University, based in the Midlands capital city, Gweru.

According to the findings of the Committee with regard to training of journalists, the
School of Journalism and Media Studies at the Harare Polytechnic College, along with
other colleges, generally provide the focused practical and hands-on training preferred by
newspapers and broadcasting organisations. Among the other colleges that offer courses
in journalism are the long-established Christian College of Southern Africa
(CCOSA),Speciss College, which specializes in advertising, marketing and public
relations; the Life Long Learning Education College; Marondera-based UMMA; Business
Environment Group of Colleges (BES); and Trust Academy. (A full list of media training
institutions is included in Volume 2 of this report.)

Unknown to the hundreds of youngsters graduating from these colleges annually,
however, the Harare Polytechnic and the little-known Life Long Learning Education
College are the only journalism training institutions officially registered by the Standards
Development and Research Unit (SDERU), which is the division of the Ministry of Higher
and Tertiary Education with responsibility for the registration of all colleges that are
certified to operate.
Government disbanded the SDERU in August 2014 after it emerged that the unit was not
in the structures of the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and
Technology. This was almost three years after it was established. It also emerged that
SDERU was not part of the civil service structure although it was funded annually by the
Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund (ZIMDEF). Its staff consisted of 12 senior
researchers, some of whom received salaries allegedly from both Government and
Zimdef.
The Herald quoted Dr Olivia Muchena, then Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education,
Science and Technology, as having announced the dissolution of the SDERU in August,
saying, "After analysis of previous briefings and documents submitted to my office, I
noticed that SDERU failed to provide a breakdown of its operational expenses. It is
common cause the Standards Development and Research Unit (SDERU) is not part of the
Civil Service Commission structure and its existence ultra vires."

It was replaced by the newly constituted Standard Development and Quality Assurance
(SDEQA).The functions of SDEQA are curriculum development and course design,
college registration and licensing, college monitoring and compliance and curriculum
development recommendation. This is for polytechnics and vocational training centres, as
well as for private institutions that offer post-secondary education training.
IMPI discovered to the surprise of panelists that CCOSA, despite its pole position and
illustrious history as a recognized journalism training school, with hundreds of
journalism graduates over the years, is in fact an unregistered training institution.
These and other colleges turn out hundreds of so-called journalism graduates annually,
each hoping to secure a reporting position at one of the countrys major publishing and
broadcasting houses Zimbabwe Newspapers, Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation,
Alpha Media Holdings, Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe, and African Business
Communication. Authorities at the Harare Polytechnic School of Journalism and Media
Studies say that they keep track of their graduates. They say their records show that only
one journalism graduate from the institution was employed by any of the mainstream
media organisations for the three years from 2011.

3.1.2 In-house
The original Daily News, which was banned in 2003, had established an in-house training
programme at the newspaper. Under the guidance of veteran journalist William
Tagwireyi Bango, now late, working journalists were offered tuition in the basics of news
reporting, feature, court and parliamentary reporting, as well as in ethics of journalism
and the laws of defamation.
Zimpapers, which ran a highly regarded cadet journalism school before and well into the
early days of independence, is currently working on plans to again establish a media
academy to train journalists. The academy was originally scheduled to recruit its first
intake to begin in August 2014. The projects concept paper says this development is a
shift from the companys previous approach where its six newspapers and one radio
station recruited trained journalists from the colleges and universities. The Zimpapers in-
house training model has been cited as a good example of media house initiatives in
training and capacity building that other media houses should emulate.
The Zimpapers concept paper states that:
Editors are dissatisfied with the calibre of journalists coming from the various
training institutions in the country. Their understanding of issues is poor and they
generally lack the requisite writing and broadcasting skills needed to operate in our
newsrooms. When they come for internship, they generally lack the basic
professional skills, which they should have acquired at college.


We must seek to produce complete journalists who understand their identity and
can effectively operate in Zimbabwe, fully conscious of the historical, cultural,
political, and economic determinants of our nation. The curriculum has also to
conform to our strategic objective of being a fully integrated media house. We seek to
train our journalists the convergence way, that means being able to operate on the
different platforms -- print, radio, television and digital.

3.1.3 UNESCO
The curriculum for the academy is informed by the UNESCO Model Curricula for
Journalism Education (2007), which is used at most journalism schools throughout the
world. According to the UNESCO Model Curricula for Journalism Education (2007:6), the
basic goal of most journalists is to serve society by informing the public, scrutinising the
way power is exercised, stimulating debate, and aiding political, economic, social and
cultural development. The UNESCO report posits:

"Journalism education should, therefore, teach students how to identify news and
recognise the story in a complex field of fact and opinion, how to conduct journalistic
research, and how to write for, illustrate, edit and produce material for various media
formats (newspapers and magazines, radio and television, and online and multimedia
operations) and for their particular audiences.

It should give them the knowledge and training to reflect on journalism ethics and best
practices in journalism, and on the role of journalism in society, the history of journalism,
media law and the political economy of media (including ownership, organisation and
competition)."

Journalism education should teach students how to identify news and
recognize the story how to conduct journalistic research how to write for
various media formats knowledge and training to reflect on journalism ethics
and best practices and the role of journalism in society UNESCO

3.1.4 Media Trainers

One problem that is likely to be encountered is the severe shortage of skilled and
experienced Zimbabwean journalists to run such programmes as trainers or resource
people in a situation where most news organisations decry the shortage of experienced
staff in their newsrooms.


One of major observations of this Committee is that if consensus is easily reached on the
nature of the decline in the quality of professional journalism in Zimbabwe, there is even
greater consensus surrounding the fact that the countrys institutions of higher learning,
the universities, are annually capping hundreds of media academics, not training
journalists. The current enrolment at Midlands State University (MSU) in the Department
of Media and Society Studies is in excess of 400 students. If graduates from the Harare
Polytechnic struggle to secure jobs as news reporters on newspapers and radio or
television stations in the mainstream media organisations, the challenge is greater for
graduates from MSU, National University of Science and Technology (NUST), and Great
Zimbabwe University (GZU).
This situation has given rise to the emergence of a new media phenomenon, the rise of
hordes of young so-called freelance journalists with no previous experience of practical
journalism in any newsroom. They seek to compete with established and experienced
reporters working especially on the newspapers, whom they meet at the same news
events, especially press conferences. Normally freelance journalists succeed on the basis
of experience and reputations achieved while working in established news organisations.
A paper titled Problems being faced by freelance journalists, which was submitted to
the committee by the Media Centre, the haven of freelance journalists in Harare, laments
the woes of this type of reporter. The poor quality of this submission is a pointer to the
reasons why editors are reluctant to accept articles submitted by freelance journalists. The
submission states:
Each year, universities and colleges are releasing graduates who are fit for
employment in the media industry; but the industry has not been opening up
employment opportunities for graduates as they prefer to employ already established
journalists; the end result is that all these graduates become freelance operating
journalists.
Freelance journalists are being affected more as they struggle to get their articles
published, get information from official sources and the worst scenario is getting paid
for their articles; (with the vast majority of the freelance journalists opting to put their
stories on the ever sprouting online sites for no payment).
Other media houses which I will not mention pay as little as $15 for an article and
other on-line sites get stories for free. Freelance journalists are now opting to have
their stories published for free as they will be trying to establish their names in the
media industry and by chance will get recognition and are offered full-time jobs.
Accusations have become widespread that media studies at some universities, which
attract hundreds of students annually, are nothing more than glorified commercial
enterprises. Media faculties have mushroomed all over Zimbabwes university landscape,
nevertheless.

3.1.5 Regulatory Bodies

Most universities offer media-related degree programmes. These are not journalism-
specific but media research-biased and related disciplines. These university programmes
are all registered by the Zimbabwe Council of Higher Education (ZIMCHE), which is the
registering authority of higher education institutions. The effectiveness of ZIMCHE and
SDERU in policing, monitoring and ensuring quality and integrity of training institutions
is, therefore, not clear.
Clearly, in the case of SDERU, there is commercialisation of training of journalists with

unregistered centres charging exorbitant tuition fees for dubious qualifications that leave
hundreds, if not thousands, of youths unemployed while holding onto worthless or
dubious journalism certificates or diplomas. In desperation, they embark on careers as
freelance journalists from which they cannot make a sustainable living. SDERU says they
believe the human resources departments of media houses indulge in corrupt hiring
practices. They also believe the setting up of a national employment council for journalists
(media practitioners) could bring about more professionalism in both the training and
hiring of reporters.
3.1.6 Donor-funded Training

Another category of training initiatives is donor supported, such as those organised by
the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ), the Zimbabwe National Editors Forum
(ZINEF), the Media Alliance of Zimbabwe (MAZ), the Media Institute of Southern Africa
(MISA) Zimbabwe, the Media Monitoring Project of Zimbabwe (MMPZ), the
Humanitarian Information Facilitation Centre (HIFIC), the Federation of African Media
Women (FAMWZ) and a number of others.
These organisations play a significant but seemingly uncoordinated role in training and
capacity building in the media. Their funding comes mostly from the Friedrich Ebert
Stiftung (FES) (Germany), HIVOS of the Netherlands, USAID (United States), Sida
(Sweden), Norad (Norway), Danida (Denmark), CIDA (Canada) and the International
Media Support (IMS), which is a clearing house for Nordic-funded programmes.
In a section of its submission to IMPI, the Media Monitoring Programme of Zimbabwe

(MMPZ) states that professional training is an essential element in developing a
community of professional journalists that plays a critical role in neutralizing the
poisonous culture of intolerance and abuse that has characterized Zimbabwes media
environment over the last decade.
While this is urgent, it must be understood that this will be a process not a
revolution in the development and promotion of professional journalistic practice.
Today there are precious few if any journalists training institutions, since nearly
all tertiary learning centres focus on media and community studies courses at
university level, producing academics rather than journalists. Only NUST is
attempting to combine journalism with its academic media studies programme.

Journalism training by donor-funded Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) is

intermittent, irregular and unfocused and is of precious little value without the
development of a proper journalism practice curriculum, a thorough mapping of
needs and the collaboration of media institutions themselves. Structured courses need
to be developed and consistently implemented with regular follow-ups and measures
that ensure implementation and adherence.
One drawback of donor-funded journalism training initiatives, usually in the form of

workshops, is that they have tended to be weakened by challenges such as the following:
Training programmes have been selective in terms of beneficiaries. Traditionally,

the so-called independent or privately owned media outlets have been the target
of training programmes, even if their circulation is low, with their newspapers
reaching only a small section of the community, while public media outlets such
as The Herald, which have a much larger circulation, and therefore employ much
larger numbers of journalists, are side-lined.

In some cases trainers or resource people are invited from the donor nations at the
expense of more qualified and experienced local experts, who may be better
informed on the subjects being covered and media conditions in Zimbabwe.

Programmes for which resource people are flown from the donor countries tend to
be more expensive when airfares and accommodation costs are factored in.
Remuneration and daily subsistence allowances are higher for foreign resource
people than for locals.

Such workshops tend to be ad hoc initiatives, sometimes without continuity or a
well-identified curriculum. The design or development of the curriculum is
usually left to the individual trainer or workshop manager.

While all media stakeholders engaged by this Committee were specifically requested to
highlight their journalism training initiatives in their submissions there was hardly any
reference to training in the papers submitted by HIFC and FAMWZ. Both organisations
purport to be in the forefront of training and mentoring journalists in Zimbabwe.
In a section appearing under the headline, HIFC Activities, HIFC lists Mentoring in
general features and investigative reporting and Media training as two of its key
activities. Conspicuously absent from the submission is some comprehensive outline of
how HIFC handles the complex subject of investigative journalism training. The same was
the case with the FAMWZ submission. (Note that full submissions are available in Volume 2 of
this report)

3.1.7 General Situation

In summation, editors blamed training institutions for producing half-baked journalists
and media workers who cannot operate in the newsroom without re-training. Newsroom
mentoring has been depleted by the migration of more experienced journalists.
Journalism trainers, on the other hand, say the newsrooms are responsible for undoing all
the good training they will have imparted to new reporters. The trainers also blame the
decline in the standard of Zimbabwes primary and secondary school education for the
poor command of English, in particular, and poor general knowledge among newly
trained reporters. The trainees themselves generally do not specifically blame their
trainers. Instead, they blame lack of appropriate equipment, poorly stocked libraries, and
the inappropriately structured curricula in journalism training institutions.
Training aids in these institutions, especially for broadcasting, belie, rather than reflect,
the technological revolution. The curricula followed, especially for journalism training,
have not been attuned to the requirements of existing newsrooms, let alone modernized
ones towards which the sector should aspire. There is no link between trainers and users
of trained skills, indeed no mechanism for interaction beyond ad hoc industrial
internships, which reveal the horrendous inadequacies in current training models.

Training provided by or under the sponsorship of civil society groups, mainly in the form
of short workshops, is viewed as seasonal, such as just ahead of elections, constitutional
referenda and other uncoordinated events. Such training workshops are often regarded
merely as a source of extra income in the form of per diems to augment the low salaries
earned by reporters.
The general situation on the ground in terms of journalistic skills and training is a sad
one. Although training institutions have grown numerically and even escalated in status
in recent years to levels of higher learning, the quality of the product -- that is, the
journalist -- from these training institutions has fallen far short of industry requirements
and national or public expectation. It is a maxim that the decline in the quality of
journalism in Zimbabwe is in inverse proportion to the increase in the quantity of
journalism training.
It is indisputable evidence of this further decline in the quality of journalism, for example,
that vast tracts of vernacular Shona text have become a common occurrence in
Zimbabwes English newspapers, especially when quoting verbatim pronouncements
made by President Robert Mugabe, with little or no effort to translate such text into the
official language of the publications, English. The task is left to the readers to translate for
themselves. Such frustrated readers include Zimbabweans whose sole medium of
communication is Ndebele or English. A vast number of citizens are therefore denied
their right of immediate access to some information published in newspapers which they
make sacrifices to purchase for the sole purpose of unhindered access to the information
contained therein.

There is no relationship between the numbers of journalists churned out annually by
training institutions and what the media industry can absorb. There is little coordination
among the training institutions, and only two are registered with SDERU in the Ministry
of Higher and Tertiary Education, as noted previously -- the School of Mass Media and
Journalism at the Harare Polytechnic College and the Long Life Education College, also in
Harare.
It is clear that the media sector faces a basic training and skills crisis, well before one
talks about modernising those skills.
In a section of its submission to the Committee, under the heading Multiple Media
Training Regimes and Programmes, the Zimbabwe National Editors Forum (ZINEF)
states that the proliferation of higher education institutions that offer journalism as a
diploma or a degree course has been a positive development for Zimbabwes media
industry.

The primary problem has become that the multiplicity of media training institutions
do not share a common curriculum or standard as to the measurement of the nature of
training required to produce a fully-fledged professional journalist. As a result there
has been the challenge of multiple entry-level requirements into the profession of
journalism, ranging from diplomas to degrees.

Structured courses need to be developed and consistently implemented with regular

follow-ups and measures that ensure implementation and adherence. MMPZ

UMMA Institute Case Study
Panelists from IMPI made a case study of UMMA, a journalism training programme that is not
officially registered. They interviewed the institutions principal and director of studies and undertook a
guided tour of the establishment.
Based in Marondera in Mashonaland East, UMMA offers a 12-month diploma in print and
broadcast journalism. The institute opened in 1995 and authorities say it has trained students from as far
afield as Zambia, Uganda, Kenya, Namibia, Swaziland and Botswana over the years, in addition to
Zimbabweans.
Entry requirements are five O level passes including English, Mathematics, History, Geography
and any other subject. Trainees with A level passes in subjects such as accounts, business and
commerce become specialist reporters in those areas upon graduation.
The principal said the annual intake is 20 students. UMMA has only one instructor who is
occasionally assisted by external resource persons (a locally-based ZBC reporter, the editor of the
weekly community newspaper Chaminuka News) and the principal himself. The instructor covers
newspaper reporting, sub-editing and freelance writing.
The Institute strives to achieve equal enrolment for female and male trainees. In 2013 it enrolled 10
male and 6 female students. Current enrolment reached gender parity at 10 males and 10 females, he
said.
The institute says it is affiliated to the UK-based Institute of Commercial Management (ICM), a
professional body for commercial and business development staff working in key sectors of industry.
UMMA says its training module is comprehensively print and broadcast journalism specific, and
includes: Broadcast journalism; Newspaper reporting; Sub-editing; Freelance and feature writing;
Media law and ethics; Advertising; Public relations; and Marketing.
UMMAs tuition fee for the journalism course is pegged at US$ 895 per term.
Before graduating, all the trainees are posted on industrial attachments. None of the graduates from
the institute are unemployed, according to the UMMA head.
He attributed this success to the institutes strong bias towards practical training throughout the
course and what he described as strong links with the market.
Observations by the Committee

A major concern was that 12 months is too short a period to produce competent journalists, and
the staff component of only one full-time lecturer is inadequate. Tuition fees seem excessive,
especially in the prevailing economic environment.
A follow-up with some of the colleges alumni was deemed to be necessary to verify some of
the claims, especially with regard to the employment prospects. It was also deemed necessary to
confirm the institutes affiliation to the UK-based Institute of Commercial Management. It
subsequently transpired that UMMAs journalism training programme is not registered with
government authorities in Zimbabwe, which undermines the value of its certificates.
Practical aspects of the training are deficient, with no studio or broadcasting facility and no
newspaper delivered to campus, obviously in a bid to cut down on costs.
Generally speaking, the diploma courses offered at different colleges, such as UMMA, cater for
vocational needs of journalists and are generally more theoretical than practical.
Teaching at most institutions does not seem adequate, and journalists entering the newsroom for
the first time have to undergo further on-the-job training to learn to write properly.
There is need to develop curricula based on the needs of the industry, incorporating digital
multimedia skills development, as well as basics such as attention to grammar and note-taking.
There is need to establish linkages with centres of journalism excellence in the region and
beyond, and between training institutions and end-users of their product.


3.2 Studies on Training and Professional Capacity Building

The findings of the Committee confirmed the findings by previous studies that there is no
clear national policy framework on media and journalism training in Zimbabwe, and
there is not a functional official platform for training institutions, media organisations and
the media industry to discuss training programmes. While there is a proliferation of
training programmes, an audit through the national newsrooms reveals a general lack of
satisfaction with the quality of media studies graduates from most of the institutions.

The most thorough of the earlier reports on the status of the media was the Zimbabwe
Media Study on Training and Professional Capacity Building compiled by Cris Chinaka
in 2011. Chinaka is the Zimbabwe correspondent for the international news agency,
Reuters, and an IMPI panellist. His report found that stakeholders in the media sector in
Zimbabwe agree that although Zimbabwean journalists go into the field with some
training, their level of reporting is low to average.

Chinakas report presented the findings of an assessment of media training needs in
Zimbabwe, both short- and long-term, and was supported by the Deutsche Welle
Akademie in Germany. The broad objective was to strengthen media training
programmes in the country so that journalism can play its traditional supportive role in
the development of a democratic society and to highlight issues that stakeholders see as
critical to raising the standard of journalism in the country.

The stakeholders see further training as crucial to raising the standard of journalism,
which they say has been affected by politics, political polarisation and lack of adherence
to the dictates of the profession, the report stated. The level of journalism is also blamed
on low capacity of journalism training in the country. The stakeholders say training
should emphasise fair, balanced and ethical reporting, in view of the African Media
Barometer studies (Zimbabwe 2010) indicating that the standard of reporting does not
respect the principles of accuracy and fairness in a range of areas, including politics,
business and gender.

The Committee established that these concerns expressed in 2011 over the quality of
journalism training and practice were still very valid in Zimbabwe in 2014, with the
situation having, in fact, further deteriorated. The general consensus aligns with the
results of a Survey on Zimbabwe Media Training undertaken by Chinaka (Feb 2011/May
2013) that called for prudent and effective use of available resources through a series of
measures, such as:
o tightening entry qualifications for students in colleges,
o wide use of experienced workers in the industry,
o investing in technology and training equipment, and
o responding and tailoring media and journalism training to the needs of the
country.

An analysis of media training offered by vocational institutions, including universities
and colleges, as well as training supported by various organisations, reveals some huge
gaps in content and design, technical, financial and skills capacity, co-ordination and co-
operation. There is hardly any institution offering graduate and post-graduate
programmes in practical journalism as most of the universities focus more on media and
society studies.

While some local and international media interest and civil society groups have stepped
into the training arena by offering needs-based short-term courses in various fields, it is
clear that these efforts cannot be a substitute for a properly organised national media and
journalism training policy and framework.

The Committee established that there is a strong need for Zimbabwe to greatly improve
basic journalism training, and the need to develop national capacity to offer such training,
including setting up new structures, while reforming and strengthening some existing
institutions and systems.

The Committee also suggests some short-term interventions to help to improve current
programmes. The government and the media industry should jointly invest in the
establishment of an independent journalism training institute to address the lack of a
systematic and professional mid-career training of journalists.

Although there is high unemployment among media and journalism graduates, which
could be reflective of the high unemployment rate in the formal sector of the economy,
media training must adopt a long-term view. The media and information sector is
expected to expand significantly in the next two to three years with new radio and
television stations, newspapers and other media platforms absorbing graduates from this
sector.

Media students and their trainers, and working journalists believe Zimbabwes media
would be a lot more competitive if these identified gaps are addressed.

3.3 Highlights of Training Experiences by Individual Media House
The Zimbabwe Newspapers group has set aside a budget to kick-start a year-long
cadetship programme and has recruited 10 university graduates from various
disciplines. Training editor William Chikoto said the group was working on
modules for this programme and would also be running in-house training for
existing staff. He said they would draw trainers from both industry and training
colleges.

Alpha Media Holdings (AMH) group editor-in-chief, Vincent Kahiya, said while
the group had benefited from training sponsored by local and international media
organisations, its focus is now on developing capacity for convergence journalism.
The programme had already started by merging the newsrooms of its weekly and
daily newspapers, and getting a technical expert to help with the convergence.
Kahiya said training institutions have to be strengthened to produce graduates
who can hit the ground running, saying the costs of further training are burdening
the struggling media houses.
ANZ editor-in-chief Stanley Gama said journalists at his stable had some form of
in-house training, and had spent time and financial resources on graduates who
should have been ready to work upon engagement. He emphasised the need for
industry and colleges to work closely together to produce graduates who are
attuned to the needs of the workplace.
Financial Gazette editor-in-chief Hama Saburi says the industry is spending quite a
lot of time working on university graduates and there is a compelling case for
media houses and the training institutions to get some understanding of the ideal
programmes and products.That is going to be the most constructive approach in
the short-term, and these discussions are already going on.

Is there an African way of
Who is what is a journalist? practicing journalism?
! !
Statutory regulation or self

regulation?
Does the media have a role in conflict

resolution and nation building?
!
The Institute of Peace, Leadership and Governance at Africa University organised a
Roundtable of media executives from eastern and southern Africa to reflect on the
challenges, prospects, opportunities and linkages for Media, Peace and Development in
Africa. This took place at Africa University campus near Mutare, Zimbabwe in November
2009, and was attended by some 20 media executives from public and private media in 11
countries, both print and broadcasting, with facilitation support from the Southern African
Research and Documentation Centre (SARDC). ...
A summation of the presentations and discussions drew out the four topics above for deeper
examination, resulting in some observations as follows:
o The problem of defining a journalist can be traced to how journalism started in

Africa. People started practising journalism without any formal training and rose up
the ranks to senior positions. The old guard were not keen on enforcing the need
to acquire basic qualifications such as certificates, diplomas and degrees in
journalism. With technology and media integration, the challenge that remains is to
define who we are by professional standards just as lawyers and doctors do, more so
with the emergence of citizen journalists. This has led to the blurring of audiences
so that presently a thin line separates the two, thus it is up to the journalists to
remain relevant by competently reporting the news and adhering to standards.
o When training to be a journalist, there should be basic requirements. Once trained, a

journalist ought to be registered and abide by the principles put in place such as
objectivity, accuracy, integrity, balance and a firm ethical grounding to avoid
instances of envelopism.
o The ideal situation is to have self-regulation but with components of statutory

regulation to allow for enforcement. Some publications may choose not to respect
the ruling of self-regulatory bodies but they cannot evade the rule of law.
o Both public and private media should be part of the nation-building process.
______________________________________

4 EMERGING ISSUES SPECIFIC TO THE ELECTRONIC MEDIA

_________________________________________

4.1 Situation of Electronic Media
The ever-changing media landscape, coupled with the economic challenges in Zimbabwe,
has seen print media circulation going down due to a depressed market as people opt for
easier and cheaper access to information through the electronic media that comprise
radio, television and online platforms.
However, from the information gathered by the Committee during the outreach exercise
and interactions with various stakeholders, the machinery of these platforms needs to be
oiled, as the products and services are below expectations. Zimbabwe was one of the
pioneers of radio and television establishments in East and Central Africa, yet countries
that set up electronic media platforms long after Zimbabwe are now way ahead by way of
information dissemination and media plurality. Some examples are Tanzania, which now
has at least 40 radio and 15 television stations, and Zambia with more than 75 radio and
three TV stations.
Zimbabwe still has two television channels, one of which barely covers a 50-kilometre
radius of Harare, and seven radio stations, including a nearly invisible Voice of
Zimbabwe shortwave radio station. One of the key factors that have caused slow progress
in electronic media development is an apparent lack of capacity to produce marketable
products. Thus the country is now inundated with foreign broadcasts, some produced by
expatriate Zimbabwean expertise that is abundant throughout the region and beyond.
This part of the report highlights views raised pertaining to capacity building of the
electronic media, and further explores the Tanzanian experience.
4.2 Capacity Building of the Electronic Media
With regard to the electronic media, which comprises radio, television and online
platforms, the outreach interviews with pertinent stakeholders brought the following to
the fore.
4.2.1 Transmission
The outreach showed that Zimbabweans are hungry for information, with the situation
compounded by the failure of the national broadcaster, the Zimbabwe Broadcasting
Corporation (ZBC), to reach anywhere near 50 percent of the country due to a lack of or
malfunctioning of transmitters. The signal carrier, Transmedia, cited financial constraints
and ZBCs failure to pay for services as reasons for the shambolic state of transmitters.
Transmedia also acknowledged managerial blunders and poor planning when a
government grant was used to purchase wrong equipment to capacitate the airwaves.

That, primarily, is why Zimbabweans, who fail to access local broadcasts in most parts of
the country, depend on foreign services.
Lack of a harmonious relationship between ZBC and Transmedia has also cost viewers
and listeners the access to valuable news and information. When the signal carrier was
under ZBC as a department, it used to have a rapid response unit to repair and resuscitate
malfunctioning transmitters. One of the transmitters found to be non-functional is the
Mutorashanga signal carrier which has deprived information to a wide area of
Mashonaland West and some parts of Mashonaland Central provinces.
In Matabeleland North the public blamed the lack of access to radio and television on the
alleged transfer of the Kamativi Tin Mine transmitter elsewhere.
The above challenges have resulted in cries for other sources of information, hence the call
for community radio and television stations to bridge gaps created by the national
broadcaster.
4.2.2 Programme Quality
People interviewed also complained about the poor quality of programmes from ZBC TV,
a problem which they attributed to under-qualified or inexperienced staff using outdated
or old equipment. However, some of the staff interviewed blamed the lack of modern
equipment and wrong priorities on the part of their management, hence the deteriorating
standards at the state broadcaster. They gave as an example the fact that the more than
US$100,000 used to buy a luxury Toyota Land Cruiser vehicle for management could
have been used to refurbish a studio and buy several cameras, previewing facilities and
editing machines.
They said there is a sad and disappointing situation whereby producers and previewers
scramble for one or two machines to view and shortlist footage while those in the
commissioning department scramble for the same equipment to preview programmes
from independent producers.
News video clips from provinces are usually broadcast many days after the event because
ZBC relies on public transport to carry footage when it could invest in the use of Satellite
News Gathering (SNG) or Fibre-Optic which is automatic and now available in most
towns and cities.
While it is standard procedure for newscasters to garble the news before transmission, it
appears all radio stations, including the two privately owned ones, do not take that
seriously, hence the occasional mispronunciations and gaffes from the presenters.
Reintroduction of these Standard Operation Procedures (SOPs) can help to improve
programme quality at the stations.

4.2.3 Archives
ZBC is sitting on thousands of hours of visual footage in film, Umatic, Betacam and VHS
format that cannot be accessed due to lack of equipment to transfer the material, hence
compromising in content and programme quality. If this valuable historical footage,
dating back to the 1960s, is transformed to digital material, ZBC could enhance both
programme quality and income, especially for documentaries. Because of ignorance of
documentation, a large chunk of archival material was burnt as garbage a few years ago,
thereby destroying the historic recordings.

4.3 Submissions from Independent Producers and Production Houses
Independent producers and production houses in Zimbabwe represent a section of the
media industry that is slowly fading with most production houses closing down due to
lack of jobs. This sector comprises artists, audio/visual producers, directors, editors,
graphic artists, audio operators, camera persons, and light and technical engineers. (See
submission by Independent Producers in Appendix to this Chapter)

Their products include films, documentaries, audio/visual dramas, comedies, sitcoms,
advertisements, corporate videos and audios, photography, and graphic materials such as
banners and brochures, etc. Since the bulk of the jobs are marketing and public relations
oriented, the products are usually taken by the corporate world to enhance their
businesses. However, with the current economic downturn most companies have cut
down on costs and the first target is usually advertising, thereby affecting the media
production sector.
To come out of the wilderness, the producers developed several proposals to enable the
industry to remain afloat and competitive nationally and regionally. For film producers,
the action plan envisaged the formation of a National Film Board (NAFIB) as a driving
force to rejuvenate and capacitate the film industry.
The Zimbabwe Film Industry Development Committee prepared a detailed Film Policy
Proposal which they re-submitted to the Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting
Services on October 25, 2013, on behalf of Zimbabwean filmmakers. The proposal
identifies the need for a National Film Board (NAFIB) and presents a detailed structure
and formal operational mechanism for a body intended to to make further and better
provision for the development of a dynamic, professional and self-sustaining Zimbabwe
film-making industry that is globally competitive. This would be established under the
laws of Zimbabwe, and enacted by the President and Parliament of Zimbabwe.
The objectives of the National Film Board are presented as:

o meaningful State support for the professional development of the film sector,
o enhancing the operational capacity of Zimbabwean-owned film production,

o promoting the training of Zimbabwean crew in all departments and levels to first
class standards, promoting and protecting the patronage of Zimbabwean films by
Zimbabwean audiences and viewers, and,
o spearheading the marketing and distribution of Zimbabwean film products
nationally, regionally and internationally.

The proposal presents the structure of governance by a Board, including among its
powers and duties the establishment of a well-endowed and sustainable film fund which
can ensure the competitiveness of the local film industry by soliciting for funds from
government, institutions and organisations, and from film industry stakeholders in
Zimbabwe and from abroad, but always mindful of the sanctity of national objectives of
the film sector in Zimbabwe.

(See full NAFIB proposal appended to this chapter.)
Training Colleges as Capacity Builders for Media

Our research indicated that lecturers at colleges have requisite qualifications but
lack practical experience to produce good artists, writers, producers or broadcasters.
As a result, they often fail to critique the works submitted by students.

The colleges should equip their studios with modern tools so that their students do
not struggle to fit into the market.

It is important to make follow-ups on students on attachment to check progress and
due to prevalent reports of students being harassed or used as messengers, thus
often returning to college without having benefitted from their attachment.


Media Training in TANZANIA Case Study

The sudden opening up of media space resulted in the scramble for experienced and professional
practitioners, who were outnumbered by the stations. This caused a deterioration in standards and
quality as institutions used unqualified personnel to produce news and programmes. The only two
universities then failed to adequately supply much-needed personnel. However, the situation has since
improved with the establishment of seven colleges, with some now offering degrees in media studies,
two of them at Masters level.
One notable challenge is the effect of the poor performance of the economy that has forced
businesses to cut costs.
The worst-affected industry is the electronic media where officials admitted that good quality
programming is compromised by the employment of people with diplomas or unqualified personnel to
whom they offer less remuneration than graduates. We witnessed this scenario at Radio Maria, a
Catholic radio station based in Dar es Salaam but also operating in 17 regions. To cut costs, they
employ very few qualified persons and use volunteers who receive on-the-job training.
Radio Maria also demonstrated how easy it is to set up a community radio station using very
simple basic tools as well as linking up with other media players to reach a wider audience.
According to the Director of Information, Assah Mwambene, government is working on a bill
to fund and support the media industry as a way to capacitate the industry. He said the Universal
Access Fund also assists in training staff in the in the electronic media.
Government assists the national broadcaster, the Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC)
through a grant to complement their income generation through commercials. TBC does not
collect licence fees as is done in Zimbabwe.
The other media are also assisted in capacity building by Non-Governmental Organisations
(NGOs) through Media Council of Tanzania (MCT) initiatives.
The Tanzania Revenue Authority has introduced a stamp as patent to protect artists whose
works have been pirated.
Moving with the times, the once popular daily newspaper, Mwanahalisi, has gone online and is
slowly regaining its popularity and getting advertisements.
The five mobile phone companies operating in Tanzania also enhance wider reach of the media
through their online carriage capacity.
Through funding from government, TBC television covers all parliamentary sessions, thereby
enabling Tanzanians to know the performance of their legislators.
The Government of Tanzania initially wanted to go it alone in building national infrastructure
for digitisation to meet its 2015 deadline. The State broadcaster, TBC, then went into
partnership with a Chinese company, a move resisted by the private sector who also wanted to
be involved. They worked out a compromise that resulted in a three-pronged approach in which
the government, private corporate media and religious-based media organisations each went into
partnerships with their technical partners to speed up the process.
According to the Director of Information, government has moved faster than the other two but
jointly the three companies have been able to cover 70 percent of the country.
Sources of Information --The Media Council of Tanzania, Mwanahalisi newspaper (still banned
but now operating online), Embassy of Zimbabwe in Tanzania, Director of Information in Tanzania,
literature gathered during the visit, and Vox Pops.

5 MEDIA TRAINING CHALLENGES

__________________________
5.1 Benchmarking Professionalism
One of the ways to critique copy/script in the media is by way of examining them against
a checklist of values used to judge entries to the national annual journalism awards. This
writing combines value judgments used by adjudicators to the National Journalistic Merit
Awards (NJAMA 2014) organised by the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ), and to the
annual Excellence in Journalism Awards (EJAT) organized the Media Council of
Tanzania. In the case of Tanzania, the findings are published in Scribes January-June 2014
issues, which is a journal of the Media Council of Tanzania.
The value judgments reflect on the training needs or interventions that may address some
of the professional deficiencies similarly faced in both countries.
The values reflect two important perspectives that are contemporary: journalism skills
and societal impact, that is to say how the packaging has followed all known and
acceptable procedures and norms, and how the story relates to the concerns of the
targeted people.
In the print media, benchmarks used when judging entries are readability, clarity and
style, a storytelling technique that makes readers see and feel the story, the facts are
accurate and show clearly the what, who, when, where, how and why. A well-written
story is that which is easy to follow, clear and convincing. Other elements include
sourcing the information and that the writer demonstrates imagination.
The broadcast media radio and television -- have extra benchmarks such as clarity of
presentation, style, voice, narrative technique, programme structure, engagement and
emotional impact.
Scrutiny of the cardinal principles of journalism is a major benchmark applied to all

media platforms: accuracy, balance, fair play and objectivity. The judges wanted to see the
relevance and public impact or benefit of the story. They also looked at originality of the
idea including execution and subject being appealing, diversity of voices, including
prominence of the voiceless, such as women, children, the aged and those impaired in any
manner.
A well-written story would also give the judges the context, thus giving the story
meaning and making readers relate it to their lives and surroundings. The why and
how were therefore important to be explained in a contested story.
The final attribute the judges looked for was revelation: making known something new,
hidden intentionally or just made known because it is important to the lives of the people
whether negatively or positively but now revealed by an investigative journalist.

5.2 Print Media
Some of the observations, shared in common by both Tanzanian and Zimbabwean judges,
regarding the scrutinised print media entries, mentioned above, are as follows:
Headlines. Some went out of the way completely as if they were based on a different
story. You go through a story and you ask -- Where is the headline coming from? The
rule is that the headline must originate from the material story. Why this should
happen at all needs to be discussed by editors. The practice debases the profession in
society as some officials in government and the public are always castigating
headlines. Imagine coming face to face with a live example of such headlines in a
news story the sender regards as the most professionally rendered and deserving to
be rewarded as the best practice of journalism!
Good sources create credibility and authenticity, thus enhancing the element of truth,
which is a cardinal principle. However some stories submitted for the awards were
sourced from irrelevant sources, and were biased as a result. Shying away from
identifying the real persons responsible under the guise of not available or did not
answer the phone is a lame excuse. Using shortcuts and not knowing the real source
of certain information is professional weakness. The discipline and tact of getting the
right source is an important component in the make-up of a journalist.
Surprisingly, juveniles and victims of sexual assaults were identified in some stories.
Here were entries purporting to be the best practice in journalism but causing pain
and misery to children and their parents.
Journalism deals with events and information of the day or related to today. Facts
that were true yesterday could be false today, and they could be erroneous in one
context, while true in another. Some entries had this anomaly, using outdated data.
For example, one entry used 2002 census data instead of the 2012 population count.
This does not reflect well on the awareness of the reporter. This is a result of not
using relevant sources, and shows lazy reporting.
One important function of journalistic reports is to assist the public to understand

why things are what they are. Information only makes sense when it is given context.
The past is invaluable knowledge source for present context and future analysis.
Some stories had by-lines that said by our reporters, meaning it was a joint effort
and no one could claim exclusive credit. Yet stories produced jointly were submitted
by individuals as a solo effort. These were disqualified for the obvious reason that the
entry was dishonest.
A lot of feature stories start with a fictional character something similar to what the
story purports to describe later on, and they justify this fiction by the excuse ...is not
her/his real name It is not proper to hide a characters name, but the reason must
be stated and justified, and the rest of the story remains factual.

Stories about children were the most problematic, at times lacking attribution, being
attributed to a single source or overwhelmingly focusing on evil, violence and abuses
rather than development of children.
5.3 Broadcast Media
In the electronic media platform matters were a little better with the quality of radio
programmes submitted for the contest being fairly good, in the Tanzanian case. The panel
of judges noted the following strengths applicable to radio and television entries:
Programme introductions of the winning entries and some others were well
articulated and catchy, giving a summary of what is covered. Anything to the
contrary invited a negative reception from the judges and was likely to be
discarded.
Ability to attract the interest of the viewer or listener by promptly bringing in the
multi-voices that were about to comment on the subject of the programme.

On the other hand, some weaknesses were discerned that ran throughout the radio and
television entries in varying degrees.
Listeners and viewers would be bombarded with information without revealing

the subject matter first, which is a clear indication that the programme has not
been planned and as a result information cannot be controlled.
Some television programmes had poor visuals that could not feature or bring out
the desired message.
Some narrators became authorities on their subjects, resulting in long narrations
that are not of interest to audiences, thus making the programme dull.
Journalists and broadcasters have not internalized the habit of reading and
learning.

5.4 Addressing the Shortcomings
Journalism, like other professions, is made of knowledge, skills and orientation or

attitudes. The extent to which these tools have been mastered and embraced is reflected in
the outputs -- be it news, features, documentaries, discussions, photographs,
commentaries, reports and others that fill the space of newspapers and broadcast airtime.
Journalism being a communications skill, has formats through which information and
messages are packaged. The packaging process is what students of journalism learn in
schools and polytechnics.

How to gather information, how to interview, how to find sources, how to write the news,
and how to take and process photographs and video, how to present (voicing), how to
compile and write features, how to edit, how to write opinion, how to investigate a story,
how to design the carrier, and so forth.
The assumption here is that contestants at the level of being able to submit entries for
such a high level contest are well versed with communication formats and their etiquette.
The shortcomings were in basic knowledge, skills and attitude. Attitude or orientation as
some would like to call it, is reflected in the mastery and application of ethical
approaches.
This means that newsrooms still have a lot of

journalists deficient in basic skills, especially in
The "10,000-Hour Rule" is broadcasting. Judges found it difficult to classify a
mentioned repeatedly in a programme as to whether it was a talk, discussion,
recent non-fiction book that interview, opinion, debate, feature and the like.
examines the factors that Basic ethics such as how to cover children and
contribute to high levels of sexual matters have not been embraced by
success, claiming that the key practitioners.
to success in any field is, to a These deficiencies could be minimized by clear
large extent, a matter of parameters for training, as well as instilling a
practising a specific task for a culture of reading in our journalists... and practice,
total of about 10 000 hours practice, practice.
(Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers:
The Story of Success, Little 5.5 The Case for a Standard Curriculum
Brown 2008). Can this rule be
The first step would be to ensure training
applied to journalism institutions in the country, whatever their calibre,
training..10,000 hours of follow a specific standard curriculum approved by
practising to write the intro! the industry. It is high time the adoption of the
standardised curriculum was jointly developed by
Zimbabwe media representatives and the
Zimbabwe Council for Higher Education
(ZIMCHE).
Well-trained graduates would be easier to mentor as a way of strengthening skills and

expanding knowledge to develop hidden talents.
The most difficult stories to judge in the contests mentioned above were those purporting
to be investigative reporting, the judges said. It seems the real theory of investigative
reporting is not well known by journalists, such that the stories dont clearly indicate
what is being investigated, there is no clear plan for research, no preparation prior to the
field work and entries show vivid inclination towards one side of the stories.

Investigative reporting is for the accomplished, those who take time and effort to find
out a hidden issue justified by its societal importance using journalistic skills acquired
through training in precision journalism. This media communication format could be
strengthened if taken up by the training institutes and universities as one of the core
courses.
5.6 Upgrading of Skills
Skills, knowledge and attitudes acquired are gradable in training as basic, intermediate
and advanced. At most, tertiary institutions can graduate journalists with basic
professional education. Specialised universities, offering degrees in journalism can deliver
graduates with intermediate qualifications bordering on the advanced. Specialised
institutes can graduate journalists with advanced professional skills.
Media outlets should identify professional staff weakness, or seek assistance to do this.
Once the training needs have been identified then they can either assign mentors on the
job or send journalists to different training institutions. Since the institutes are specialised,
it means their training is selective and geared toward perfecting performances. This is the
realm of short courses. Due to their nature, such upgrading courses are of short duration,
usually a few weeks but not more than two or three months of full-time or part-time
study depending on the platform.
The deepest root cause of poor quality journalism in the country is our
education system and for this case, journalism education in particular. Colleges
and universities should use experienced practitioners to coach students.
The main requirement of any training endeavour is the availability of a trainer. Offering
training in basic courses may not be that much of a problem, but for the intermediate,
advanced and specialised courses, it may be difficult to get trainers. At the current stage
of the development of the media in Zimbabwe, trainers with the requisite academic and
professional qualifications to train journalists at the university level are scarce. This is
with reference to a trainer who has a first and second degree in journalism (not mass
communication or public relations, although they are vital disciplines), coupled with
years of newsroom experience before taking up an academic career.
The universities in Zimbabwe, therefore, have not been a reliable source of advanced and
experienced journalists or trainers, and the only option has been to rely on practicing
professionals from newsrooms and media production houses. However, the daily media
workload of such trainers often denies them the luxury of also moulding professionalism
in an academic environment.

A part-time teaching environment can at best produce a knowledge-based journalist,

because there is not enough time for the trainer to closely supervise assignments and read
or audition productions and therefore the notion that desk-based media professionals can
at the same time serve as a training institution should be re-evaluated.
Furthermore, even if one experienced professional journalist wanted to teach journalism

at the university level, the scheme for employment is highly academic-based
qualifications that few practicing journalists have. Therefore, the making of Zimbabwean
journalists is problematic, especially the lack of appropriate trainers and upgrading
courses for professionals.
5.7 Case for Institute or Academy to Train Journalists at Advanced Level

Editors meeting under the IMPI umbrella unanimously agreed that there is a definite case
for the establishment of an institution whose major purpose would be to train journalists
at an advanced level. Such an institute would be ideal because it would be free to engage
any experienced or professional journalists of whatever age to mould others, particularly
in practical work. Professional retirees could be deployed to harness their wisdom and
skills. This would be the place where individual formats could be taught and practiced at
the highest level possible.

Courses would then be defined for advanced news reporting, feature writing, writing
editorials, investigative reporting, and other key skills that can be taught by the most
accomplished professionals available at home or brought in from abroad. Broadcast
media would benefit the most because so far we have a few journalists who can produce
competitive programmes such as quality documentaries, deep searching interviews,
discussions and investigative stories comparable to any produced by reputable stations
elsewhere in the world.
Specialised training is another area of concern, as it is common in many other countries to

have specialist desks, a situation which previously existed but has been mainly lost
from the media in Zimbabwe, where specialists are more likely to be geographic than
subject-oriented, except for the basic general areas of business, entertainment or
features.
Specialist journalists would be trained to cover finance, culture, health, education, politics,
and certain other national issues such as land and agriculture, parliament, the courts,
certain regional issues such as energy, and possibly some specific bilateral or external
relations issues, as well as international affairs. This is normally implemented by
specialised training for journalists who are already working in the newsroom to add to
their media skills, but can also be implemented by hiring a specialist in a certain field who
then received media training. Journalists assigned to specialise need to know how to read
and research their subject matter, its background, trends and emerging issues.

Training Lessons from Zambia Case Study
The Zambia Institute of Mass Communication ZAMCOM) Educational Trust was established by
an Act of the Zambian Parliament to provide in-service specialized training to practising
journalists.
ZAMCOM is a Trust and is not formally funded by government. However, from time to
time, at the request of the Board of Trustees, government has financially supported the institution
for specific purposes. For example, the government through the Ministry of Information and
Broadcasting Services renders support to the Board of Trustees through salary payment to the
Executive Director.
ZAMCOM is basically a quasi-government institution which some partners treat more or
less like a non-governmental organisation. The institute is run on behalf of Government by a
Board of Trustees comprising eminent Zambian citizens.
In accordance with the registered trust deed, the ZAMCOM trustees consist of a financial
person, a broadcast media person, a print media person, a marketing person, a human resources
person, and a lawyer. The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
Services, under which ZAMCOM operates, represents government on the Board of
Trustees. Other trustees include the financial director of a non-governmental organisation
supported by United States government; the director of human resources at one of the major
financial institutions in the country; the deputy managing director of a bank; and others.
ZAMCOM is headed by an Executive Director who is employed by and reports to the
Board of Trustees. Under this position are managers of the following departments: Radio,
Television, HIV and AIDS, Academic, Information Technology (IT) and Finance.
Most of the ZAMCOM finances are generated through the training courses that it
conducts, notably the full-time, three-year Diploma Course in Journalism. ZAMCOM also owns
and operates a lodge which can accommodate participants, and this supplements the revenue
base. At the time of IMPIs visit, the lodge had put in place viable plans to make major
contributions to the Institutes resources. ZAMCOM authorities say the institution is beginning to
show signs of achieving self-sustaining status.
ZAMCOMs Training Courses

For a long time the institute has trained Zambias journalists as well as those from elsewhere in
southern Africa, in specialised courses such as reporting on the environment, HIV and health, rural
news, human rights, covering elections, and computer-based reporting; as well as several
others. Most courses are funded by partners including United Nations agencies, the United States,
Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, as well Panos Southern Africa, the Media Institute of Southern
Africa (MISA) and other local and international development organisations. ZAMCOM graduates
are employed mainly in the newsrooms.
ZAMCOM is registered with the Technical Education and Entrepreneurship Training
Authority (TEVETA) under which it conducts the three-year diploma course in Journalism and
Public Relations. Alternative media training is offered by the University of Zambia, which offers a
degree in Mass Communication, and graduates often find their way into the corporate and NGO
sectors as communications officers.

6 IMPACT OF NEW MEDIA ON JOURNALISM AND MEDIA

CAPACITY
_________________________________________________________
The New Media are among the key challenges facing journalism training in Zimbabwe
today. Similar to many other developing countries, Zimbabwe is characterised by a
scarcity of new media skills and low technology levels, and very limited experience in
journalism training in this regard.
The Internet is increasingly drawing in and changing some of the traditional skills.
Attention has been given to the value of online resources as an input to journalism, with
expanding numbers of courses on computer-assisted journalism, given the emerging
convergence between the online and traditional media.
In addition, there has been a focus on journalistic output for the Internet, such as the
interactive possibilities and what writing style best suits the Internet. Increasingly, the
emphasis has been on the multi-media character of the Internet, and the way this medium
can integrate text, design, photographs, audio and video.
The so-called citizen journalism is an emerging issue that has been discussed at various
fora such as the roundtable of media executives from eastern and southern Africa
organized by Africa University in 2009. The report on proceedings says citizen journalism
should be considered seriously as it has overtaken mainstream media with several
consequences on the definition of the role of media. Examples include platforms on
websites enabling video feeds, voice-overs regularly updated with contributions from
citizen journalists, whose information may or may not be factual. Because there have been
no measures put in place to monitor the type of postings made on these sites, it is difficult
to control the citizen journalist, say through a Code of Ethics, or protect the interests of the
thousands of viewers with access to the news posted on the platforms.
Since year 2000, when 50,000 people had access to the Internet in Zimbabwe, the country
has been on a digital renaissance. The number of people with access has grown to more
than five million spurred by the introduction of 3G technology in 2009. Technology has
changed an entire media industry and created a new role for journalism as well as a need
to build new capacities in a country that now has a 100 percent mobile penetration rate.

At a recent training session on social media and their effect on journalism and newsroom
workflow, held by the Zimbabwe National Editors Forum (ZINEF), veteran journalist and
IMPI chairperson Geoffrey Nyarota mentioned how unsettling the new computer
technology has been to the profession of journalism. He zoomed in on a period in the
1990s when technological developments changed the newsroom in similar fashion to the
manner in which new technological applications such as the Internet have done now.

Vincent Kahiya, the Editor-in-Chief of Alpha Media Holdings (AMH), described that
situation. Top journalists quit the profession and moved on to other spheres because a
computer was too much of a complicated device to adapt to.

The computer in the 1990s in Zimbabwe was disruptive to the practice of journalism, and
media training capacity lagged far behind, but this was only the beginning of more
changes to come that have redefined workflow systems within newsrooms. The arrival of
the Internet has ignited a rapid proliferation of new digital technologies that has caught
mainstream media off-guard.

In his paper on citizen journalism in Zimbabwe, Shepherd Mpofu rightly states that the
Internet, as a forum for power, voice and self-expression, has made it possible for debate
and tensions between the elite and other sectors of society to be experienced in a typical
public sphere fashion online, without intervention from journalists. His report explores
the concept of the reader as the witness and how journalism has tried to adapt to the new
era where production, dissemination and consumption of information have changed. The
result is a fascinating account of journalists struggling to maintain their expertise and
authority, even as they find their principles and skills profoundly challenged by ever
more complex and fast-moving streams of information.

Hayes Mabweazara in his article Normative Dilemmas and Issues for Zimbabwean Print
Journalism in the Information Society Era, sums it up when he writes,
Like the Internet, the mobile phone has also assumed a central role in the dynamics
of the journalists daily routines.

Journalists across the newsrooms studied collectively, highlighted the extent to
which the technologys portability has freed them from the necessity of physical
proximity and the constraining demands of spatial immobility rooted in traditional
modes of communication such as the fixed phone. For the journalists this, among
other communicative potentialities inherent in the mobile phone, has rendered the
technology an indispensable part of their day-to-day work.

What Mabweazara argues, and must be central to the findings of this report, is that the
pervasive nature of the technology (among both elite and mass), combined with the
creative appropriation of its inherent functions such as the Short Message Service (SMS)
by journalists and ordinary citizens alike, is shaping mainstream news-making practices
in subtle but significant ways.

Although the impact of the technology is most visible in moments of crisis and during
major national events such as elections, a close examination of its appropriations points to
a gradual dispersal of the newsroom monopoly in defining what constitutes or counts as
news, particularly in the more liberal private press. While traditional gate-keeping

processes persist and determine what news is covered in the newsrooms, a closer
examination of the uses of the mobile phone suggests a widening exposure of journalists
to news and a widening participation of citizens in mainstream news-making
mainstream journalists no longer speak ex cathedra(that is by virtue or in the exercise of
ones office or position), as they used to before the advent of the new media age.
(Mabweazara 2011)
Like the Internet, the mobile phone has also assumed a central role in the
dynamics of the journalists daily routines.H Mabweazara

6.1 Challenges of the Digital Era in Journalism
Despite the growth in the use of the mobile phone for access to news, most newsrooms
have either had a slow uptake of the opportunities that the technology has presented or
have faced resistance to change. Below are comments from editors who attended the
ZINEF workshop in Gweru on September 21-22, 2014.

o As a newsroom leader I have to ask myself questions of whether I need to
overburden the reporter with a lot to do for the same salary. What the digital
scope of mind has given us is the understanding that we need all formats of
digital storytelling but the question is -- Do we have the human resources and
equipment to make this happen? (Maxwell Sibanda, assistant editor of The
Daily News)
o Most editors are not tech savvy and the need to improve the way we conduct
ourselves is critical for our reader who has become the witness of news.
(Njabulo Ncube, deputy editor of Southern Eye)
o The media have changed. A journalist needs to be multi-skilled to be relevant
in the current environment. (Nevanji Madanhire, editor of NewsDay).

Although most of the editors present had a working knowledge of news in a digital
sphere, they were reluctant to use new tools such as Twitter, with some suggesting that
reporters were spending too much time on social networks such as YouTube.
o Lawson Mabhena, news editor of Sunday News, cemented this point when he
said: There seems to be a serious conflict between IT and Online departments
on the use of bandwidth consuming applications like YouTube hence the
reporter in the information society era is in need of these tools to be abreast
with breaking news.

Some newsrooms, however, are moving with the times and adopting the trend of using
website and mobile phone reporting.

o The Herald, Daily News, Zimbabwe Mail and Alpha Media Holdings have
adopted the trend of having websites and mobile reporting as a must-have.
o Zimpapers and Alpha Media Holdings have Mobi News that is said to be
hugely popular, and both claim a subscriber base that is nearing a million.
o The Zimbabwe Mail is said to be working on introducing Mobi News, while The
Daily News has introduced a business website as a strategic unit for expanding
their revenue base given the migration of readers.
This shows that while most editors are still struggling to adapt, a major shift in news
culture is underway. However, there is a clear danger in these changes where news
coverage is concerned. The sourcing of news from the Internet, which has been
economically advantageous to the bottom line, has eroded the essence of news. Many
readers take to Twitter every morning to mourn the dropping standards of journalism.

One example of many is the story that appeared in The Chronicle in which the reporter
used a fake Whatsapp conversation purported to be between two celebrities discussing
their sexual encounter. The story was later pulled down as readers attacked the staff using
social media. There was also a high profile error by newzimbabwe.com on the death of Zanu
PF chairman, John Nkomo which turned out to be false and was later discovered to have
been sourced from rumours on social media. Editors in a survey for this report also
expressed concern over the armchair journalism that has worsened matters of plagiarism
as well as verification.

6.1.1 Facebook and Twitter
Most reporters spend more time on Facebook than on Twitter. Twitter is still intimidating to
Zimbabwean journalists and the uptake of its use is slow in newsrooms.

One factor that has contributed to its slow uptake is the high cost of data in Zimbabwe
and the lack of will by employers to assist their newsroom staff in having cheaper data
connection on phones and other personal gadgets.

I know that Twitter is more helpful for what we do as journalists, but I find it to be
technical and that most of the sources in Zimbabwe have Facebook pages than Twitter
handles. I, however, use Twitter to share the stories I write. I do not have many
followers and the scrolling news every second on my feeds is rather disruptive (A
senior political journalist from AMH).

The Editor-in-Chief of AMH, Vincent Kahiya, however, said as AMH policy, every
reporter is expected to be active on Twitter and to share the companys content.
We understand that we do not have digital natives among our journalists, but the reason
why according to Opera we have the most accessed website in Zimbabwe in NewsDay, is
because in our digital first strategy that we adopted and vigorously pursued, social
networks are such an important element because they drive our traffic. All editors are
expected to be on Twitter. It is policy.

However, when it comes down to how Twitter is then being used we notice that
engagement is still a problem and understanding the use of hashtags and other
elements of the Twitter sphere needs training and we are investing in that.

Kahiya is optimistic in pointing out that Zimbabwe has advanced and the consumption of
local content that saw the country as the only one in Africa with four local websites in the
Opera report on mobile phone traffic, shows greater understanding of where the reader is.

6.1.2 Journalism Schools
Zimbabwe had its first Internet Service Provider (ISP) in 1994 and AMH was the first to
have a newspaper website for their business weekly, The Zimbabwe Independent, in 1999.
Back then, little attention was paid to packaging news for the online environment.

In those days, we had to put our content on a floppy disc and give it to a service
provider who designed the website for us for a fee that was not at all flattering,
explained Silent Kamambo, the AMH Business Manager for Digital Products. We
never sourced for adverts and no one among journalists really had interest.

In 1999, website management was outsourced and very little attention was given to it in
the newsroom. Focus was on the print product which raked in the dollars. Other
mainstream media houses in Zimbabwe did not have digital footprints and it is not
difficult to know why.

For news organisations steeped in a traditional system, the Internet phenomenon was
novel. Very few Zimbabweans had Internet access, which reinforced concentration on the
print media. To complicate matters, journalism training remained stuck in the past.

The major journalism training institutions in Zimbabwe have not reformed to align with
the digital ecosystem that now permeates all facets of news dissemination and
consumption. At CCOSA, by 2005 journalism students were still taught typing skills using
old Remington typewriters. To this day there is no module that deals with digital media
at the famed journalism school.

Joseph Katete, a journalist and public relations officer, recalls the training.

In 2003 I had no idea what Yahoo was. I did not have an email or a working idea of
the Internet. We had to hammer those old typewriters with our fingers till they hurt
for the two years I trained to be a journalist at CCOSA. The sad thing is that when I
interned with a big media organisation life was so unbearable for me and many others
coming from other colleges. We had to learn on the job from such basics as using
Microsoft Word to using search engines.


Katetes story is echoed by Moses Matenga, a news reporter with AMH who was at
Harare Polytechnic and graduated in 2009. The computers that had applications like the
Internet were made available to the students in 2009 and it was the year I left the
institution. I do not remember discussing social networks or social media and their impact
on my usage of them in the newsroom. It had to take a lot of self-training to understand
new media. In-house training that is now being made available to journalists is helping.

What Katete and Matenga talk about is an issue that is affecting even universities such as
the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) and Midlands State University
(MSU). Yet an online editor confronted by this dilemma, did not have ready answers.

At one point I had interviews in search of an intern to be attached to the digital office.
Of the 13 that I spoke to, only two knew how to use Twitter. All of them said the
universities had not prioritized digital media.

Despite these challenges, new technologies in the everyday life of journalism have offered
journalists in the newsrooms unprecedented online opportunities, including new ways of
generating story ideas, as well as engaging and cultivating sources on social networking
sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

This section of the chapter has given insights into practices and cultures emerging with
the advent of the internet and the ubiquitous mobile phone in Zimbabwean newsrooms.
Zimbabwean journalism, as elsewhere, exists in an era of unsettling transitions in which
digital technologies are redefining professional normative values and ideals, and also
reshaping the working day (Mabweazara). The permeation of the Internet and the mobile
phone into newsrooms has resulted in challenges connected to news access, sourcing
routines and the invasion of private space and time. Similarly, traditional ethical concerns
such as plagiarism have taken on new meanings.
Other debates on this subject can be found on key list-servs such as CARR-L, JOURNET
and NEWSLIB; as well as in the online writings of Steve Outing, Nora Paul, John
December, Dominique Paul Noth, JD Lasica, Julian Sher, Christine Ogan and Mindy
McAdams. See also Online Journalism Review, Press Time, and Journal of Computer-Mediated
Communication, and earlier discussions in Bierhoff and Schmidt (1996), Houston (1996),
Garrison (1998), Reddick (1998) and Jones (1999).

Kenya Institute of Mass Communication (KIMC) Case Study
Respondent Peter Wakoli, Academic Registrar and Deputy Director
The school began in 1965. The sponsor was UNESCO and the initial mandate was to build capacity for
the national broadcaster, Kenya Broadcasting Corporation, formerly Voice of Kenya.

Through a Legal Notice 197 of December 2012, KIMC acquired a new status and is now a
semi-autonomous government agency. Its new mandate is to train middle level media

professionals/practitioners specialising in television and radio production, film/video production,
broadcast journalism, print journalism and telecommunication and electronic engineering.

The institute also offers country media training for Kenya but also for East Africa: Tanzania,
Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi; and beyond, including Sudan, Zambia, Somalia and Gambia.

Vision

To become a centre of excellence in technical and professional mass media training in the region.

Strategic Goals
o Ensure availability of competent trained and skilled manpower to the ICT and broadcasting

sectors.
o Contribute to the growth of a knowledge-based society by ensuring competent media

practitioners facilitate the public to access information.
o Improve gathering, storage, analysis and dissemination of credible programmes through its

training frequencies and partnering in training.

Training Levels

Professionals/Practitioners from KIMC

Newsroom and production managers

Television and radio producers
Film/video producers

Broadcast journalists
Print journalists

Advertising practitioners
Public relations practitioners

Media technologists
Telecommunication and electronics engineers

Graphic animators

KIMC continued

Digital Migration
The institute is preparing its students with a view to capitalise on digital migration. The media
industry is looking at multi-skilling to provide not only for specialisation but also to enable these
students to multi-task.
We want them to look at creating jobs for themselves. The industry at large has no time to
be involved in training. The student who leaves here must be able to hit the ground running. Now
we are looking at 60 percent theory and 40 percent practical, says Peter Wakoli. Kenyas new
broadcasting legislation demands 60 percent local content, which must come from the students
being churned out by the institute.

New initiative
The students are taught entrepreneurship and business management, which is a full module. KIMC

has its own station and studios that do live broadcasting on radio. The station is called Educational
Communication Network and broadcasts in the vicinity of the school. The school has 800 students
and more than 300 graduating every year.
New Media
To respond to the fast-changing trends in content consumption and technology, the institute began
a course in online journalism as well as on animation to indigenise cartoons.
Involvement of Media Houses

The involvement of media owners is in curriculum development and placement of interns.

7 Proposal for a Journalism Training Institution in Zimbabwe
_____________________________________________________
The inquiry by the Thematic Committee on Training, Training Capacity and Ethics
established that there is a strong need to significantly improve basic journalism training in
Zimbabwe, as well as a need to develop national capacity to offer such training, including
the setting up of a special structure, reforming and strengthening of some existing
institutions and systems, including training curricula.
The committee suggests some short-term interventions to improve current programmes.

But it strongly recommends that both government and the media industry should invest
jointly in the establishment of an independent journalism training institute or academy, to
provide functional and practical basic training in journalism and address the lack of a
systematic and professional mid-career training of journalists.

The Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) could use part of the revenue that it receives
from the industry to support such media training institution.
7.1 Findings and Recommendations for such Journalism Training School

The Media Monitoring Project of Zimbabwe (MMPZ) says there are few, if any,
journalism training institutions, because tertiary training centres focus on courses in
media and community studies at university level, producing academics rather than
journalists.
Local and international media and civil society groups have stepped into the training
arena by offering needs-based, short-term courses in various fields, but these efforts
cannot be a substitute for a properly organized national media and journalism training
programme.
Although on the surface, there is high unemployment among media and journalism
graduates a reflection of the high unemployment rate in the formal sector training
must adopt a long-term view. The media and information sector is expected to expand
significantly in the next couple of years with new radio and television stations,
newspapers and other media platforms absorbing graduates from this sector.
Zimbabwe, therefore, needs to establish a new institution or to transform at least one of

the existing journalism training colleges into a professional Journalism Training
Academy, offering comprehensive reporting courses across the sectors to graduates
already trained in other fields such as law, business, finance, economics, science and the
environment, to mention some disciplines.
Generally speaking, the proposed training institution could be modelled on aspects of the
Institute for the Advancement of Journalism in Johannesburg, ZAMCOM in Lusaka, and
KIMC in Nairobi.
Training in the proposed institution would be likely to benefit journalists with at least a
first degree in the field they would like to specialise in. Recruitment would, therefore, be
limited to holders of a university degree. In his book, Against the grain, Memoirs of a
Zimbabwean Newsman, (Zebra Press, 2006), Geoffrey Nyarota writes of my personal
vision of starting a newspaper that would be staffed by medical doctors, lawyers,
sociologists, economists, politicians, farmers, human rights activists, statisticians,
sportsmen and entertainers who had also trained as journalists.
Media houses, news networks and training institutions would co-operate in developing
training modules and the training of trainers in various fields of journalism. Due diligence
should be exercised when selecting trainers to ensure that the candidates have requisite
skills in their respective fields. More preferably they should have practical newsroom
experience and should be active in journalism practice so that they are aware of current
changes in the industry. They should be appointed on the basis of appropriate skills
rather than impressive paper qualifications.

Trainees will acquire relevant experience of practical journalism on a laboratory

newspaper produced by the institution during the training course, as well as experience
on a community radio station, serving the area of the training school.
In such an institution, special basic English writing classes would be imperative. Inability
to write in proper English is one of the handicaps experienced by todays young
journalists. Training colleges attribute this endemic problem to the decline in the level of
English taught in secondary schools.
The Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services must take a greater
oversight role for journalism and media training programmes, alongside the Ministry of
Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology, including in helping to mobilise
resources for the establishment of such an institution.
The curriculum of the proposed academy should include courses in management

leadership skills to help editors run their institutions better, but also to help them become
thought leaders in the communications industry. Journalism training would keep up with
emerging trends, especially in internet-based Digital/New Media, while adopting a multi-
media approach to delivering stories.
The editor-in-chief of Alpha Media Holdings, Vincent Kahiya, said while the group had
benefited from training sponsored by local and international media organisations, its
focus now is on developing capacity for convergence journalism. The programme had
already started by merging the newsrooms of its weekly and daily newspapers, and
getting a technical expert to help with the convergence. Such approach would be
incorporated in the curriculum planning for the proposed institution.
Although mainly local trainers would staff the institutions and would be capacitated to
do so, the Ministry of Information should facilitate immigration procedures for foreign
professionals and experts invited by the institution to participate in the training process.
Trainers should be remunerated in a way that is commensurate with standards in

southern Africa and attractive enough to retain a range of top skills, on a full- or part-time
basis.

8 KEY RECOMMENDATIONS INFORMATION &
FOR ESTABLISHMENT OF A SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM MEDIA PANEL OF
AND CRITERIA FOR OTHER TRAINING INSTITUTIONS INQUIRY
8.1 Zimbabwe must establish its own School of Journalism, a world class institution standing
shoulder to shoulder with the best in the world, with the minimum entry requirement
being a first degree.
8.2 The country needs to establish a new institution or to transform at least one of the
existing media and journalism training colleges into a Higher Journalism Training
Academy, offering comprehensive reporting courses across the sectors to graduates
trained in other fields such as law, business, finance, economics, science and the
environment.
8.3 Journalism training needs to keep up with emerging trends, especially in internet-based
Digital/New Media while adopting a multi-media approach to delivering stories.
8.4 Zimbabwe must also consider establishing a special Radio and Television Academy for
building capacity in a professional area thats a strong feature of the media
landscape, including radio reporting, television reporting, and documentaries. The
broadcasting training sector needs help with training equipment. There is also need to
invest resources in developing photojournalism in colleges.
8.5 Zimbabwe needs to invest in short, medium and long term training, and continue to
train people to teach, operate equipment, build systems, write and produce material,
and translate productions into other languages. Colleges need clear staff development
programmes, including specialisation.
8.6 A separate body should be established to promote and monitor training standards in
media colleges and other institutions, including reviewing modules and recommending
changes in response to a changing environment.
8.7 The Ministry of Media, Information and Broadcasting Services must take a greater
oversight role in media and journalism training programmes, alongside the Ministry of
Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology, and help to mobilise resources
for this purpose.
8.8 The media industry and media and journalism colleges must find ways of accessing
governments Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund (ZIMDEF) to support training.
8.9 In the short-term, Zimbabwe media and journalism departments require assistance in
procuring books, equipment and establishing teaching laboratories.
8.10 Universities and colleges need assistance in organising or accessing workshops for
training of trainers to help staff to pick up new teaching skills, especially in journalism.
....continued

RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR COURSE DEVELOPMENT, INFORMATION &

MEDIA HOUSES, OUTREACH, AND LICENSING MEDIA PANEL OF
INQUIRY
8.11 The medium to long-term staff development programmes, including staff

exchange programmes and the current process of curriculum review should help to
raise the level of journalism in the country, but if the major training institutions stay
centred on media studies, this will not build capacity in journalism.
8.12 Media colleges must include courses in management/leadership skills to help

editors to run their institutions, but also to become thought leaders in the
communication industry.
8.13 Universities and media colleges should consider establishing affiliate satellite
departments at provincial polytechnics to offer journalism and media studies
diplomas, and to run special summer or winter schools on specific subjects.
8.14 The media industry should establish career guidance outreach programmes to
help students to make informed decisions about entering the profession.
8.15 Media houses should continue with in-house training covering a wide range of
subjects, including basic reporting and editing skills, feature writing, newsroom
management, specialist desks, ethics, media law and gender mainstreaming.
8.16 Media houses should invest in a strong, competent and confident leadership in
the newsroom to help junior staff in skills development, including research,
verification, use of data, interviewing techniques, and story construction.
8.17 Media houses should plan to develop their own training programmes, supported by
internal budgets and human resources similar to the cadet scheme run by
Zimbabwe Newspapers in the 1970s or the early days of The Daily News.
8.18 There should be strict conditions for licensing of journalism training institutions which
include radio and television studio facilities, practical newsroom set-ups, modern
training equipment such as cameras, and skilled and competent staff. The
institutions should invest in transport to allow practical news gathering and reporting.
8.19 No institution should be given a license if it does not meet these basic
requirements because it will short-change the trainees and lead to poor journalism
standards. Those offering dubious diploma and certificate programmes should be
closed forthwith because they are compromising journalism standards.
8.20 Production Services and the Zimbabwe Mass Media Trust should be revived to
support the industry, especially with training and capacity building.
..continued

INFORMATION &
RECOMMENDATIONS
ON POLICY FOR MEDIA TRAINING

MEDIA PANEL OF
AND CAPACITY BUILDING INQUIRY
8.21 The Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services should

develop a clear national policy framework on media and journalism training,
working closely with the industry.
8.22 Training institutions, media organisations and the media industry should
establish a functional official platform to discuss training issues and to engage
with government.
8.23 All media training institutions must be registered with the appropriate
authorities for higher and tertiary education, and for media.
8.24 Media training institutions may offer degrees or diplomas, post-graduate,

certified short courses, as well as media training for other disciplines, but content
must be developed with an industry structure (see 6.22) and approved by
appropriate authorities, and must be sensitive to gender issues.
8.25 Media institutions should take responsibility for ongoing training and
mentoring, whether in-house or supported external courses, and should develop
in-house training policies in this regard.
8.26 Media institutions and media training institutions should invest in appropriate
technology and equipment for training purposes.
8.27 Journalism and media training and capacity building must respond to the
needs and objectives of the country, and offer a holistic basic training as well as
a range of training in specialized subjects and investigative reporting. Partnering
with recognized training institutions in other countries should be considered.
8.28 A National Film Board should be established. The current proposal should be
seriously considered by government, discussed with industry and refined as
necessary, and appropriate legislation enacted.
8.29 Media practitioners should take responsibility for their own self-development,
and also support training capacity building by mentoring others.
8.30 Media training and training capacity must respond to the needs of new
media, new technology and prepare existing and new practitioners for the
expansion of electronic media through digitisation in 2015.
IMPI

9APPENDIX
_____________
9.1 LIST OF STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS

The main focus of the study was engagement with major media stakeholders, as follows.

Training institutions interviewed included:
Harare Polytechnic School of Journalism and Media Studies
Christian College of Southern Africa (CCOSA),
UMMA Institute
Business Environment Services Group of Colleges (BES)
Department of Journalism and Media Studies of the National University of Science
and Technology (NUST)
Midlands State Universitys Department of Media and Society Studies,
Speciss College
Trust Academy
Lifelong Education College (Pvt) Ltd
Zimbabwe Institute of Visual Arts (ZIVA), and
Zimbabwe Film and Television School of Southern Africa (ZIFTESSA).

Stakeholders interviewed included media houses such as:
Zimbabwe Newspapers,
Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe (ANZ),
Alpha Media Holdings (AMH),
The Financial Gazette,
Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation,
Transmedia Corporation (Pvt) Ltd.

Professional media bodies interviewed included:
The Federation of African Media Women Zimbabwe (FAMWZ
Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ),
Zimbabwe National Editors Forum (ZINEF),
Journalism and Media Trainers Association of Zimbabwe (JAMTAZ),
Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe (VMCZ).

Civil society organisations included:
Media Institute of Southern Africa(MISA) Zimbabwe Chapter,
Media Monitoring Project of Zimbabwe (MMPZ),
Humanitarian Information Facilitation Centre (HIFC),
Zimbabwe Association of Community Radio Stations (ZACRAS),
Media Alliance of Zimbabwe (MAZ).

Cooperating partners or the donor community included:
Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES),
United States Aid for International Development (USAID),
United Kingdom International Development Agency (UKaid),
The Dutch international development organisation, HIVOS,
Norway,
Sweden,
Netherlands,
International Media Services (IMS),
Public Affairs Section of the United States Embassy (PAS US),
The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

Regulatory agencies interviewed included the now-disbanded Standards Development
and Research Unit (SDERU) of the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education and the
Higher Education Examinations Council (HEXCO).

9.2 LITERATURE REVIEW REFERENCES
African Media Barometer, Zimbabwe, 2012

Pat Made, Journalism Training in Zimbabwe, 2009
Training Project Analysis, Report for VMCZ, 2010
Media Alliance of Zimbabwe (MAZ), Media Policy Framework, 2013
On Air: Zimbabwe, OSISA, 2009
Reporting Beyond the Crisis in Zimbabwe, Select Reading, 2009
State of South African Newsrooms, University of Witwatersrand, 2013

9.3 RECOMMENDATIONS BY TWO LEADING TRAINING
INSTITUTIONS
9.3.1 HARARE POLYTECHNIC COLLEGE SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND
MEDIA STUDIES
Preamble
The School of Journalism and Media Studies at Harare Polytechnic College offers a one-
year National Certificate (NC) course in Mass Communication and a two-year diploma in
Mass Communication. Students specialise in print or broadcast journalism after
completing their NC.

There are gender considerations at recruitment stage and equal numbers of males and
females are taken in at the beginning of the NC course. The School of Journalism and
Media Studies has an internet lab with full connectivity for print and broadcast classes.
There is also a fully-fledged radio studio which broadcasts for the local Harare
Polytechnic community and a television studio with a control room. Broadcast students
have at their disposal four HDV cameras, four audio recorders and two Apple computers
for editing.
Journalism students studying print journalism use the Apple computers and four 6D
canon cameras for photo-journalism practical lessons. The trainees undergo practical
studies outside Harare Polytechnic and the college invested in a 63-seater bus and a 30-
seater minibus to transport students. In addition there are four double-cab vehicles to
traverse rough terrain.
The NC and ND programmes aim to provide skills to students in order for them to gain
employment in the various media fields. The students have a Press Club where prominent
people in media and other fields are invited to share their experiences every week. Guest
lecturers are invited during the week to impart skills in their areas of expertise. The mass
communication programme empowers students for self-employment through an
entrepreneurial skills development programme.
Proposals for improvement of standards of Journalism Training
1. Media Stakeholders
There is need for close cooperation between media trainers and stakeholders in the
media industry to allow for exchange of ideas, in view of the fast-changing
developments in journalism training and practice. The stakeholders are the end-
users and need to be involved in both curriculum development and review that
should be undertaken regularly. The stakeholders should contribute to training
through the guest lecturing programme which should be systematic rather than
random as is the case at the moment. Where possible they should help capacitate
media training institutions through facilitating funding and procurement of
equipment.

2. Remuneration of Trainers
Trainers should be adequately remunerated in a way that is commensurate with

standards in southern Africa. Training institutions should get a cue from the Judiciary
Services Commission which is lobbying for salaries of their members to be in line with
practices in SADC countries. Another example is the Medical Professional Council which
was allowed to hike fees with government recently to allow for quality service delivery.
This lessens the practice where lecturers hassle to survive; thereby ensuring trainers
totally commit themselves to the task at hand.

3. Appointment of Media Trainers
Due diligence should be taken when selecting trainers to ensure that the candidates have
requisite skills in their respective fields. They should preferably have practical newsroom
experience and should be active in journalism practice so that they are aware of current
changes in their profession, in particular, and in the industry, in general. They should be
appointed on the basis of skill rather than paper qualifications.
4. Specialisation
There should be clear distinction between training institutions that focus on media
research and those that train journalists. Currently, the line is blurred.
5. Facilities
There should be strict conditions for licensing of journalism training institutions which
include radio and television studio facilities, practical newsroom set ups, modern training
equipment such as cameras and skilled and competent staff. The institutions should have
their own transport to allow for practical news-gathering and reporting. No institution
should be given a license if it does not meet these requirements because it will short-
change the trainees which leads to poor journalism standards. Those institutions that offer
dubious diplomas and certificates are flooding the market with half-baked trainees and
should be closed forthwith because they are compromising journalism standards.
The Zimbabwe Media Commission should be involved in the accreditation and licensing
of journalism and media training institutions and must keep a record of all reputable
journalism training institutions so that students make informed choices on where they
wish to train. The ZMC and media stakeholders should regularly scrutinise journalism
training curricula to ensure they are in line with new forms of journalism, such as data
journalism, gender journalism, science reporting, environmental reporting, disability and
community and developmental journalism, some of which are currently non-existent.
6. Capacity Building for trainers
Journalism trainers should periodically go on capacity building workshops and

rotationally participate in regional and international journalism review symposiums.
Where possible they must go on professional attachment with leading regional and
international media houses such as British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Al Jazeera,
Cable News Network (CNN), and South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), as
used to be the case. Institutions should also create linkages with premier journalism
training institutions such as Columbia School of Journalism in New York, which educates
and trains students, from all over the world, to become accomplished professional
journalists; Rhodes School of Journalism and Media Studies in Grahamstown, the Poynter
Institute in St Petersburg, Florida, and the Institute for the Advancement of Journalism in
Johannesburg, to mention some. This is to allow for acquisition of relevant skills in
journalism practice and training.

7. Summer and Winter Schools
Media stakeholders must be actively involved in refresher workshops that seek to

improve skills of practising journalists. The refresher courses should be led by training
institutions as a quality control measure and to ensure that skills are retained and
cascaded to trainees. In the current set up, various organisations are running dubious
capacity building workshops where the prime emphasis is on monetary gain for the
participants, with some of the opportunities being recycled among a select few.
8. Languages
In line with government policy on inclusive education and development, training

institutions should prioritise teaching of indigenous and national languages. This ensures
that journalists are empowered to cover stories in remote areas and that minority groups
are not overlooked in reporting. Foreign languages such as French, German and
Portuguese should also be offered as options in journalism training institutions to
empower trainees and to increase their employability.
9. Ethics
There should be a uniform code of ethics in training that regulates how issues such as
plagiarism are dealt with. Enrolment should be strictly on merit and not a situation where
students are recommended by politicians and other influential people to undergo
journalism training, even if they do not meet the basic recruitment requirements.
9.3.2 MIDLANDS STATE UNIVERSITYS MEDIA AND SOCIETY STUDIES

DEPARTMENT
The major criticism has often been about the poor quality or calibre of the graduate who
seeks employment in journalism. This problem is also often implicated on the large
numbers which are recruited by media and journalism training institutions.
The following recommendations are proposed:
Journalism does not have a recognized and respected self-regulatory institution which can
instruct on student recruitment numbers and other critical needs, such as what the Law
and Medical societies do in informing trends in tertiary institutions.
Such an institution is necessary and ought to be recognised under the law so that when it
makes decisions over matters pertaining to journalism training such decisions are binding
and respected. Training licenses can be revoked if training institutions refuse to adhere to
agreed standards and recruitment caps.
There is need to unbundle media studies and introduce a specialized journalism degree so
that newsrooms recruit personnel specifically trained for the print and broadcasting

sector. Media Studies graduates tend to be Jack-of-All-Trades in comparison to journalism
students whose training is more focused. The most critical aspects of the Media Studies
programme will be retained in the journalism programme. Indeed, media graduates have
served the journalism industry reasonably during Zimbabwes most difficult years,
notwithstanding the criticism levelled against the type of graduate by many stakeholders.
A student who majors in journalism would be a best reflection of whether the present
journalism curricula are suitable or not for the countrys informational and
communication objectives. The media graduates should not be compromised since their
employment opportunities over the years have largely been found beyond journalism and
newsrooms. Many are communication and public relations officers in non-governmental
organisations (NGOs), parastatals and government departments which do not necessarily
require the strict practical application of journalism.
A proper journalism training institute should be started at one of the leading universities,
and graduates from this institution should be the beacon of best journalism practices and
pacesetters in the industry. The curriculum of this institute should adopt the basic
minimum module or course requirements from the UNESCO curriculum for journalism.
The Media and Society Studies Department at Midlands State University has formulated
modules and regulations for a Journalism Degree and a Corporate Communications
degree to be offered separately from the current Media and Society Studies degree. The
regulations are in the process of being circulated to stakeholders in industry so that they
make their input and also write supporting letters to confirm the need for such
specialized degree programmes.
The journalism training module also provides space for more teaching and scholarly
encounters between students and practicing journalists. Experienced editors will have the
opportunity to teach and examine students in selected modules. The support of
stakeholders in approving the new journalism and corporate communications regulations
is going to make strides towards the redressing of the often cited criticism of the poor
calibre of media graduates the country currently produces.
The language use and writing proficiency of the current crop of journalists have also been
decried by many. One way to recruit the best language users is to insist on language and
general knowledge entrance examinations for aspiring media and journalism students.
These examinations should be conducted over and above the ZIMSEC and Cambridge
Ordinary and Advanced Level qualifications.
The public examination system at secondary school level has let through graduates who
can barely read or write, let alone construct grammatically sensible sentences. The root of
the problem is arguably the removal of lessons in grammar at primary school level.
English examinations at primary and secondary school levels are testing for general sense
and not the actual proper ways in which the sense is expressed.

Crude versions of English with a Zimbabwean flavour or perspective are then
accommodated with regrettable results. Such relaxations of terms for examination can
make sense in some sectors where language and meaning are negotiable to a certain
extent, but the fields of media and journalism studies rely on the erudite use of language.
The lower level language teaching structures of our system should be revisited because
there cannot be miracles in language writing at tertiary level when the foundation is not
insisting on what is required by the journalism and media industry.
It is however true that sub-editing skills have also degenerated due to loss of the older
generation of sub-editors. There is still no strict journalism and sub-editing qualification
in the country or region. The industry has largely relied on former English or other
language teachers who are then trained to apply their linguistic skills in line with
journalism expectations. Their total lack of journalistic skills undermines the faith reposed
in them by reporters. As a result they merely sub copy and lay out pages without
providing any journalistic guidance on the basis of any superior journalistic skills.
What is needed is a consistent programme to train sub-editors, preferably through a post-

graduate diploma programme of not more than one year duration.
9.4 PROPOSALS BY INDEPENDENT PRODUCERS TO REJUVENATE

AND CAPACITATE THE ELECTRONIC MEDIA PRODUCTION SECTOR
1. There is need to compile a pool of competent trainers who will be used from time to
time to conduct workshops in special areas of need, like feature writing, financial
reporting, television reporting, television documentaries, reporting for radio.
2. Capacitate the trainers to improve their skills and motivation.
3. Compel media houses to arrange for staff to attend regular short courses or workshops.
4. Come up with a Code of Ethics by which all media houses will be bound.
5. Insist on the appointment of qualified and experienced personnel to senior positions in

the media.
6. Avoid political interference in story and programme content.
7. Appoint competent people, including media practitioners to media boards.
8. Revive the Zimbabwe Mass Media Trust to resume its original functions.
9. Transform ZBC into a public broadcaster with more people-oriented programmes, thus
giving the ordinary people a voice.

10. Allow for more competition in broadcasting by licensing more stations, both radio and
television to create competition and thus improve quality.
11. License community radio stations and learn from experiences of other African
countries (catering for different interest groups, etc).
12. Reduce or scrap duty to enable importation of modern equipment.
13. Educate legislators and government officials on the role played by the media in society
and the importance of availing information on time.
14. Revive the public relations role of the Ministry of Media, Information and
Broadcasting Services to assist practitioners to gain access to information from
government ministries and departments.
15. Support incentives such as the national journalism and media awards, and the
National Arts and Merit Awards, as they play a vital role in promoting excellence.
16. ZBC to be encouraged to pay market rates for content submitted by independent
producers. They are currently flouting their own commissioning policies by giving
producers only two-and-a-half minutes airtime for a 30-minute programme, which
amounts to less than $1500 and a fee not even enough to compile a music show. That is
why most commissioned programmes on ZTV are talk shows that are cheaper to produce.
Independent producers say the national institution is abusing them because of its
monopoly and they know that the producers have no alternative for their visual works.
17. Producers also called on government to revive the Production Services Department
that used to create employment by engaging independent producers to work on various
programmes such as audio/visual music productions and documentaries.
18. The department can set up information kiosks in rural areas with independent
producers producing the material such as audio/visuals on parliamentary proceedings,
agriculture, mining, health, education and any information on ZimAsset.
19. The department can acquire television production equipment that can be hired out to
talented producers who may not have resources to start production work.

9.5 PROPSOAL FOR NATIONAL FILM BOARD
FILM POLICY PROPOSAL
RE-SUBMITTED TO: HON. MIN. PROF J. MOYO
MINISTER OF INFORMATION, MEDIA AND BROADCASTING

SERVICES
SUBMITTED BY: THE ZIMBABWE FILM INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
SUBMITTED: ON BEHALF OF ZIMBABWEAN FILMMAKERS
DATE OF RE- SUBMISSION: 25/10/2013
______________________________________
THE NATIONAL FILM BOARD (NAFIB)

____________________________
To make further and better provision for the development of a dynamic, professional and self-
sustaining Zimbabwean film-making industry that is globally competitive and to provide for
matters incidental to or connected with the foregoing.
ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS
1) Short Title and date of commencement

2) Interpretation
3) Objects of the National Film Board (NAFIB)
4) Powers and duties of the National Film Board
5) Establishment and Composition of the Board
6) General Criteria for Membership of the Board
7) Tenure and vacation of office of the National Film Board
8) Meetings of the National Film Board
9) Establishment and Composition of the Executive Committee of the Board
10) Appointment of Sub-Committees of National Film Board
11) Establishment and Composition of the Film Classification Sub-Committee herein known as
the FCC.
12) Classification of Films
13) Attendance at Film Exhibitions
14) Distribution and marketing of Films
15) Registration and Licensing of Film Exhibition Premises
16) Registration of film exhibition operators with the Copyright Office
17) Appointment and Role of the Executive Secretary and the National Film Board Secretariat
18) Conditions of Service of Staff of the secretariat
19) Financing Operations of the Board
20) Submission of Income and Expenditure estimates to the Minister
21) Establishment of a National Film Fund (NAFF)

PREAMBLE
Whereas the National Film Board is constituted and incorporated into one body politic and
corporate with perpetual succession and with power to sue and be sued;
And whereas it is desirable that the National Film Board should be constituted by and under the
law of Zimbabwe.

Now therefore be it enacted by the President and the Parliament of Zimbabwe.

1) SHORT TITLE AND DATE OF COMMENCEMENT
(i) This Act may be cited as the National Film Board Act, 20.
(ii) This Act shall come into operation on such date as the President may specify by notice
in the Government Gazette.
2) INTERPRETATION
In this Act----
board means
membership to National Film Board means
Tenure of Office means
Meetings of the Board means
Executive Committee means
sub-committees means
film Classification Sub-Committee means
attendance at Film Exhibitions means
distribution and marketing of Films means
registration and Licensing of Premises means
registration with the Copyright Office means
revocation or suspension of License means
notices means
appointment and role of Executive secretary means
secretariat staff means
conditions of service means
funds of the board means
levys means
State lottery support means
tax breaks means
tax shelters means
entertainment tax means
the Minister means
national film fundmeans
Film Development Fund means
film fund means
Bursaries means
students means
training workshops means
film conferences means
television series means
film festivals means
specialized productions means
script development means
feature films means
commercial film revolving fund means

3) OBJECTIVES OF THE NATIONAL FILM BOARD
The objects of the National Film Board are:

} giving of meaningful state support for the professional development of the film sector,
} enhancing the operational capacity of Zimbabwean owned film production houses,
} promoting the training of Zimbabwean crew in all departments and levels to first class
standards,
} promoting and protecting the patronage of Zimbabwean films by Zimbabwean audiences
and viewers, and
} spearheading the marketing and distribution of Zimbabwean film products nationally,
regionally and internationally.
And for these objects the National Film Board shall, subject to the provisions of this Act and in
addition to any other powers conferred by this Act have the following Powers and Duties------

4) POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE BOARD
a) To establish a well-endowed and sustainable film fund which can ensure the competitiveness of
the local film industry by soliciting for funds from government, from institutions and organizations
and from film industry stakeholders in Zimbabwe and from abroad but always mindful of the
sanctity of national objectives of the film sector in Zimbabwe.
b) To facilitate the implementation of existing regulatory quotas for the exhibition of local content
from independent production houses on all television stations in the country.
c) To encourage the adoption of a national code of ethics for the film sector based on the
aspirations and practices of various film related associations in the country as part of safeguarding
professional standards of local productions and publicly exhibited local film products.
d) To network with filmmaking and film supporting institutions at home and abroad and, where
appropriate, facilitate the establishment of co-production treaties with other countries and
ensure favourable quota system for locals in all crews.
e) To encourage the private sector to actively participate in financing local film as part of business
and as a way of qualifying for tax rebates from appropriate taxation authorities.
f) To levy all commercial film products distributed and exhibited in Zimbabwe and collect fees
from registration of premises intended for exhibition of film as well as from libraries and shops
which sell and or rent out films including fees from Pay TV and an agreed percentage of takings
from the state lottery to contribute to the national film fund.
g) To establish strategic and productive linkages between the film sector in the country and the
various cultural industries, the broadcasting services and the National Arts Council.
h) To support the establishment of nationwide film distribution company with a capacity to liaise
meaningfully with other regional and international film distribution companies.
i )To lobby for and support the capitalization of local production houses through state guaranteed
loans.
j) To lobby for and support the exemption of duty on specific film production, training and
exhibition equipment.

k) To facilitate immigration procedures for foreign professionals invited by local production
houses and other film organizations to develop skills.
l) To support the establishment of first class national film and video training institutions and
provide scholarships to deserving students and practicing professionals for further training both
at home and abroad.
m) To promote and support the introduction of film education at primary and secondary schools
and at colleges and at all levels of society as well as the mentoring of entry filmmakers by
established filmmakers.
n) To establish and support the Film Classification sub- Committee (FCC) to classify films before
they are distributed and exhibited in return for a small fee.
o) To provide detailed guidelines to be used by the FCC to determine films which suit specific age-
groups for viewing purposes etc. and to provide operational definitions in regard to sex, violence
and nudity.
p) To establish easily accessible film viewing venues at local and national levels and promote the
use of mobile cinema for disadvantaged rural and urban communities.
q) To establish national cinema in each provincial capital and promote the regular celebration of
local film successes especially those screen products which reflect women and childrens
perspectives and role in society.
r) To support training in film evaluation and/or criticism for established and trainee journalists
and vigorously facilitate media coverage for all ongoing film activities through all media platforms.
s) To promote the use of African languages, African cultural practices, popular African
achievements and aspirations in the production of films.
t) To promote the setting up of information desks on Zimbabwean films in all embassies of

Zimbabwe.
u) To strengthen all locally owned film festivals and promote the establishment of film festivals in
each provincial capital.
v) To support the participation of local film makers and the exhibition of their products at
international film festivals.
x) To establish both national and internationally accessible publications concerning Zimbabwean

film activities and products.
y) To work closely with law enforcement agents to eradicate piracy in the film sector and to work
closely with the copyright office to promote compliance with the laws regulating copyright and
the disbursement of royalties to filmmakers.
z) To support meaningful research activities on film and the audio-visual sector and to compile
and maintain a comprehensive data-base of persons, institutions, organizations and facilities and
services pertaining to the audio-visual sector in the country.

5) ESTABLISHMENT AND COMPOSITION OF THE BOARD
a) There shall be established a board officially entitled The National Film Board (NAFIB)
consisting no fewer than 10 and no more than 15 members.
b) The members shall be appointed by the Minister from the parent ministry from a short list
of no more than 25.
c) Nominations for inclusion in the short list shall be obtained from the film sector, the,
broadcasting services, the legal fraternity, the financial sector, national film training schools
,business, HR and marketing sectors, from Ministry of Media, Information And Publicity, from
Ministry of Education, Sports , Arts and Culture and from Ministry of Tourism and the
Hospitality Industry.
d) A panel appointed by the minister and headed by the Permanent Secretary of the parent
ministry shall interview the nominees and make recommendations for appointment to the
minister.
e) The chairperson of the board shall be appointed by the minister from amongst the
members of the board and such a person shall be the chairperson for the period for which the
person was appointed as a member of the board.
f) If the chairperson of the board is absent from a meeting of the board, members present at
that meeting shall appoint one of their members to preside over that meeting.
g) No member of the board shall serve on the board on a full-time basis.
h) Members of the board shall, in respect of their service, receive such allowances as
generally determined by the state.
i) Members of the board who apply for grants or loans from the NAFIB during their tenure of
office shall excuse themselves from the adjudication process to avoid conflict of interest
situations.
j) At least half of the Board members should be drawn from the film sector.
6) GENERAL CRITERIA FOR MEMBERSHIP TO THE NATIONAL FILM BOARD
Members of the National Film Board shall be persons who:
a) Have comprehensive knowledge and or experience in film and the audio-visual sector
b) Have specialist skills which may not be directly related to film and the audio-visual sector
but which would be beneficial to the functioning of the board e.g. accounting skills,
management skills etc.
c) Have no record of conviction for serious offenses and no record of imprisonment for such
offenses.
d) Have no record as un-rehabilitated insolvents.
e) Have no record as being mentally unsound.
f) Are citizens of Zimbabwe and are 30 years or above in age.
g) Are people who have achieved some prominence in their professional fields.


7) TENURE AND VACATION OF OFFICE
A member of the board shall vacate office if he or she:
a) Becomes disqualified according to laid down regulations and requirements.
b) Has, without leave of the board, been absent from four consecutive meetings of the board.
c) For medical reasons becomes incapacitated in ways which would make it difficult for him or
her to carry out duties and responsibilities as expected by the board.
d) Submits a letter of resignation to the chairperson of the board, and a copy of the same
letter to the minister.
e) Resigns, dies, is removed from office, or is for sufficient reasons unable to act as a
member, the minister shall, in consultation with the board, appoint another person for the
unexpired portion of the members term of office.
f) Has held office for a period of four years and shall be eligible for reappointment after a
further four years have elapsed.
g) Is removed from office by the board for reasons related to undoubted incompetence,
obvious lack of commitment, non-attendance at meetings, and/or for behavior likely to cause
damage to the integrity and or standing of the board.
h) However when the terms of reference and conditions stipulated in Section 4 (see ag
above ) have been duly considered and where necessary, implemented, and the term of office
of the entire board has come to an end, a third of members of the board shall be re-
appointed to serve for a further four years (for purposes of continuity and retention of
experience) after which they shall not be eligible for reappointment until a further four years
have elapsed.
8) MEETINGS OF THE BOARD
a) The board shall meet at least four times a year, and such meetings shall be held at times
and places determined by the chairperson and agreed to by the board members.
b) The chairperson of the board may at any time convene a special meeting of the board,
which shall be held at such time and place as the chairperson may direct.
c) A quorum of the Board shall be a majority of its sitting members.
d) Any decision of the Board shall be taken by resolution of the majority of the members
present at any meeting of the Board and, in the event of an equality of votes on any matter,
the chairperson presiding at the meeting in question shall have a casting vote in addition to
his or her deliberative vote as a member of the Board.
e) A member of the Board shall not vote or participate in proceedings at any meeting of the
Board nor be present at the venue where such a meeting is held if, in relation to any matter
before the board, he or she has any interest which precludes him or her from performing his
or her functions as a member of the Board in a fair, unbiased and proper manner.

9) EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD
The Board shall establish an executive committee:
a) Which shall consist of the Chairperson of Board, and such other members of the Board as
the Board may determine, but which shall not exceed a third of the Boards total
membership at the time.
b) Which shall, subject to the direction of the Board, exercise the powers and perform the
duties conferred upon it by the mandate outlined in the objects of the Board.
c) Whose chairperson shall be the chairperson of the Board.
d) Which shall meet at times and places as the chairperson of that committee may direct.
e) Whose quorum for a meeting shall be the majority of its members .
f) Whose decisions on all key issues shall be ratified by the full Board.
g) Whose other key role is to monitor and guide the performance of the Executive Secretary
without being involved in the day to day work of the Secretariat.
h) Whose other key function is to respond to situations in a timely and profitable manner
whenever the need arises, for the benefit of the film sector.
10) SUB-COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD
a) The Board has the full authority to appoint sub-committees, which may, subject to the
instructions of the Board, perform such functions of the Board as the Board may determine.
b) The Board shall ensure that all sub-committees shall consist of some appropriate members
of the Board , employees of the Board, if any, and any number of experts or advisors from the
general public, as the Board may deem necessary.
c) The Board shall normally designate one of its members to be the chairperson of any sub-
committee of the Board.
d) The Board shall pay a member of a sub-committee such allowances as the Minister may
approve.
e) The Board shall not be absolved from the performance of any function entrusted to any
sub-committee of the Board in terms of this section.
e) The Board may at any time re-constitute or dissolve any of its sub-committees.
11) FILM CLASSIFICATION SUB-COMMITTEE
a) The Board shall establish a Film Classification sub-Committee herein named the Film
Classification Committee (FCC).
b) The FCC shall be comprised of some members of the Board and non-members and the FCC
shall perform such functions as the Board shall assign to it.
c) The Board shall rotate its members of the Board to the FCC once a year to ensure that
members of the Board keep abreast of developments in the film sector.
d) A member of the classification committee shall be paid such allowances as may be

determined by the Minister.

12) CLASSIFICATION OF FILMS
a) The FCC shall preview and classify feature films, documentaries and adverts that are
intended for exhibition.
b) All free to air television stations shall submit their films to the FCC two weeks in advance of
the date of showing the said films for preview by the FCC for a reasonable fee.
c) A rights owner, a licensee or assignee who desires to exhibit a film shall at least submit the
film to the FCC thirty working days before the intended date of exhibition.
d) Upon receipt of the film the FCC shall within fourteen working days preview the film and
determine whether it is suitable for exhibition or not.
e) Where the FCC determines that a film is suitable for exhibition the FCC shall classify as
follows:
AA.For all ages
PG.To be watched under parental guidance.
12..For persons of twelve years and over
15..For persons of fifteen years and over
18..For person of eighteen years and over.
18--SVNSex, violence and Nudityfor persons of eighteen years and over.
f) Where the FCC determines that parts of a film are not suitable for exhibition, it shall
direct the person who submitted the film to recast those parts of the film it considers
unsuitable for exhibition and re-submit the film for re-classification.
g) The FCC upon preview and classification of a film shall fix to the film as part of the film
identification a mark recording the decision of the FCC.
h) The FCC shall inform the person who sub-mitted the film for preview and classification the
Boards decision and issue the certificate of classification to the person who submitted
the film.
i) The Board shall not approve for public exhibition a film that the board considers to be
pornographic.
13) ATTENDANCE AT FILM EXHIBITIONS
a) A person shall not attend a film exhibition if that person is not qualified to attend by
virtue of the classification of the FCC.
b) A person who exhibits a film under a license issued by the NAFIB shall not permit another
person who is disqualified by virtue of the film classification of the FCC to enter or remain on
the premises where the exhibition is taking place.
c) Where the exhibitor of a film is of the opinion that a person who wishes to enter or
remain on the premises or theatre for exhibition is disqualified by virtue of the classification,
the exhibitor shall refund any entrance fee paid by that person and send that person away
from the premises of the exhibition.

14) DISTRIBUTION AND MARKETING OF FILMS
a) A person or company shall not distribute any film unless that person obtains a license
issued by the Board.
b) The distribution and marketing of films in Zimbabwe are reserved for citizens of Zimbabwe
or for companies in compliance with the indigenization policies of the country.
15) REGISTRATION AND LICENSING OF PREMISES
a) A person shall not exhibit or allow to be exhibited on any premises a film unless that person
has registered and holds a license for that purpose issued in respect of the premises by the
Board.
b) A person shall not display for renting or rent out or sell or distribute any film unless that
person holds a license issued by the Board for that purpose.
c) A person who intends to obtain a license shall apply in the prescribed form to the Board
and shall pay the prescribed fee.
d) Where the application relates to a license for a film library, the applicant shall submit with
the application a list of the films held.
e) The Board may invite an applicant to provide additional information where it considers it
necessary.
f) The Board shall within four weeks of receipt of an application appoint an inspection team
to inspect the premises.
g) The inspection team shall comprise representatives of each of the following: ZRP, local
Government, Ministry of Health, the fire services, ZESA and some Board members.
h) The inspection team shall inspect any premises in respect of which an application for
exhibition is made and shall satisfy itself as to the adequacy of: ventilation, fire-
protection, sanitary facilities, entrances and exits and other facilities relating to health
and safety.
i) The inspection team shall within fourteen working days submit its report including its
recommendations in writing to the Board.
j) The Board shall issue a license to the applicant when conditions and requirements
relating to safety, health and prescribed fees have been complied with.
k) Where an application relates to a license for the exhibition of films, the license shall be
issued within seven working days after it has received the inspection report, where
approval is recommended in the report.
l) Where an application is for a license to operate a film library, the license shall be issued
by the Board within fourteen working days after the application has been received.
m) Where verification of the list of films submitted by the applicant is required, the license
shall be issued by the Board within twenty-eight working days after the application has
been received.
n) A license is valid for a period of twelve months subject to renewal and may be subject to
conditions which the Board may determine.
o) The issue and renewal of a license shall attract fees prescribed by the Board.

p) Where the Board, for any reason, does not approve the grant of a license, the Board shall
inform the applicant of its decision in writing within thirty working days of receipt of the
application.
q) Failure by the Board to inform the applicant of its decision on an application shall be
construed to be a grant of a license to the applicant.
r) An applicant dissatisfied with the decision of the Board may petition the Minister for a
review of the decision.
s) Where an applicant is dissatisfied with the decision of the Minister in respect of a petition
for a review, the applicant may apply to the High Court for a judicial review of the
Ministers decision.
16) REGISTRATION WITH THE COPYRIGHT OFFICE, REVOCATION OR SUSPENSION OF LICENSE

AND NOTICES
a) A person shall not be issued a license to operate unless that person registers with the
Copyright Office.
b) A license issued by the Board shall not be transferred without the prior written consent of
the Board.
c) The Board shall revoke or suspend a license (i) if the Board is satisfied that the holder of the
license has contravened or failed to comply with the conditions of the license;(ii)the holder of
the license has been convicted of an offense under this act or under any copyright law; and
(iii) if the Board is satisfied that it is in the public interest to do so.
d) A theatre which is licensed by the Board shall display in a conspicuous place on the
premises and in legible and bold writing a notice to that effect.
e) A notice under sub-section (d) shall state the hours of operation and the fees chargeable
for entry.
f) A right owner, licensee or assignee who exhibits a film or operates in a theatre shall
advertise the film.
g) The advertisement of the film shall state its classification with the appropriate warning.
g) Publicity materials shall be displayed in front of the theatre or premises.
17) APPOINTMENT AND ROLE OF THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
a) The NAFIB shall appoint a full-time Executive Secretary .
b) The Executive secretary shall be responsible for the day to day management of affairs of
the Board and shall report on those affairs to the NAFIB as shall be spelt out in his
performance contact.
c) The Executive Secretary shall be appointed for such a period and subject to such conditions,
including conditions relating to payment of remuneration and allowances as the NAFIB shall
determine and may be re-appointed on the expiry of his period of service as spelt out in his
contract.

d) The Executive Secretary shall be secretary to the NAFIB
e) The NAFIB shall assist the Executive Secretary in recruiting other officers considered as
crucial to the efficient running of the secretariat but always mindful that the cost structure of
such a secretariat shall not be top-heavy and a drain on funds which should be earmarked for
film development and film making.
f) Whenever the Executive Secretary is absent or unable to carry out his or her duties, the
NAFIB shall appoint an employee of the Board to act as the Executive Secretary.
g) The Executive Secretary shall be the chief accounting officer charged with the responsibility
of accounting for all monies received and the utilization thereof and be responsible for the
property of the Board.
18) STAFF AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE
a) The Board may, on such conditions as it may determine, appoint such number of
employees as it deems necessary to enable the Board to perform its functions.
b) The Board shall, out of its own funds , pay its employees such remuneration, allowances,
subsidies and other benefits as the Board may determine in accordance with a system
approved for that purpose by the Minister.
19) FINANCING OPERATIONS OF THE BOARD
The funds of the Board shall consist of:
a) Government Grants.
b) Charges on services rendered by the Board.
c) Grants and other forms of technical assistance from international funding agencies e.g.
UNESCO etc.
d) Donations from business enterprises and other local or international stakeholder
organizations
e) A percentage of the entertainment tax charged on film exhibitions as the Minister of
Finance may determine.
f) Funds raised from special events and other Board activities.
g) Interest on investments by the Board
h) Levies from blank DVD and DVD taxes from retail shops and from specified digital devices
capable of downloading and uploading film related materials.
i) State Lottery support.
j) At least 70% of all funds earmarked for operations of the Board should be spent on
supporting film and video making activities and the rest on sustaining the cost structure
of the management of the Board.
20) ESTIMATES OF INCOME AND EXPENDITURE
a) The Board shall submit to the Minister at such times and in such form as the parent
ministry may direct detailed estimates of the Boards income and expenditure for the next
financial year.

b) The Board shall keep books of account and proper records in relation to financial affairs
and transactions of the Board
c) The books of account of the Board shall be audited annually by the auditor general or an
auditor appointed by the auditor general.
d) The financial year of the Board shall be the same as the financial year of the government.
21) ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NATIONAL FILM FUND (NAFF)
The Board shall establish a National Film Fund comprising three distinct financial votes
namely: the Film Development Fund (FDF), Local Feature Fund (LFF) and the Commercial Film
Revolving Fund.(CFRF)
a) The purpose of the Film Development Fund(FDF) is to provide funding for:

(i) Entry level producers and first time directors.
(ii) Bursaries for promising students to study film making.
(iii) Support for film training workshops and film conferences.
(iv) Support for production of (very promising) television series including drama,
animated serials, sitcoms, soaps and comedy.
(v) Support for production of television documentaries, including short and
specialized productions.
(vi) Support for Script Development.
(vii) Support for film festivals, exhibitions, marketing and research.
(viii) Support for film productions for and by particularly disadvantaged groups in the
country.
b) The purpose of the Local Feature Fund (LFF) is to provide funding for local feature films.
c) The purpose of the Commercial Film Revolving Fund (CFRF) is to provide seed money in
the form of loans and capital investment with the aim of attracting private investment for
deserving film projects with potential to generate profits.
d) In pursuance of the objective stated in section 19c the Board shall lobby for establishment
of a special film unit within the Ministry of Industry and Commerce that facilitates
investment in the film sector and operates a rebate mechanism to promote such
investment.
e) The Board shall also lobby for a specific arrangement within the Ministry of Finance that
encourages investment in the film sector through provision of tax incentives such as tax
shelters to deserving investors whose business activities support the film sector in a
meaningful way.
___________________

9.6 REPORT ON THE MEETING WITH THE HUMAN RIGHTS AND
GOOD GOVERNANCE COOPERATING PARTNERS MEDIA
SUB-GROUP October 15, 2014
Introduction
As part of the recently concluded information gathering exercise, the Information and
Media Panel of Inquiry (IMPI) panelists sought to conduct a meeting with the Human
Rights and Good Governance (HRGG) media sub-group of cooperating partners. The aim
of the meeting was to seek to understand their funding patterns as well as their key
funding objectives.

The HRGG is made up of representatives from Australia, Denmark, European Union,
France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, United States, and United Kingdom.
However due to circumstances beyond IMPIs control the meeting was not held. The
HRGG indicated to IMPI that due to the large number of members in their committee,
they were unable to find a time suitable for all members to attend. The committee
however committed to respond in writing to the questions from IMPI.

Issues Arising
The HRGG divided the questions into: Contextual Questions and Resource Questions.

Contextual Questions
IMPI tabled the following contextual questions to the media sub-group:
Considering the fact that you contribute to the funding of journalism training initiatives,
what is your comment on the status of the media in Zimbabwe today?
Over the years the donor community has invested substantial amounts of money in the
information sector and media industry. Please highlight the impact of your assistance.
There is a general perception that donor agencies focus on building parallel structures to
those of government. What is your comment on this?
There is a perception that donors interfere with programmes of recipients resulting in a
polarised relationship with governments. What is your response?
Are there plans to ensure that programmes receive adequate funding to ensure long-
term viability?
Would donors be amenable to funding public institutions such as journalism training
colleges?

HRGG Responses
In response, the media sub-sector stated that they were encouraged by the progress in the
media sector over the last few years. In particular, the new Constitution that now has
expanded guarantees for freedom of expression and access to information in Sections 61
and 62. The hub looked forward to the alignment of current and future laws to the
provisions outlined in the new constitution. The hub welcomed the increased openness to
engagement by the Ministry of Information and other bodies through this IMPI process.

The licensing process for local commercial radio stations is a further indicator of increased
plurality in the sector.

In their response they highlighted the following challenges in the media:
Current ambiguities in the legal framework, especially around criminal defamation.
Inadequate skills and capacity among journalists.
A lack of editorial independence.
A lack of resources and unclear regulatory framework for licensing community
media.

The HRGG media sub-group engagement in the media sector was designed to support
and promote the vision and legal provisions established by the constitution. In this
regard, the hub looked forward to strengthening engagement with the Ministry of
Information, civil society, the private sector, and other stakeholders in order to work more
collaboratively on issues that affect the media sector. As a more collaborative approach
would further help to identify prioritisation of issues (potentially including journalism
training colleges) and ensure longer term viable support is more strategically provided.

Resource Questions
IMPI tabled the following resource questions:
What form of aid are you giving to the media sector? What philosophy guides your
funding of these activities?
How do you determine what areas to fund?

HRGG Response
The cooperating partners funding patterns are influenced by the Paris Declaration on Aid
Effectiveness (2005) and the Accra Agenda for Action (2008). Aid is therefore aligned to
Zimbabwean stakeholder priorities. The Media Alliance of Zimbabwe identified the
following five strategic areas that have helped to inform cooperating partner
engagements.

The strategic areas are:
Media policy and legislative reform in line with the new Constitution.
Promotion of media plurality and diversity.
Strengthening professionalism and ethics in the media sector.
Creation of safe, equitable, and enabling working conditions in the media sector.
Promoting the right to access information.

The media sub-sector indicated that funding efforts in Zimbabwe have been aligned to
promote and achieve results in the above five strategic areas through support to:
o Advocacy civil society groups;
o Support to training; and,
o Support to state institutions such as the Zimbabwe Media Commission. ====

INFORMATION &
MEDIA PANEL OF
INQUIRY
CHAPTER 6
GENDER, ADVOCACY AND MARGINALISED GROUPS
Gender, Advocacy and Marginalised Groups
PANELISTS
Chris Chivinge, Committee Chairperson
Thembelihle Khumalo
Plaxedes Wenyika
Fungisai Zvakavapano-Mashavave
Research/ Programme Officer
Nobukhosi Mutangadura
IMPI
CONTENTS

CHAPTER 6

Gender and marginalised groups are
1. Introduction and Scope of Study mentioned in the Terms of Reference
with regard to the integrity and
2. Literature Review and Theoretical adequacy of news and information
Framework as follows:

4) To inquire into the integrity and
3. Summary of Research Findings
adequacy of news and information in
relation to the needs of or on:
4. Outreach Summaries
The Economy -- National Interest --
National Security Politics --
5. Statistical Analysis
National Processes (Referenda,
Elections, Constitutional Exercises,
6. Submissions to the Committee Inquiries, etc) -- Citizenry, both
Rural and Urban, Local and Diaspora
7. Recommendations -- Rights and Justice -- Global Issues
-- Gender, Marginalised Groups
8. Appendix and Interests.
Lessons from the Region ...From Terms of Reference for An

Kenya, South Africa Official Inquiry into the State of the
Zimbabwe

1 INTRODUCTION AND SCOPE OF STUDY
_____________________

The study is an investigation of the representation, participation, coverage and portrayal
of women, children and marginalised groups in Zimbabwes media between January 2012
and June 2014, and broadly seeks to understand gender mainstreaming, disability
mainstreaming, discrimination, and the ethical coverage of marginalised groups. The
study also investigates the role played by Zimbabwes media organisations in advocacy.
As indicated by the title, this study does not exclude men, as any gender analysis
considers the role of both women and men in the society, and in this case, in the media
and information sector. By eliciting the views of the public, media practitioners and media
stakeholders, the study seeks to contribute to the evaluation of the state of the media in
Zimbabwe.

1.1 Legal Framework and Gender Context
The Constitution of Zimbabwe in its preamble and founding provisions upholds gender
equality. In Chapter 2, Section 17, the National Objectives obligate the state to attain
gender balance, as shown.

Constitution of Zimbabwe, Act 2013. Chapter 2National Objectives

17 Gender balance

(1) The State must promote full gender balance in Zimbabwean society, and in
particular
(a) the State must promote the full participation of women in all spheres of
Zimbabwean society on the basis of equality with men;
(b) the State must take all measures, including legislative measures, needed
to ensure that

(i) both genders are equally represented in all institutions and agencies of
government at every level; and
(ii) women constitute at least half of the membership of all Commissions
and other elective and appointed governmental bodies established by or
under this Constitution or any Act of Parliament; and
(c) the State and all institutions and agencies of government at every level

must take practical measures to ensure that women have access to
resources, including land, on the basis of equality with men.
(2) The State must take positive measures to rectify gender discrimination and
imbalances resulting from past practices and policies.

The regional Protocol on Gender and Development adopted by the Southern African
Development Community (SADC) and binding on all parties to the Protocol, including
Zimbabwe, since 22 February 2013, upholds gender mainstreaming and equality of
representation at 50:50 by 2015.

SADC PROTOCOL ON GENDER
AND Media provisions in this Protocol obligate
DEVELOPMENT signatory governments to:
PART THREE v Ensure gender is mainstreamed in all

GOVERNANCE information, communication and media
ARTICLE 12 policies, programmes, laws and training in
REPRESENTATION
1. States Parties shall endeavour that,
accordance with the Constitution.
by 2015, at least fifty percent of v Encourage the media and media-
decision-making positions in the public related bodies to mainstream gender in their
and private sectors are held by women
including the use of affirmative action codes of conduct, policies and procedures and
measures as provided for in Article 5. adopt and implement gender-aware ethical
2. States Parties shall ensure that all principles, codes of practice and policies in
legislative and other measures are
accompanied by public awareness accordance with the SADC Protocol on
campaigns which demonstrate the vital Culture, Information and Sport.
link between the equal representation v Take measures to promote the equal
and participation of women and men in
decision-making positions, democracy, representation of women in the ownership
good governance and citizen and decision-making structures of the media,
participation. in accordance with Article 12.1 that provides
ARTICLE 13 for equal representation of women in decision-
PARTICIPATION making positions by 2015.
2. States Parties shall ensure the equal
participation of women and men in
decision-making by putting in place
Given the background of the above provisions,
policies, strategies and programmes Zimbabwe is yet to achieve milestones on the
for: inclusion of women in the media. Statistics
(a) building the capacity of women to
participate effectively through obtained from Gender Links (2010), Southern
leadership and gender sensitivity African Gender and Media Progress Study
training and mentoring; (GMPS) and the Media Monitoring Project
(b) providing support structures for
women in decision-making positions; Zimbabwe (MMPZ) 2011regarding women
(c) the establishment and strengthening representation in media, reveal the following:
of structures The proportion of women in media
to enhance gender mainstreaming; and
(d) changing discriminatory attitudes leadership is 13%.
and norms of decision-making The proportion of women sources in
structures and procedures. media is 11%.
3. States Parties shall ensure the Media coverage on issues related to
inclusion of men in all gender-related gender is only 0.4% of content, and women
activities, including gender training political voices in media comprised a mere 5%.
and community mobilisation. ...
There are more radio reporters who are
Reproduced from SADC Gender Monitor women (24%) and fewer print reporters (11%)
2013, SADC / SARDC
when compared to regional figures of 30% and
25% respectively.
Male journalist get better working
deals and 82% are more likely to be employed
full time with open-ended contracts.

The committee sought to investigate the state of media in Zimbabwe and specifically the
way women and men are treated in media organisations. This included consideration of
both blatant and subtle stereotypes in the media. These investigations were conducted in
the context of the Zimbabwean culture.

The report on Power, Patriarchy and Gender Discrimination in Zimbabwean Newsrooms by
Media Monitoring Africa (2014) states that,
one of the many recurring challenges within the media industry in Zimbabwe
remains rooted in the unprofessional conduct of journalists and media practitioners,
especially in how female and male media workers relate to one another. This
conduct is embedded within a system of patriarchy.
The Zimbabwean culture is often patriarchal, but this stance is challenged by the National
Gender Policy, whose mission is to have,
A gender just society in which men and women enjoy equity, contribute and
benefit as equal partners in the development of the country.

One of the key areas of the policy is to ensure equal access to, control and ownership of,
media and ICTs by men and women to enhance development across all sectors. Inasmuch
as these instruments have been put in place, the number of women who own and work in
the media industry is yet to reach great heights or any heights at all.

A question often asked is Where are the women in the media and ICT industry?

1.2 Marginalised Groups

One of the pillars of democracy in any country is information and its effective
distribution. Without reliable and balanced information about what happens in the
government and society, it is difficult, if not impossible, for people to participate in the
running of the country. (Richard Saunders, 1999. Dancing out of tune a history of the media in
Zimbabwe)

The committee defines marginalised groups as women, children, elderly, and people
living with disabilities or HIV. It is difficult, if not impossible, for marginalised groups to
participate in the management of issues that concern their wellbeing and place in society,
and ultimately, in the affairs of running the country -- without access to reliable and
balanced information about what is happening and recent developments.

This brings into sharp focus the need for effective packaging and distribution of
information in order to ensure the participation of marginalised groups in the running of
the country, and to generate awareness for other members of society that disability does
not mean inability. Access to information has become an essential tool in this highly
technological era, as the new medium of wealth and power is now defined as information
in the hands of many and not wealth in the hands of a few.

The media are a uniquely powerful and influential tool -- in the form of radio, television,
internet, print, movies, visual arts, and music, theatre and other performing arts, among
others. Media shape the way in which society views and understands the world. Whether
media are used on a micro or macro level, they have the unequalled capacity to examine,
communicate, educate and inform about people, places and ideas.

Mindful of the ever-expanding role of the media in shaping society's views of itself, the
committees objective was to consider the way in which media communicate images of
vulnerable groups, minority groups, and marginalised people, including women and
children. Having identified the media and their power to shape and influence our
thinking and as a result our decision-making, consideration can be given to some
examples of how these images and words influence our attitude towards one another.
Attitudes are created, reinforced and perpetuated by what is heard, read and seen in the
media.

The visual media as presently constituted, including television and film, portray people
with disabilities, as well as children and women, in a negative perspective. Disabled
women are not portrayed as consumers who buy products, fall in love or have careers.
The sight of a disabled person thus becomes unusual, and unusual sights are stared at,
often leaving people with disabilities feeling like outcasts in society.

Women make up more than half of the population in Zimbabwe, yet, especially in films,
they appear much less frequently than do men and the portrayal is stereotyped. When
they do appear, the portrayals can undermine their presence by being hyper-attractive
or hyper-sexual and/or passive (Smith L, 2008).

The use of language, and especially the use of language in relation to women, children
and people with disabilities in the print and electronic media, has an impact on society.
With the internet and the electronic media, fast communication with the general public
through the written word reaches large numbers of people. This means that the media are
once again in a powerful position to shape attitudes and beliefs towards marginalised
groups. Certain words and phrases shape perceptions and inclinations towards certain
action and behaviour towards a particular group of people.

1.3 Scope and Methodology
There are three contextual issues surrounding this study
o the large numbers of female students trained in media and communication schools
around the country and their absence in the media workplace;
o the portrayal of women, children and people with disabilities in the media; and
o how the media are regarded as advocacy tools in the country.


1.3.1 Problem statement
What is the state of Zimbabwes media in achieving gender mainstreaming,
identifying forms of gender discrimination, and the ethical coverage of

1.3.2 Research questions
Is gender adequately mainstreamed in Zimbabwes media?
What forms of gender discrimination are prevalent in Zimbabwes media?
How do Zimbabwes media ethically cover and promote the coverage of
Are Zimbabwes media playing an effective role in advocating for the rights of

1.3.3 Research objectives
o To investigate the extent of gender mainstreaming in Zimbabwe;
o To explore the forms of gender discrimination in Zimbabwes media;
o To explore the coverage by the media of all marginalised groups -- women,
children and people living with disabilities; and,
o To explore the role played by the media in advocating for marginalised groups.

1.3.4 Study area
The study was carried out in the countrys 10administrative provinces, that is, in
Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South, Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West,
Mashonaland Central, Masvingo, Manicaland, Gweru, Harare and Bulawayo.

1.3.5 Research design
The study design was in exploration into the media of Zimbabwe, and sought to
investigate and explore gender and advocacy issues in the media. The advocacy issues
addressed bordered around the ethical coverage of marginalised communities. The first
step was to clarify variables associated with gender in the media, marginalised groups,
and advocacy issues. These then informed the questionnaire design.

The questionnaire aided in seeking opinions to inform the qualitative and quantitative
analysis using the collected data. Respondents were selected purposefully as well as
randomly. Snowballing was used to collect background data. Content and discourse
analysis were used to monitor media products.

1.3.6 Sampling techniques
Purposive sampling was used to select key informants in the evaluation, while stratified
random sampling was used for the larger group of respondents. Given the nature of the
study, the snowballing technique was employed in tackling the desk review.


1.3.7 Data analysis
The following social science data analysis packages were used:
SPSS ( Social Sciences Statistical Package);
Excel; and,
Manual Analysis.

1.3.8 Data collection tools
Data collection tools included the following:
o Structured interviews;
o Self-administered questionnaires;
o Focus group discussions;
o Content and discourse analysis;
o Case studies of best practice in gender issues; and,
o Desk review.

1.3.9 Scope
The evaluation covers the period of January 2012- June 2014. The evaluation was carried
out over an accumulative period of five months, both within Zimbabwe and in other
countries in eastern and southern Africa. Some media organisations in South Africa,
Zambia, Tanzania and Kenya were visited, although examples were drawn from only two
countries. (see Appendix at end of this chapter).

2 LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

________________________

2.1 Definitions

2.1.1 Gender
Gender / Sex. Gender refers to those characteristics of men and women that are socially
determined, in contrast to sex, which refers to those characteristics that are biologically
determined. This learned behaviour is what makes up gender identity and determines
gender roles. The world over, the result of gender-determined roles has been to place
women in an inferior position to men -- economically, socially and politically. While sex is
a biological fact, sexist attitudes can be changed.

Gender Equality involves empowering women to take their rightful role is society, as well
as changing the attitudes of men.

Gender Mainstreaming is defined a Taking account of gender equity concerns in all
policy, programme, administrative and financial activities, and in organisational
procedures, thereby contributing to a profound organisational transformation.


Gender mainstreaming involves both internal transformation (where women and men are
located, and in what roles) as well as the integration of gender considerations into all
aspects of service delivery - from the inception and design of projects to their
implementation, training and capacity building, to monitoring and evaluating the
outcomes.

2.1.2 Marginalised groups
Social exclusion characterises contemporary forms of social disadvantage and relegation
within the society of people with disabilities, women, children and others. A visible
minority among marginalised groups is albinos, who lack pigmentation in their skin,
hair and eyes. For albinos in Zimbabwe, this does not just represent a physical difference,
but signifies discrimination. Albinos are often treated as outcasts, although they have
established a representative association that is active in generating awareness and
advocacy, and as a result, they get more media space than other marginalised groups.

2.2 Gender Theories
2.2.1 Radical feminism
Radical feminist writer Kate Millet argues that men are socialised to have a dominant
temperament which provides them with a higher social status, and this leads them in turn
to fill social roles in which they can exercise mastery over women. Haralambos and
Holborn (1990) and Kitter (2003) cite surveys which revealed that women lag behind men
in terms of salaries, promotions and working conditions. Women also suffer from
negative attitudes from bureaucrats, who are invariably men.

While gender equality is a matter of development effectiveness and not just a matter of
political correctness, one may argue that it is better achieved if women and marginalised
groups are portrayed, not always as victims, but rather as active participants who play a
part in shaping their providence.

Friedan(2002) argues that women live under a pervasive system of delusions and false
values in which they are urged to find personal fulfilment, even identity, vicariously
through the husbands and children to whom they are expected to cheerfully devote their
lives. This restricted role of wife/mother and its spurious glorification by advertisers and
others has led almost inevitably to a sense of unreality or general spiritual malaise in the
absence of genuine, creative, self-defining work.

Consequently, many female journalists choose less demanding jobs that accommodate
their wife/motherly duties, while men choose more challenging and rewarding positions
that earn them a higher social status, thus rendering them more powerful than female
counterparts. Against this background, it is perceptible that journalism opportunities may
not necessarily be gender selective, both males and females can have equal opportunities,
but more females and marginalised groups choose socially ascribed roles, be it as media
workers or participants.

Most gender theories seem to argue from womens perspectives. However, it is important
to understand gender circumstances from different perspectives, for the purpose of
improving the position of women in society. Smith (1987:109) argues that it is not a given
and finalised form of knowledge but that grounded in experience from which discoveries
are made.

Smith further advocates a sociology for women that begins where women are
situated, that is, in the particularities of an actual, everyday world. Accordingly, this
research has tried to draw on Smiths ideas, without demeaning divergent ideas.

The media have a formidable influence in reinforcing gender stereotypes, and the feminist
stereotype, which highly distorts feminism. Feminist agreement and value of
disagreement are ignored or ridiculed, not only in conservative media, but also
throughout mainstream entertainment media. Therefore, it is important to ascertain
whether the Zimbabwean media have facilitated gender equality in as far as information
dynamics are concerned.

2.2.2 Social structuralism
Boudiue in Giddens (2009) argues that there are social-structural or situational constraints
that influence human behaviour. The fact that men, women and marginalised groups are
in different and unequal positions in the social structure, facilitates conscious and
unconscious discrimination. Giddens (2001) asserts that people are what they are as
human beings largely because they follow a complex set of conventions but that they also
give force and content to the very rules and conventions they draw on. Accordingly,
media content and dynamics are not immune to these complex sets of conventions.

2.3 Media Content and Portrayal of Men and Women in the Media
Fair gender portrayal in the media should be a professional and ethical aspiration, similar
to respect for accuracy, fairness and honesty (White, 2009). Yet, unbalanced gender
portrayal is widespread, and often accepted as the norm. The Global Media Monitoring
Project finds that women are more likely than men to be featured as victims in news
stories (with the exception of domestic and sexual violence, which receives little media
coverage) and to be identified according to family status.

Women are also far less likely than men to be featured in the worlds news headlines, and
to be relied upon as spokespeople or as experts. Certain categories of women, such as
single mothers, older women, or those belonging to ethnic minorities, are even less visible
(see MMPZ paper referred to in Section 3 under coverage).


3 SUMMARY OF RESEARCH FINDINGS
_______________________

The total population of the country in 2012 was 12,973,808 of which there were 6,738,877
females (52 %) and 6,234,931 males (48%), as illustrated.

Source ZimStat, 2012 National Census
3.1 Access to Media

Media play an important role in influencing the perceptions of how women and men are
viewed. The media and journalists need to recognise that there are gender differentials in
views which need coverage in order to make the media to be reflective of our pluralistic
societies. Media are vital in everyday life in that they are the means through which
information, education and entertainment are conveyed.

Knowledge of the type of media accessible to the population is important in planning for
information programming. The 2010-11 Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey
(ZDHS) showed that 49percent of women and 33 percent men aged 15-49 years did not
have access to mass media. Forty-nine percent men and 33 percent women indicated that
they listen to the radio at least once a week. The results show that men are better placed to
access mass media than women.

3.2 Representation

3.2.1 Women / Men attendance at outreach meetings
In meetings conducted across the country, more males attended the meetings. This was
despite the fact that the Zimbabwean population has more females than males. This
imbalance had an effect on the views brought forward by the participants. In most cases
the womens story was not told. The table below illustrates the number of women and
men who attended the IMPI outreach meetings.


Women / Men Attendance at IMPI Outreach Meetings
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50 male
0
female
3.2.2 Women / Men response to questionnaires

The committee administered questionnaires to members of the public who attended the
outreach meetings. The table below represents the response patterns from the public.

Women / Men Responses to IMPI Questionnaire on Gender

120
100
80
60
40
20 Men
0 Women
3.2.3 Women representation in media organisations

The illustrations below show a representation of the number of males and females
working in three of Zimbabwes media houses. The first graph represents the number of
males and females employed by Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe (ANZ). Of the 158
staff members at ANZ, 36 are female and 122 are male. Of the 36 females,three are
managers and three are editors. The group has a total of 11 male managers and eight
editors.Zimpapers publications show a similar pattern, with the exception of Kwayedza
and Star FM; as does Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, except for the
producer/presenters and previewers, and video editors.


Associated Newspapers Zimbabwe Workforce
Women / Men
150
100
50
0
Editors Managers Employee
Female 3 3 30
Male 8 11 103

Zimbabwe Newspapers Journalists/Editors by Gender

Department Female Male Total % Female

Journalists Journalists Female Editors
Herald 20 62 82 24 6

Sunday Mail 5 23 28 17 2

H-Metro 3 15 18 17 0
Kwayedza 2 2 4 50 0

Manica Post 0 6 6 0 0

Digital 3 9 12 25 1
Chronicle 6 31 37 16 2
Sunday News 2 12 14 14 0

B-Metro 4 3 7 57 0

UMthunywa 3 0 3 100 1
Star FM 12 2 14 86 2
Zimtravel 0 4 4 0 0

Television Dept 3 0 3 100 2

Totals 63 169 232 27 % 16

Ratio of Women/Men Journalists

at Zimpapers
MALE JOURNALISTS FEMALE JOURNALISTS

27%
73%

Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation Ratio of Women / Men Media Staff
Designation Female Male Total % Female

Group CEO 0 1 1 0
General Manager 0 3 3 0
Head of Department 3 7 10 30
Manager 3 19 22 14
Assignment Editor 0 2 2 0
Bureau Chief 2 6 8 25
Chief Correspondent 1 1 2 50
Chief Producer 0 7 7 0
Chief Video Editor 0 1 1 0
Editor 1 4 5 20
Executive Producer 3 17 20 15
Producer/Presenter 49 33 82 60
Programme Compiler 1 3 4 25
Programme Previewer 4 1 5 80
Reporter 5 13 18 28
Snr Cameraperson 2 10 12 17
Video Editor 2 0 2 100
Film Editor 5 24 29 17
Picture Editor 3 12 15 20
Total 84 164 248 34 %
Source ZimStat, 2012 National Census

3.2.4 Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) Board
Whereas section 4(3) of the act on the establishment and composition of the BAZ Board
states that a minimum of four board members should be women as is the case at present,
section 17 of Constitution of Zimbabwe requires that both genders are equally
represented in all institutions and agencies of government at every level, and women
constitute at least half the membership of all Commissions and other elective and
appointed governmental bodies established by or under the Constitution or any Act of
Parliament.

The appointment of members to the BAZ board should be consistent with the parity
provided under the Constitution to ensure that women constitute at least half of the BAZ
board membership.

3.2.5 Women / Men in media institutions
The under-representation of women in media organisations cannot be explained in the
media space. Institutions that teach media and communication studies include Harare
Polytechnic School of Journalism, National University of Science and Technology,
Midlands State University, Great Zimbabwe University, and the Zimbabwe Open
University. The tertiary institutions indicated that they have a 60:40 ratioof male / female
students. The tables below show the number of male / female students in two of the
institutions.

Harare Polytechnic School of Journalism and Media Studies
Year Part Males Females % Females

2009 ND1 10 8 44
ND2 22 16 42
2010 ND1 20 13 39
ND2 10 8 44
2011 ND1 14 15 52
2012 ND1 15 19 56
2013 ND1 26 23 47
2014 NC 15 21 58
Total 132 123 48

National University of Science and Technology 2013-2014
Faculty Male Female Total % Females

Applied Science 661 454 1 117 41
Built Environment 210 57 267 21
Commerce 1 430 1146 2 576 44
Communication and 207 331 538 61
Information Science
Industrial Technology 891 267 1 158 23
Medicine 27 22 49 45
Total 3 426 2 279 5 705 40

Using the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) as a benchmark, this
indicates that institutions are training more females than males in media studies. A study
carried out at NUST in 2012 to determine the employment opportunities for males and
females in the Journalism and Media Studies department concluded that the rate of
employment after the training was significantly affected by gender in that t h e male
graduates got jobs sooner than the females.

The economic conditions of the country also affected the national employment rate
between 2005and2010, resulting in a corresponding impact on the employment rate of
graduates (Nkomo T, 2012).

3.2.6 Women / Men in the arts industry
The following chart shows a representation of the females and males in the music
industry, based on membership of the Zimbabwe Music Rights Association (Zimura).


Members of ZIMURA
Males
Women / Men in 5 Genres of Music

400
350
300
250
200
150 Series1
100
50 Series2
0
3.2.7 Stereotypes prevalent in media for both women and men

Media Monitoring Project Zimbabwe (MMPZ) 2011 argues that stereotypes are prevalent
in everyday media. Women are often portrayed solely as homemakers and carers of the
family, dependent on men, or as objects of male attention. Women are rarely used as
sources for political stories, and this is illustrated by a study carried out by MMPZ in
2013. The study of the media representation of women in politics revealed that of the total
of 1,654 voices used on politics in the period under review only 239 (14 percent) of these
were womens voices, while the remaining 86 percent were men.

Stories by female reporters are more likely to challenge stereotypes than those filed by
male reporters (Gallagher et al., 2010). Thus, there is a link between the participation of
women in the media and improvements in the representation of women (MMPZ, 2011).

Men are also subjected to stereotyping in the media. They are typically characterised as
powerful and dominant. There is little room for alternative visions of masculinity. The
media tend to demean men in caring or domestic roles, or those who oppose violence.
Such portrayals can influence perceptions, not only in terms of what society may expect
from men and women, but also what they may expect from themselves. The media thus
promote an unbalanced vision of the roles of women and men in society. (MMPZ, 2011)

What Can I Do? Who
3.2.8 Sexual harassment in the media
Should I Tell? Sexual
Focus group discussions with journalists (female and male) Harassment in Media
confirm that sexual harassment is a factor in most media
houses, with frightening stories emerging of physical and Sexual harassment represents
one of the largest areas of
psychological pressure, especially for young female
complaints in the media.
employees and student interns. However, the absence of a law
that deals specifically with
The committee, therefore, took note of the work done in this sexual harassment has allowed
culprits to commit these acts
regard by the Federation of Media Women of Zimbabwe and get away with it.
(FAMWZ) and the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ)
over the past two years in pulling this issue into the public During outreach meetings with
journalists around the country,
domain through investigations and public discussions, as sexual harassment which had
well as publishing a seminal booklet containing definitions never really been deliberated
and types of sexual harassment, as well as case studies and upon in the past, was discussed
openly, in very robust sessions
actions to be taken. This initiative was launched in May 2012
indicating that it was a serious
to commemorate World Press Freedom Day. The committee problem.
also acknowledged the work of Zimbabwe Newspapers
(1980) Ltd. in drafting its Gender Policy, which devotes half If complaints of harassment are
not resolved internally, costly
of its length to sexual harassment and how to deal with it in legal action and damage to an
the workplace. organisations reputation may
follow. Conversely, the
benefits for the media of
Both of these documents are appended (see FAMWZ/ZUJ
tackling harassment can be
booklet in Annex at the end of the full report). The following substantial. Sickness, absence,
section draws on this source. stress and conflict in the
workplace are reduced. Staff
retention, efficiency, morale
Sexual harassment is defined as an unwelcome sexual and profitability can be
advance. FAMWZ/ZUJ say sexual harassment can be: increased. ...
A suggestion or promise of employment or promotion
Most incidents of sexual
in return for sexual favours;
harassment remain unreported
A request for sexual favours in return for employment for reasons including shame,
benefits; or social stigma and fear of
The display of sexually offensive posters, cartoons or reprisal or the case going to
trial. The booklet examines
drawings or any other form of verbal or physical ways to combat the occurrence
behaviour that the recipient regards as unwelcome or of sexual harassment and how
embarrassing. to respond when incidents
occur... [and] the need for
education, training and
What is important to understand about sexual harassment information campaigns.
is that it is uninvited and unwanted. While such conduct can From the ZUJ Foreword by
be harassment of women by men, many laws around the Foster Dongozi
(FAMWZ/ZUJ, 2012)
world which prohibit sexual harassment recognize that both
men and women may be harassers or victims of sexual
harassment. However, most claims of sexual harassment are
by women.

Examples of Sexual Harassment
1. Physical Contact: Unwanted A relationship between two consenting adults
touching, holding, grabbing, working together is not considered harassment. It
kissing or hugging, blocking a is only considered harassment when one of the
movement, patting, stroking or
parties has more power and privilege than the
inappropriate touching of a
other, and abuses this in the workplace to
persons clothing.
2. Verbal or written: These can be
intimidate the other person.
comments about clothing,
personal behaviour, or a Sexual harassment or sexual abuse is not about
persons body, sexual or sex- sexual pleasure. Sexual harassment is a display of
based jokes, requesting sexual unequal power relations and it is about asserting
favours or repeatedly asking a power.
person out, sexual suggestions,
telling rumours about a The International Labour Organisation
persons personal or sexual life
Declaration on Fundamental Principles and
3. Non-Verbal: Derogatory
Rights at work describes two distinct types of
gestures or facial expressions of
a sexual nature, following a sexual harassment: Quid Pro Quo and Hostile
person and looking down and Environment.
up a persons body, leering or
whistling at another person; Quid Pro Quo which literally translated from
leaning over someone at a Latin means this for that is when a job benefit is
desk, or circulating graphic directly tied to an employee submitting to
pictures, letters, or cartoons. unwelcome sexual advances. For example, a
4. Visual: These can be emails of supervisor promises an employee a raise if he or
a sexual nature, pornography,
she will go out on a date with him or her, or tells
drawings or pictures constantly
an employee he or she will be fired if he or she
shown to someone without the
persons approval.
doesn't sleep with him or her. It usually involves
(FAMWZ/ZUJ) someone in a senior post who uses threats or
rewards in exchange for sexual favours.

The second is when a harasser creates a Hostile
Working Environment by harassing a co-worker and creating a sexually and threatening
atmosphere. This type of behaviour unreasonably interferes with any reasonable persons
ability to perform his/her job. In the workplace, harassers are usually in senior
positions and they wield decision-making authority or other influences that can
affect career outcomes. The harasser wants to assert or exhibit power and control.
The victim of the unwanted sexual harassment tends to have limited decision-
making authority or lacks self-confidence, or is in an insecure position.

For many years, women in the Zimbabwean media have been grappling with sexual
harassment which has impacted on them personally and professionally. Sexual
harassment is becoming an extensive problem in most newsrooms, because, over the
years it has transformed from subtle hints to inappropriate behaviour and now to blatant

propositions. Since the change in behaviour has been gradual it is being considered
normal behaviour.
Journalists, and in particular female journalists are being sexually harassed at work
by their colleagues and bosses and they have no idea what to do or where to turn.
They are not sure whether they should tell someone about the incident or even who
they should tell in the newsroom. They are further traumatised when they go out on
assignment and are harassed by their news sources. When the journalists go back to
the newsroom and report these incidents, they are ridiculed or ignored. They are told
to deal with it or get over it since it is one of the professional hazards that a
journalist has to deal with. Sometimes the sexual harassment complaint is used to
condemn the ability of female journalists to carry out their work competently.
It is even more difficult to address issues of sexual harassment when decision-makers

in the media deny the existence and prevalence of sexual harassment. Young female
journalists who have just entered the profession or are working as interns are
particularly vulnerable. Media organisations have policies which are very clear but
they are not adhered to because the committees usually appointed to deal with the
cases are inadequately equipped to handle such matters. (FAMWZ/ZUJ, 2012)

A survey conducted by researchers of 30 company codes of conduct in Zimbabwe
revealed that the majority of the codes recognise sexual harassment as misconduct but
definitions were imprecise and the reporting procedures do not recognise it as a unique
offence. Clearly, policies and procedures are needed that media organisations can put in
place to assist their male and female staff.

It is thus essential for employers to establish a zero tolerance culture towards harassment.
The tools to support this are a) a strong written company policy that clearly specifies and
prohibits sexual harassment; b) clear procedures to tackle grievances and complaints of
sexual harassment, including methods of investigation; c) awareness training for
managers and supervisors, and staff training on sexual harassment policies at regular
intervals; and d) ensure that managers and staff comply with the policy.

4 OUTREACH SUMMARIES
____________________

The following is a summary of sentiments expressed during the public outreach meetings
conducted throughout Zimbabwe in mid-2014.

The outreach was done in 45 districts in urban and rural areas of the country. These
opinions were based on questions raised to the participants regarding their
understanding of gender interaction, their perceptions and understanding of gender.

They were probed on how they view the media and gender representation in the media.
Issues of media advocacy regarding marginalised groups were also raised through
questions.

The outreach summary is presented in five categories:
v Women and Men as Newsmakers
v Women and Men as Information Sources
v Women and Men as Media Practitioners
v Gender and Culture
v Marginalised Groups.

4.1 Women and Men as Newsmakers
Women and men are both seen to be in the media space, however their presence and roles
are seen differently. The major concerns raised in the public meetings about the
presentation of women in the media include nudity and sexual presentation, unbalanced
coverage, and ethics. The following contains view expressed by the public on these issues.

v Women constitute 52 percent of the population yet representation in the media is
very low.

v Ethics are not present in coverage of women, women are not asked for their views.

v Stories already have an opinion regarding court case outcomes between spouses in
divorce settlements or maintenance cases, often favouring the man. No objectivity.

v Stories of positive feats by women in the social context are not written about.

v Rural women are not covered and their story is not told, nor are they approached to
tell their own story.

v Health issues of men are covered more with adverts on circumcision daily and few
on cervical cancers which are a serious threat to the lives of women. The media
need to increase coverage of issues that concern women, e.g. cervical cancer,
reproductive health.

v The media must increase the coverage of domestic violence court cases. The media
do not cover males as victims of domestic violence.

v Women are written about in content of media to sell newspapers and are often
portrayed in a demeaning manner. The publications which were quoted are H-
Metro and B-Metro. Women are shown nude or almost nude in these publications,
and in advertisements. What message is sent to society about women?


v What is the role of the censorship board in such instances, is it not a form of soft
porn? What does the constitution say regarding the rights of the dignity of
women?

v The constant coverage of undignified women strippers and pole dancers should
be stopped as it fuels negative stereotypes about women.

v On television, women appear more in videos scantily clad.

4.2 Women and Men as Information Sources
The following contains views expressed by the public about women and men as
information sources, during the IMPI outreach meetings throughout the country.

Women in politics, business and sports do not get the same media coverage as men.

The achievements of men are recorded and highlighted more, compared to female
counterparts, and they make more headlines.

Analysts in economic or political spheres are predominantly male in the print and
electronic media, even though there are qualified analysts who are women.

Women are confined to talking about gender issues or marginalised groups.

Women hold back because of what society may think of them if they comment.

Women in politics receive more coverage compared to the average woman engaged in
medicine, science, community work or local development initiatives.

4.3 Women and Men as Media Practitioners
The following are public perceptions about women and men as media practitioners,
expressed during IMPI outreach meetings throughout the country.

o Women and men are deemed to be equally competent in terms of presentation on
radio, TV and print media, but there are more men than women in the industry.

o Women in media are often seen as loose because of the work environment they
operate in, and due to the working hours, which are often in the evening.

o Management in almost all publishing houses are mostly male, and women rarely
occupy management positions, especially editorial posts.

o Commissions regulating the media, such as the Broadcasting Authority of
Zimbabwe, comprise of and are mostly led by men.

o Gender mainstreaming is happening in the media but women do not hold
influential or top-level, decision-making positions.

o In the media, women have been given opportunities, however they have not
embraced them because of the late hours and sacrifice required to manage papers
at the top or chase stories in the field.

o Conditions of service for women journalists are often restrictive, such as
assignments that require immediate travel. Some female journalists, depending on
their family circumstance, need prior notice to prepare, but this opportunity is not
always available.

4.4 Gender and Culture
The following are views on gender and culture expressed by the public at IMPI outreach
meetings throughout the country.

There are few female journalists in the newsroom and this is partly a reflection of
the structure of society. Most female journalists try to balance their social
reproductive roles and their work, and there is a perception that women have to
sacrifice family to get to the top, although this is often a question of balance.

The media environments can be made more woman-friendly in this regard, and
there are models for this, but that may not happen until more women are making
the decisions or until the rapidly changing technology of the media renders the
debate redundant because there will be so many different options about how to do
the work.

The coverage of women in the media is heavily influenced by culture and
tradition. For instance, our culture does not readily accept a woman to appear on
television jumping around (performing).The older generation does not approve
of women performing in the media. The media have a role to play in educating the
community about how women can be performers on television.

Men still resist gender equality, there needs to be continuous awareness and men
should be included in gender forums. In the media, gender programmes are often
aired with women only, these need to be aired with both men and women.

Issues of women and gender are damaging cultural values; women must know
what it is to keep a family together and that men are the head of the home.

Women have low and poor participation in the media, coupled with the fact that
gender is viewed as an urban concept, has not helped the cause of women in the
media.


Gender mainstreaming is breaking up homes and is seen to be a womans
movement.

4.5 Marginalised Groups
The IMPI outreach meetings also sought views from the public on media advocacy and
vulnerable groups, compiled as follows. The general opinion was that journalists need to
make more effort to cover human stories, including more positive stories about
marginalised groups.

v People with disabilities are covered and heard about only when they have a role
model or champion who knows what to say to the media.The media need to
cover people with disabilities, including telling their own stories, to reduce
stigma and discrimination, and to educate the public on the rights of people
living with disabilities.

v The media perpetuate the discrimination of persons with albinism, through use of
language and headlines, suggesting stereotypes. This is derogatory and promotes
discrimination within the community.

v The media need to air awareness programmes on domestic violence and on
reproductive health.

v People living with HIV and AIDS need more coverage in the media, talking about
themselves, as they are often represented in the media by those living without the
virus.

v The media need to improve access to radio signal so that the children in rural
areas can benefit from the educational programs aired on radio.

v Young people and children are not well represented in the media.

v The media do not cover stories that promote the rights or voices of children,
rather listening to the adults talking about children.

v Children are covered as victims of abuse.Only children in Harare get exposure.
Journalists should desist from using vocabulary that trivialises issues of child
abuse.

v The elderly have become a marginalised group; and their interests are not catered
for in the media.

v Those who cannot hear or speak, or cannot see, are not well represented in the
media. Languages of communication should be more widely available, and one
example is the South African dedicated channel, DTV (Deaf TV).

5 STATISTICAL ANALYSIS
____________________

5.1 Statistical Analysis of Findings from Focus Group Sessions and
Questionnaires on Gender Issues and Media Advocacy

The Information and Media Panel of Inquiry (IMPI) undertook a country-wide review of
the state of the information and media industry in Zimbabwe to generate baseline
information that can inform policy interventions to improve the sector going forward. As
part of the methodology, the 10 administrative provinces of Zimbabwe provided the
population space from which respondents were sampled.

Table 1: Gender Issues and Media Advocacy Focus Group Outreach Picture
Mat Mat Bulawayo Mash Mash Manicaland Masvingo Midlands Harare

North South Metro East West Metro
Males 90 122 190 126 243 287 513 500 204 2275
Females 69 13 48 35 180 - 262 - 116 723
TOTALS 159 135 238 161 423 287 775 500 320 2998

Table 1 above provides a statistical analysis of the people who attended the outreach
meetings organised by the Thematic Committee on Gender, Advocacy and Marginalised
Groups.

Using triangulation, the feedback from the Outreach is analysed together with that from
Stakeholder meetings (primary data), and buttressed by that from secondary data
(literature review) for a complete picture. This analysis straddles across qualitative and
quantitative data to provide an objectively balanced picture of the subject under review.

A total of 35 Focus Group types of meetings were held across the provinces to generate
primary data (shown inTable 1 above). A total of 2,998 participants attended the meetings.
Of these participants, 24% were females (723), while 76% were males (2,775).

This distribution of participation at the meetings reflects that gender representation is an
important consideration when it comes to media, and one can infer that males dominate
interest in this regard.

This though, could emphasise a gap in the media sector that females maybe undersold to
the significance of media in the socio-economic and political landscape of Zimbabwe,
implying an opportunity for strategies to actively engage women in the media sector.
Masvingo, Midlands, Mashonaland West and Harare accounted for 67.3% of the
participants, with each accounting for 25.9% (775), 16.7% (500), 14.1% (423) and 10.6%
(320) respectively.

5.2 Further Review of Primary Data
Apart from the outreach sessions, the primary information generated from questionnaires
distributed to media personnel in Bulawayo, Harare, Masvingo, Matabeleland South,
Matebeleland North, Mashonaland Central, and Midlands also provides more
information on how issues of gender and advocacy manifest themselves countrywide.

The analysis is focused on 317 questionnaires that were completed for the exercise. Of
this total, 138 questionnaires (43.53 percent) were completed by men and 179
questionnaires (56.47 percent) were completed by women, as shown in Figure 1 on
distribution of questionnaires.

Based on 317 questionnaires returned from the survey fieldwork, it was observed that a
higher percentage of the returns were from women than men, reversing the earlier picture
referenced under the Outreach Focus Group Sessions, implying that, for this variable,
women are probably more comfortable when engaged through the latter primary data
tool than through public meetings. It therefore, probably follows that confidentiality
matters most in this segment of society, an observation that could guide future survey
methodologies.

The media are a key instrument for development and are expected to play a significant
role in transforming society. Thus, ordinarily, the coverage of gender-related subjects by
the media is a major expectation from policy makers and the citizenry, if the country is to
chart a sustainable socio-political and economic growth trajectory.

5.2.1 Perception of Gender Issues in Media
According to the Gender Links (2010), Southern African Gender and Media Progress
Study (GMPS) and the MMPZ (2011),female political voices in the media constitute only
five percent of the total political voices quoted, while media coverage of issues specifically
related to gender is only 0.4 percent of content. This suggests that gender is not
adequately mainstreamed in the media in Zimbabwe.

The current IMPI survey results drawn from the outreach consultations, as illustrated in
Figure 2, indicate that public perception of the frequency of gender issues in the media is
more pronounced than the reality. This could be due to the disproportionate turnout of
men to women at the outreach meetings, where women made up only one-quarter of
participants, shown in Table 1, as well as uneven access to media in parts of the country.

The outreach results captured in Figure 2 indicate that 43.84% of respondents said that
gender issues are always covered by the media, while 5.48% of respondents said gender
issues are never covered by the media. Half of the respondents (50.68%) said that gender
issues are sometimes covered in the media. Assuming that the picture dramatised under
Figure 2 manifests, this is merely a statistic and does not amplify the qualitative aspects
such as what type of portrayal is being emphasised in this respect. In the Zimbabwean
context, for example, unbalanced gender portrayal is quite rampant with evidence
confirming that women feature prominently in the media as victims.

5.2.2 Perception of Women and Men On Air
Based on the survey results focusing on content preferences, with music as a variable, it
was found that women in the media space are generally accepted by the public, with
almost 40% of respondents saying that both male and female Djs are acceptable to them,
while those who prefer either men or women on air were almost evenly balanced, at
30.94% with preference for male Djs compared to 29.28% for female DJs, as shown in
Figure 3.


There is an opportunity for an appropriately targeted policy intervention to shift both
perception and sentiment, in the media in particular, and society in general.

5.2.3 Perception of Women and Men as Writers
Preference shifts when it comes to writers, with preference for female writers at 36.8%
against 23.9% for men as shown in Figure 4. Acceptance of both female and male writers
remains similar to as Figure 3, at almost 40%.


6 SUBMISSIONS TO THE COMMITTEE ON GENDER,
ADVOCACY AND MARGINALISED GROUPS
__________________________

The committee received submissions from some stakeholders in the form of position
papers, and information and communication reports. The main points of these
submissions are presented in the first table, while interviews with the remaining
stakeholders are shown in the second table.

6.1 Submissions by Stakeholders

SUBMISSION KEY ISSUES
National Association Between April 2009 and December 2010 NASCOH conducted a highly
of Societies for the successful disability/media sensitisation workshop which extensively
Care of the covered both print and electronic media and produced a number of
Handicapped tangible strategies to raise the profile of disability in the country. The
(NASCOH) number of articles on disability appearing in the media have increased at
least four-fold following the holding of the workshop.
Media in Zimbabwe are polarised along political lines which impacts

negatively on coverage of disability issues as the media on both sides
often tend to focus on political stories, neglecting wider social issues.
However, NASCOH has been able to get coverage on both sides of the
political divide through both private and public media.
Dollarisation of the economy meant newspapers became more

accessible, although more expensive.
Radio has generally tended to be sensitive to disability issues. Television

coverage is hard to come by because there is only one supplier. There
should be greater scope for coverage of a diversity of issues.
The weekly radio programme Seka urema wafa on National FM is

helpful in promoting and protecting the rights of people with disabilities.
During the period, disability stories, most of them in-depth, appeared in

the media 28 times. The organisation was covered nine times on radio
and TV. Website is back up.
Zimbabwe National ZINEF submitted a paper on The State of the Media in Zimbabwe and
Editors Forum Proposed Considerations for the Way Forward. In outlining key
(ZINEF) challenges facing the media in Zimbabwe, they specified gender
imbalances in newsrooms and gender-biased reporting as key challenges,
citing surveys undertaken by:
o Zimbabwe Union of Journalists
o Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe
o The Media Monitoring Project of Zimbabwe

The forum records key concerns as follows:
} There is generally unfair stereotypical media reportage about
women;
} There is evidence of the prevalence of sexual harassment of women
journalists and other women in newsrooms; and
} There is under-representation of women journalists in newsrooms.
Women Coalition of The Women Coalition of Zimbabwe submitted a paper about the
Zimbabwe negative portrayal of women in the mainstream media. The paper noted
with concern the unfair, and continuous negative portrayal of women by
the media in Zimbabwe, despite widespread awareness on the need to
balance the gender scale for the betterment of society.
The paper also noted the ratification of the SADC Protocol on Gender
and Development by Zimbabwe in 2009(and entry into force at regional
level in 2013), and other frameworks that urge member states to take
measures to discourage the media from reinforcing gender stereotyping.
The main issues raised in the paper are:

} The media continue to degrade and exploit women, especially in
areas of entertainment and advertising, thus undermining their place
in society.
} The media are failing to play a role in transforming society to be
more just and democratic, and reflecting the voices and perspectives
of all.
} Media content has also served the negative, biased and trivialised
portrayal of issues on gender and women. This is evidenced by
recent research on media coverage of gender issues in Zimbabwe,
which revealed that women continue to be marginalised as news
sources and news subjects. Men are quoted as news sources more on
subjects that have strong impact on human livelihoods, and women
on soft issues with less impact on livelihoods, such as entertainment,
gender and social matters.
The submission made the following recommendation to avoid the

negative portrayal of women:
v Full implementation of the new constitutional provisions on gender

equality and equity, in all sectors specific to media, freedom of
expression and access. The Constitution states that every person has
the right to freedom to practice and give expression of their
thoughts, opinion, religion or beliefs; and every person has the
right to freedom to seek, receive and communicate ideas and
information.
Federation of African In a paper titled Making the Zimbabwean Media Work for Women and
Media Women in Men, the FAMWZ raises a number of issues and recommendations,
Zimbabwe (FAMWZ) including media provisions adapted from the SADC Protocol:
} Ensure gender is mainstreamed in all information, communication
and media policies, programmes, laws and training in accordance
with the Constitution of Zimbabwe.

} Encourage the media and media-related bodies to mainstream gender
in their codes of conduct, policies and procedures, and adopt and
implement gender-aware ethical principles, codes of practice and
policies in accordance with the Protocol on Culture, Information and
Sport.
} Take measures to promote the equal representation of women in the
ownership and decision-making structures of the media, in
accordance with Article 12.1 that provides for equal representation
of women in decision-making positions by 2015.
} Take measures to discourage the media from:
- Promoting pornography and violence against all persons,
especially women and children;
- Depicting women as helpless victims of violence and abuse;
- Degrading or exploiting women, especially in the area of
entertainment and advertising, and undermining their role and
position in society; and
- Reinforcing gender oppression and stereotypes.
} Encourage the media to give equal voice to women and men in all
areas of coverage, including increasing the number of programmes
for, by and about women on gender-specific topics that challenge
gender stereotypes.
} Take appropriate measures to encourage the media to play a
constructive role in the eradication of gender-based violence by
adopting guidelines which ensure gender- sensitive coverage.
FAMWZ urges media training institutions to incorporate gender

concerns among their key policy issues while working with newsrooms,
women organisations, government and other stakeholders to build
capacity in dealing with gender issues.
The FAMWZ paper concludes with the following statement:
As the media sector demands accountability from government and

other stakeholders, so too should it reflect the same commitment in its
own structures, content and processes.
Deaf Zimbabwe Trust The Trust submitted a paper outlining the ways in which it believes the
rights of people who cannot hear are being violated in the media space,
particularly with regard to television. Specifically, it outlined:
} Lack of provision of sign language interpretation during prime time
and other news broadcasts;
} Failure to provide subtitles or captions on programmes;
} No sign language interpretation or captions on documentaries; and
} Lack of programmes promoting sign language and deaf culture.

6.2 Interviews with Stakeholders
STAKEHOLDER KEY ISSUES
Zimbabwe Youth The Zimbabwe Youth Council (ZYC) is a quasi - government institution
Council which is established by an Act of Parliament The Zimbabwe Youth Council
Act [Chapter 25:19] as amended in 1997.The administration of the act rests
with the Ministry responsible for Youth. The functions of the council as
provided for by the Act are as follows:
o To co-ordinate, supervise and foster the activities of youth clubs,
associations or organisations from grassroots to national level.
o To facilitate youth participation in key national and international
events.
o To be the interface between the Government and the youth.
o To manage the Child Parliament programme as a leadership
development and advocacy arm on childrens rights.
Key Issues Raised

The council is keen to see childrens voices in the media. When the council
holds Child Parliament meetings, the voices of children are not covered
instead the politicians who are attending the function as guests. In these
events children debate on developmental issues but their views are sidelined.
} The media follow politics and children and their issues.
} Children are only covered in negative light, especially in stories
associated with Satanism and as victims of abuse.
} Most journalists have not had training on the ethical coverage of children.
} The youth are often covered as delinquents in society, and perpetrators of
violence. However there are youths who are engaged in positive
interventions that contribute to the economy.
} The media need to create real space for children and young people,
children and young people are often presenters.
} Youth and children need a platform to engage each other on real issues of
rights and development in the media.

Zimbabwe National ZNNP+ vision is to create an environment where people can live positively.
Network of People The network is committed to advocating and lobbying for the rights of people
Living with HIV living with HIV through information dissemination and networking. They
(ZNNP+) also seek to improve the quality of life of PLHIV through resource
mobilisation and capacity building.
The key issues raised by the network include:
} Portrayal of people living with HIIV and AIDS has improved in the
media.
} The media are not covering HIV and AIDS from a grassroots level and, as
a result, they are not telling the real story of people living with HIV.
} People living with HIV and AIDS make news during events and even
then the guest speakers who might be living with HIV make the news.
} The media need to play an informative role by championing the cause
against stigma by disseminating accurate information about the virus.
} Journalists need to keep up-to-date with the new initiatives in the
treatment of HIV and AIDS.

Zimbabwe Music Zimura was founded by musicians in 1982 and rebranded in 2009.The
Rights Association Association has 2,641 members, and is registered by the Ministry of Justice
(ZIMURA) under the Copyright Act.
The key issues raised are:
} There is no equity and equality in the media.
} The media misrepresent female artists and they are often covered
negatively.
} Male artists get more coverage than their female counterparts.
} Both female and male artists make news for nudity.
} It is common knowledge that some artists pay journalists for coverage.
Disabled Women The organisation caters for women and girls with disabilities and has the
Support Unit following initiatives:
Income generating projects
Lobbying and advocacy
Distributing assistive devices
Sexual reproductive health programmes.
Key issues raised are:
} Women with disabilities face a double tragedy in the media. The first is
that they are women and second, they are disabled. Women with
disabilities are seldom spoken about in the media, and if so, they are
portrayed as abnormal.
} The media make disabled women appear abnormal.
} The media need to increase the coverage of people with disabilities by
engaging people with disabilities to take part in shows.
} Children with disabilities are never in the media unless there is a function
where they are recipients to aid.
Zimbabwe Zimpapers group says it is a gender-sensitive organisation that aims to ensure

Newspapers that both men and women have equal opportunities for coverage. Women are
(Zimpapers) well represented on the board, four of the members are women. The editors
who interacted with IMPI said women are the most marginalised, although
gender refers to women and men. They emphasised that women in their
workplace are not treated as a marginalised group but as equals who should
be promoted on merit.
The following key issues were raised:
} The Herald has employed a gender editor to ensure that female voices
are heard. The gender editor reviews the content of the paper in terms of
sources, what issues are covered to ensure that women voices are heard.
} The paper has a gender data base of sources in economics, agriculture,
politics, and entertainment sources for all forms of news. However,
many women are still not keen to comment on issues.
} There is a draft gender policy which was created in editorial premised on
the SADC gender protocol.
} The gender committee in the organisation is not functional.
} During the gender policy drafting process, the female journalists had
sentiments that the newsroom was not the safest environment for married
women. Married women have lost marriages due to remarks made by
fellow employees and societal pressure, but efforts are being made to
overcome this.

} Women in the newsroom are often seen as objects of beauty.
} Women in the newsroom have become apathetic to sexual harassment as
a result of the way the matters are handled, when reporting such
incidents yields no results.
} The group aims to create platforms for children to communicate about
what pertains to their lives. There is a section called Bridge in The
Sunday Mail and Cool Lifestyle in The Herald. Workshops have been
conducted with UNICEF to ensure that appropriate language is used.
} There have been no conscience programs to cover people with
disabilities.
Zimbabwe Film The film school was started after studying the schools in Ghana and Nigeria,
School offering a two-and-a-half year course. The school enrols 30 students a year,
about half of the class make it to graduation due to the nature of the course.

} The school has more males than females among its students.
} The school has not received complaints of. However they cannot rule out
the fact that these have happened as victims take a long time to report.
} The industry poses practical challenges to women, especially as some
working conditions make it difficult for women to work.
Shooting films at night can pose a security threat to women.
} The film school aims to encourage female students to write scripts with
female heroes.

7 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR
GENDER, ADVOCACY AND

INFORMATION &
MARGINALISED GROUPS
MEDIA PANEL OF
INQUIRY
7.1 Equality. Equal rights of men, women, children and vulnerable groups as enshrined in the
Constitution must be upheld in the media, and by the media.
7.2 Mainstreaming. Media houses should ensure appropriate editorial policies for
mainstreaming gender, as well as specialisation on reporting gender issues. There is an
opportunity for an appropriately targeted policy intervention to shift both perception and
sentiment, in the media in particular, and society in general.
7.3 Multi-sectoral approach. The barriers to gender mainstreaming include language,

education, patriarchy, cultural norms, and lack of income, among others. Therefore,
government should adopt a multi-sectoral approach to enable all citizens to enjoy the
opportunities presented by access to information, equal employment opportunities,
freedom to work without fear or intimidation, and the full experience of their rights.
7.4 50:50 by 2015. All stakeholders in the public and private sector should increase efforts to
reach the SADC/African Union target for the participation of women and men in decision-
making to reach 50:50 by 2015, including in media institutions and organisations.
7.5 Equal representation in decision-making is a requirement of the new Constitution, and

government should ensure gender parity on Boards such as the Broadcasting Authority of
Zimbabwe (BAZ) to be consistent with the constitution.
7.6 Gender issues in training. All media practitioners, whether journalists, technicians,
advertising professionals or administrators, should be required to take a course that covers
issues of advocacy and gender mainstreaming.
7.7 A collective and active media Code of Conduct. A media Code of Conduct that
emerges from wide consultation and input from stakeholders, can provide a framework to
address the rights of women, children and marginalised groups, and specify corrective
measures to be taken in the event of violations. The code will need to be implemented in
media organisations through active promotion, publication and training.
7.8 Sexual harassment. A legal framework is needed that deals specifically with sexual
harassment, and internal policies of media institutions should reflect this. The commitment of
all stakeholders will be required to apply the policy consistently and independently so that
women can report sexual harassment with the confidence that they will not be vilified, and
eliminate the trivialisation of the concerns of marginalised groups.
It is thus essential for employers to establish a zero tolerance culture towards harassment. The
tools to support this are a) a strong written company policy that clearly specifies and
prohibits sexual harassment; b) clear procedures to tackle grievances and complaints of
sexual harassment, including methods of investigation; c) awareness training for managers
and supervisors, and staff training on sexual harassment policies at regular intervals; and d)
ensure that managers and staff comply with the policy. ...continued

INFORMATION &
7 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR
GENDER, ADVOCACY AND

MEDIA PANEL OF
MARGINALISED GROUPS continued
INQUIRY
7.9 Mentorship programmes. Properly structured mentorship programmes should be

established to enable transfer of skills and knowledge, but also attributes such as courage,
discernment and assertiveness, which can play an important role in supporting women to
achieve leadership positions in media.
7.10 Environment in which women can flourish. Measures should be taken at policy level to
promote equal representation in the management and decision-making structures of the
media institutions leading to the creation of a family-friendly working environment.
7.11 Shareholding. Loans could be made available through local and international
institutions for women to purchase shareholding or set up media businesses.
7.12 Safe performance. Appropriate infrastructure should be provided for women artists to
perform freely.
7.13 A deaf culture television channel. A channel that celebrates deaf culture should be
established to address some of the media and information concerns of this community,
similar to what has been implemented in South Africa through DTV (Deaf TV).
7.14 Complaints. A Complaints Act should be initiated for the establishment of a functional
Zimbabwe Complaints Commission. This is a lesson learnt from the Kenyan Complaints
Commission.
IMPI

8 APPENDIX
_____________

8.1 LESSONS FROM THE REGION
8.1.1 Gender and Marginalised Groups Kenya

The Information and Media Panel of Inquiry (IMPI) conducted a study visit to Kenya with
the objective of learning the operations of the media in Kenya, and to learn and observe
best practices. The IMPI team visited a number of media organisations and held
interviews with the following:
Media Council of Kenya
Nation Media Group
o Newspaper division
o Television and radio division
o Digital media division
Kenya Institute of Mass Communication
The Kenyan media space is similar to the Zimbabwean media in reference to the
representation of women in the media. Most women are found in broadcasting as it is
perceived to be glamorous. Eighty percent of the programming on television is based on
women as Kenyan broadcasters believe that women are the primary consumers of
television. The following key lessons were learnt by the representatives on the team:
} Media houses can set up labs and use specialists in gender, people living with
disability to be trained as journalists and write columns weekly to tell their story
from an informed perspective.
} One code of conduct should be used for all.
} The complaints panel should be set up to protect women and men who feel they
have not been fairly written about in an article, to keep journalists professional
and ethical.
} Courses on gender and advocacy should be made mandatory as part of the part of
the points system.
} There is a need for the Zimbabwe Media Commission to partner with UNESCO to
improve the coverage of issues on gender.

8.1.2 Gender and Marginalised Groups South Africa

The Information and Media Panel of Inquiry (IMPI) held a study visit to South Africa. The
main objective of the study visit was to learn the operations of the media in South Africa
and to learn and observe any best practices. The IMPI team held interviews with The Mail
and Guardian, City Press, The Press Ombudsman, GenderLinks. This report notes the key
issues raised during the meetings and interviews, with regard to gender, advocacy and
marginalised groups.

The Mail and Guardian
The following issues were raised:
o Only four percent of female journalists are in management. However, at entry
level there are more females than males.
o Through the Print and Digital Media Association, journalists receive periodic
training on coverage of pertinent gender issues.
City Press
o As a result of the increased number of women in leadership, images that portray
females in a negative light have reduced.
o The paper has set programmes to address sexual harassment. The paper conducts
training that helps journalists to understand sexual harassment in the workplace.
o As a result of the Press Council, the City Press has become more conscious about
issues of ethics. On the day of publication, the paper has a lawyer on standby.
The Press Ombudsman
The Press Council, the Executive Director, the Ombudsman, the Public Advocate in the
Council and the Appeal Panel are an independent co-regulatory mechanism set up by the
print media and online publications to provide impartial, expeditious and cost-effective
adjudication to settle disputes over editorial content. The following pertinent issues were
raised:
o There is commitment from all parties involves and as a result newspapers comply.
o The Press Council rarely receives complaints of women portrayed negatively.
GenderLinks
o The ownership of media houses impacts on how women are represented in the
media, and most are run as boys clubs.
o SA has a higher proportion of women in the industry, but not necessarily at
decision-making level.
o This absence of women in the media is already a form of gender-based
censorship that results in women being denied the right to be heard, which
ultimately disempowers, silences and makes women invisible.

Lessons Learnt
Gender policy is needed in all media houses to set up an overarching framework
for advancing gender issues within and through the media.
Training is key, in service and pre-service, gender must be integrated into training
and internal quotas established for women sources in editorial policies.
Active measures to promote the equal representation of women in the ownership
and decision-making structures of the media are essential.
Male and female journalists must be gender aware and sensitive.
Media houses should have targets to achieve parity in the newsrooms.
Gender issues are embedded at a national level, through statutes that govern all
state and independent newspapers. ___________________________

INFORMATION &
MEDIA PANEL OF
INQUIRY
CHAPTER 7
EMPLOYMENT AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE
Employment Opportunities and Conditions of Service
PANELISTS
Foster Dongozi, Committee Chairperson
Tsitsi Mabukucha
RanguNyamurundira
Research/Programme Officer
Columbus Mavhunga
IMPI

CONTENTS

The three decades of Independence,

CHAPTER 7 particularly the last decade, saw phenomenal
changes in the information sector, largely
brought about by major technological shifts
1. Introduction and which continue to this day, by a re-grading
Summary of Findings of the sector from relative unimportance into
a major if not decisive factor in rights,
2. Outreach Observations national and global politics and, the
transformation of information into a lead
3. General Conditions of Service
services industry capable of rapid, inclusive
and Employment Creation
growth and employment at least cost, with
4. Promoting Employment Creation little entry barriers, and in favour of the
Through Economic youth: that demographically dominant
Empowerment in the Cultural group hardest hit by unemployment and
Sector marginalization.
5. Recommendations There is now a genuine readiness to evolve

an industry, a desire to work together for a
6. Appendix viable and growing information industry
founded on national and professional values,
ZUJ position paper on National and capable of enabling the larger economy
Employment Council for the Media through increased information efficiencies,
Industry while creating a real voice and massive
employment for the country. ...From Terms
of Reference for An Official Inquiry into
State of the Information and Media Industry


1. INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
_________________________________________________________________
The media and information sector in Zimbabwe has over the past few years revealed the
challenging conditions of service of the media practitioners, including journalists,
musicians, artists and actors seeking to earn a livelihood in their trade. The sector has not
thrived in the restricted Zimbabwean economy of recent years.

With Zimbabwes economy largely isolated from the world over the past decade and a
half, due to economic sanctions and the political impasse with the international
community, the local media and information sector has not thrived despite the rest of the
world experiencing growth, including through digitisation. Zimbabwe has failed to
capitalise on this international growth. The local industry has not been viable. As a result,
the conditions of service have not improved and employment levels have remained low.

Hundreds of media and information practitioners graduating from the countrys colleges
and universities have remained unemployed despite the introduction of new newspapers
and radio stations. The high number of freelance journalists in Zimbabwe are more a
result of a lack of employment opportunities than a matter of choice, particularly for the
new graduates who are deemed inexperienced.

The media and information sector, particularly in as far as journalists and artists are
concerned, has failed to fully professionalise when it comes to improving conditions of
service. Supporting staff such as engineers and ICT specialists have professional
associations that help to maintain a conducive working environment. Shortcomings facing
media and information workers include areas such as lack of negotiating skills, vague or
verbal contracts, low take it or leave it performance fees in the case of artistes, and no
insurance cover.

With the absence of safety nets, life skills and properly regulated working environment,
some media and information workers, particularly journalists, musicians and other
artistes often live a life of poverty or charity cases supported by well-wishers, friends,
promoters and colleagues. When they are financial problems, the well wishers are the
same people who foot medical and subsequently burial costs.

The economic hardships for media and information practitioners make them vulnerable
to corruption and unprofessionalism. The International Federation of Journalist (IFJ) has
observed that professional journalism cannot thrive in an environment in which
journalists operate with uncertainty coupled with fear and poverty.

Workers involved in information dissemination are generally not secure in their jobs,
particularly the journalists who become targeted for perceived bias, while newspaper
vendors become targets of political activists for carrying a story not to their liking.


Physical and psychological harassment from police, military, political, business and social
sectors has affected the professional dissemination of information. Among journalists
there is a feeling that multiple accreditation and the number of laws that affect their
operations make it difficult for them to operate freely, resulting in self-censorship.

Women and men have cited sexual harassment from male colleagues and news sources as
being prevalent, and this can impact on the health and productivity of individuals as well
as having repercussions for the working environment through mistrust and low morale.
The absence of effective gender policies that ensure equal payment and promotion
opportunities is discouraging to many, is unconstitutional and can be contested in court.

What has come out clearly from IMPIs outreach and engagement of the media and
information sector is that conditions of service and employment creation opportunities
are tied to economic and business fortunes within the sector. During our meetings with
staff at Zimbabwe Newspapers (1980) Ltd, the IMPI committee on Conditions of Service
and Employment Creation was implored to take note of the economic challenges that
newspapers in Zimbabwe are faced with, such as having to import paper for printing.

The economic and political environment has made the terrain even more difficult, and
news and entertainment consumption levels have gone down. In this regard, people
prefer to deal with basic livelihood issues and not buy media products or spend on
entertainment, a scenario that has resulted in the sector performing badly.

This high cost of doing business in Zimbabwe is impacting the ability of media houses to
improve conditions of service and recruit more journalists. Until such time that media
organisations can improve their business, the sector will continue to face problems in
improving working conditions and creating employment opportunities, challenges may
continue in guaranteeing the best conditions of service and creating employment.

2. OUTREACH OBSERVATIONS
_________________________________________
In discussions held with different stakeholders, including media and information

workers, the following points were expressed as the major concerns.

2.1 Remuneration
v Poor remuneration for workers is made worse by the absence of a National
Employment Council (NEC) for media and information workers.
v Poor remuneration and bargaining platforms for artistes, made worse by the lack
of a vibrant Union of Artistes and an ineffective Zimbabwe Union of Musicians.
v Need to access non-monetary benefits such as housing stands and tools of the
trade at concessionary rates.

v Need to ensure employers meet obligations to provide safety nets for workers,
including pension and medical aid contributions.
v Need to review contracts, given the convergence regime where workers now have
to write for more than one publication, to ensure this is reflected in their contracts.
v Employers should desist from exploiting freelance journalists.
v Trade union and labour rights should be taught at university level so that the
workforce can understand their rights as workers.
v Most journalists do not have contracts, are poorly paid and do not have any form
of security especially freelancers. Many people in the arts and media industry do
not enjoy benefits such as medical aid, maternity leave and pension.
v Freelance journalists can earn as little as $10 per article for an article, while
payments are often delayed.
v Lately, even the state-media employees have fallen victim to unpaid wages or
delayed payments.
v The current salary cuts and suspension of the head of ZBC grabbed headlines and
paints a bleak picture about working conditions in this industry.

2.2 Employment
v While several colleges and universities, such as NUST, offer courses in journalism,
filmmaking and IT, most graduates fail to secure meaningful employment after
graduating.
v In terms of employment policies, there is generally equal employment opportunity
in media houses and in the information industry, although people with disabilities
and women remain on the fringes.
v Lack of an industry employment code or national employment council for the
media industry gives rise to the exploitation of employees, especially journalists,
while journalists cited poor salaries as an excuse for receiving bribes.
v Some outlets closed or were shut down, for example, Daily News closed in 2009
and only reopened in 2011.
v Many skilled journalists and performing artists left the country and some set up
online newspapers and information centres.
v When government closes down newspapers, journalists are left jobless and this
adds to shrinkage of the employment pool, as does the restriction on operations of
foreign media organisations.

2.3 Safety
v Lack of safety for media and information workers, for example unsafe buildings
and vehicles, and lack of safety training, which expose workers to danger, and the
related need to provide counselling services for traumatized workers.
v Workers in this industry are not protected due to lack of human resources policies
and salary structures.
2.4 Code of Conduct
v Need for a binding Code of Conduct for media and information practitioners.

v Gender discrimination and sexual harassment particularly for journalists and
artists.

2.5 Qualifications
v Unprofessional conduct by practitioners hence the need to have clearly defined
qualifications for practitioners to answer the question -- What is a journalist?

2.6 Business
v Need to conduct due diligence on license applicants to avoid unreliable
entrepreneurs with no capacity or finances to run a business, thus creating
hardship for employees.
v Governments grip on media has impacted on new players and may have
dampened interest among potential investors in the media industry, leading to the
shrinking of the media industry and its failure to absorb journalists who graduate
from colleges.
v Employment creation is affected by perceived interference of the state by both the
public and potential investors.
v Unprofessional, unverified, negative stories about Zimbabwe and the Head of
State written by political activists, abusing journalists privilege contribute to
investor flight.
v Current economic climate has caused suffering among journalists, artists and
musicians.
v The numbers of people attending musical shows and cultural events have
dwindled, thus affecting the livelihood of musicians and artists.
v Some media houses are scaling down operations due to lack of funds and poor
state of the economy -- companies are not advertising as much, and this affects the
media industry
v Most companies no longer advertise on television or in the print media because of
prohibitive costs and this ultimately affects viability.

2.7 Technology
v There is lack of public awareness of the digitisation process and how it will affect
the general public.
v Many exciting business opportunities, skills and services come with digitisation.
v Media industry is poised for growth.
v Current challenges include resource constraints and general lack of experience in
handling new media or other technologies.
v Zimbabwe lags behind in terms of harnessing new technology.
v Problems of bandwidth, with the 3G and not broadband being most used.

2.8 Language and Culture
v Those in broadcasting should be able to speak a certain number of Zimbabwean
languages before enrolment for training and employment.

2.9 Intellectual Property
v Employ effective methods to eradicate piracy, including enforcing agreements and
copyrights, and protecting intellectual property.

2.10 Legislation
v Legislation such as AIPPA, POSA has had impacted on journalists and other
media players (see chapter on Media Law Reform).
v Restrictive licensing procedures discourage investment in the media industry.
v This situation is made worse by legal threats, intimidation, corruption, and
harassment.


Constitution of Zimbabwe
The Right to Work Under Satisfactory Conditions

The Constitution of Zimbabwe, which is the supreme law of the land guarantees the right

to work under conducive and dignified conditions. Section 24 provides for Work and
labour relations that:
(1) The State and all institutions and agencies of government at every level must adopt
reasonable policies and measures, within the limits of the resources available to them, to
provide everyone with an opportunity to work in a freely chosen activity, in order to
secure a decent living for themselves and their families.1

The Constitution goes on to outline what conditions of service must be guaranteed in its
section 24 (2), stating that:
The State and all institutions and agencies of government at every level must endeavour
to secure
(a) full employment;
(b) the removal of restrictions that unnecessarily inhibit or prevent people from working
and otherwise engaging in gainful economic activities;
(c) vocational guidance and the development of vocational and training programmes,
including those for persons with disabilities; and

(d) the implementation of measures such as family care that enable women to enjoy a
real opportunity to work.

The Constitution goes further to make various provisions on labour rights, section 65,
including that:
(1) Every person has the right to fair and safe labour practices and standards and to be
paid a fair and reasonable wage.
......
(4) Every employee is entitled to just, equitable and satisfactory conditions of work.
(5) Except for members of the security services, every employee, employer, trade union,
and employee or employers organisation has the right to
(a) engage in collective bargaining;
(b) organize; and
(c) form and join federations of such unions and organisations.
(6) Women and men have a right to equal remuneration for similar work.
(7) Women employees have a right to fully paid maternity leave for a period of at least
three months.

The Constitution mandates the State to establish an environment conducive for

employment creation, an environment that enables one to work and earn a living under
satisfactory conditions of service.

3 GENERAL CONDITIONS OF SERVICE AND
EMPLOYMENT CREATION
_________________________________________________________________
3.1 National Employment Councils for Media Workers and Artists

The Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) has been at the forefront of having a National
Employment Council (NEC) established for the media industry and journalists.
Consultations to create a NEC for the media industry, which started as early as 2006, have
not been successful because employers have refused to set up a publishers association
which would be a negotiating partner. This has left workers with no option but to push
for a statutory NEC which would be the first of its kind. To date the media are without a
NEC for their industry as envisaged in Part VIII of the Labour Act [Chapter 28:01]

The media are among the few professional industries that have failed to take advantage of
the provisions of the law on the creation of the NEC. Section 56 of the Labour Act
provides for a voluntary Employment Council, and a statutory one can be formed in
terms of Section 57 of the same Act by way of ministerial directive.

ZUJ initiated the process to establish a voluntary NEC for the media industry in 2006. A
lot of groundwork was done, culminating in the development of a constitution for the
NEC but no National Employer Association exists, thus creating a stalemate which
hinders progress in proceeding with the setting up of a voluntary NEC. Yet the values
and purposes of the Labour Act are best served through the establishment of a NEC for
the media industry. It is important to note that the Zimbabwe Graphical Workers Union,
which represents workers in the Printing, Packaging and Newspaper Industry, does not
cover journalists.

A NEC for the media must be formed because:
The media have become a sophisticated but peculiar industry that does not have a
common bargaining platform, yet professionals such as journalists are the core of
the business.
There is very little organisation in terms of addressing industry-related issues in
the media resulting in brain drain as professionals leave for other regions, thus
affecting quality of products. Also evident are the disparities and distortions in
salaries for the profession due to lack of a standard collective bargaining platform.
The lack of a NEC also means work-related disputes are often prolonged and spill
into the courts for conciliation or arbitration.

A NEC assists in the collective bargaining process and brings uniformity and
sanity to an industry. It also guards against work-related disputes which create
instability, and helps in identifying problem areas before they advance, while
giving room for them to be addressed expeditiously in order to avoid instability.

NEC negotiated Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) give management an
opportunity to plan with some measure of security and to implement production
programmes without disruption at the workplace since these are legally binding
documents once registered.

Apart from collective bargaining, a NEC sets codes of conduct at the workplace,
discusses retrenchment issues, as well as setting pension and medical aid schemes.
See ZUJ position paper on a NEC in Appendix to this chapter.

Reluctance of Employers. The reluctance to come up with a National Employers
Association has been the major hurdle restricting the pace at which a NEC can be
established. This would leave workers with the option of forming a statutory NEC, itself a
most undesirable option.

Government Support. Government has shown support for the establishment of a NEC for
the media industry. ZUJ has over the years written to the government, particularly the
Ministry of Labour, and the response has been positive. Support was also rendered in
2006 by the then Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport and Communications.

3.2 Conditions of Service for Journalists
The plight of journalists and those working in the media has been evidence of the
challenges facing the sector as a whole in guaranteeing better conditions of service. Most
glaring were the deplorable conditions of service reported at the national broadcaster,
ZBC, in which workers wait for months without salaries only to have them reduced to
2010 levels by the Ministry.

The conditions of service for workers at the Corporation came to a head in November
2013 amidst reports of a technically insolvent organisation owing workers arrears of up to
six months in salaries. The then Deputy Minister of the Information, Media and
Broadcasting Services, Hon. Supa Mandiwanzira (who was appointed minister for
communications technology in December) expressed concern over the situation at ZBC,
stating that:
The reality is that from the coffers of the institution, they are unable to pay those
salaries, but I am delighted that they have informed us that there are engagements
with financial institutions where there are possibilities that some funds could be
obtained on the back of a Government guarantee.1
The situation at ZBC revealed a glaring disparity between the conditions of service of
senior management earning tens of thousands of dollars a month, while junior employees
had gone for months without their meagre salaries.

1
ZBC broke, workers unpaid for 6 months 21 November 2013 http://nehandaradio.com/2013/11/21/zbc-broke-workers-unpaid-for-

In November 2013, Deputy Minister Mandiwanzira noted the conditions of service of
media practitioners and journalists, thus:
The issue of salaries for journalists is a problem across the media in Zimbabwe and
that has given rise to the culture of brown envelopes where journalists are paid to
write certain stories. We are worried about the welfare of journalists and have tasked
the Zimbabwe Media Commission to look into the issue and give us appropriate
recommendations.2

He went on to propose some possible interventions to improve the conditions of service:
We are engaging the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) to set up a NEC for
journalists. We are also working on a programme to see if journalists can get
residential stands through the Ministry of Local Government.3

The poor working conditions affect journalists in the public and private media, but ZUJ
has been highlighting the plight of journalists from 2009 and calling upon both the private
and state media to pay journalists living wages as the country's economy continues to
deteriorate. According to ZUJ:
"Some of our journalists are earning wages lower than those of sugar cane cutters,
and they are scrounging around to survive the economic crisis."4
In response, media companies argued they could not pay better wages because the high
operational costs had made the industry almost unprofitable.

Starting from 2006, the conditions of service of journalists was a subject of concern in
Parliament. In June 2006 a parliamentary portfolio committee on Transport and
Communications, while presenting its report on the state of the public media in
Zimbabwe recommended the urgent need for a review of the salaries of journalists, saying
most of them were earning monthly salaries which were far below the poverty datum
line. The Chairperson of the Committee stated in Parliament that5:
"The committee would like to urge the minister responsible to seriously consider the
issue of poor salaries. They (journalists) need to be looked after; perhaps that is the
reason why the experienced staff is leaving," he said.

Debate within the committee also raised concern that poor remuneration was tempting
some media practitioners to engage in corrupt activities.
"You are exposing journalists to corruption and manipulation if you don't pay them
proper salaries. Let's attempt to make our journalists better people."6

In 2011 reports were also published of journalists at The Daily News going without
salaries. According to that report:

2
Chronicle 27 November 2013 http://www.chronicle.co.zw/govt-to-improve-journalists-welfare-minister/
3
Ibid
4
Ibid
5
The Herald, 7 June 2006, reported in The Zimbabwe Situation, http://www.zimbabwesituation.com/jun8_2006.html#Z2.
6
Ibid

Journalists employed by Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe (ANZ), publishers of
The Daily News and The Daily News on Sunday, are up in arms with their employer for
failing to pay them on time. Reporters, some of whom left jobs elsewhere to join the
newspaper group, said they were finding it difficult to make ends meet and had since
engaged ZUJ to intervene. Some of us are finding it difficult to pay fees and a
number of colleagues have had their children sent home after failing to pay school
fees. Others have been evicted for failing to pay rent,' said a reporter.7

A 2011 report by Radio VOP Zimbabwe revealed that journalists across the board were
facing economic challenges relating to non-payment of salaries which were not even
adequate. According to that report:
Workers at the Trevor Ncube-owned media stable were advised that they will only
be paid their December salaries on 28 December, three days after Christmas holiday.
The journalists and other support staff working at the Zimbabwe Independent, The
Standard and News Day will also only get 25 percent of their salaries as bonus
payment which they will only access on 28 December. Meanwhile, journalists at the
Financial Gazette, which is owned by the former central bank governor Gideon Gono,
only got paid 50 percent of their bonus payments in December and were promised
that the other half will be paid in instalments.8

The conditions of service for journalists have not changed in 2014, as marked by low and
erratic salaries as well as lack of materials of trade to undertake their work effectively.
During IMPIs outreach programme, media consultant Lennox Mhlanga expressed
concern that:
Journalists in Zimbabwe are among the worst paid professionals in the world. There
is need to improve their working conditions and their salaries. It is sad that there are
a number of cases pending at the labour court where journalists are fighting unfair
dismissals.9
The deplorable conditions of service of journalists have not only been affected by the
meagre remuneration but also their working environment which poses a threat to them.
The highly polarised political environment has seen journalists unable to effectively carry
out their duties due to partisan political interference. Journalists working for the private
media have highlighted incidents of harassment, intimidation and assaults in the
workplace.

Zimbabwe has more than 2,000 journalists with diverse abilities and specialisation, and
these are absorbed in outlets such as radio, television and newspapers. At Independence
the country only had one broadcasting service and television station owned by the state.
The newspaper industry was dominated by the government-owned dailies and weeklies,

7
Newsday, Journalists struggle as Daily News fails to pay salaries, 11 March 2011 https://www.newsday.co.zw/2011/03/11/2011-03-
11-journalists-struggle-as-daily-news-fails-to-pay-salaries/
8
RadioVop Zimbabwe, Zim Journos Face Bleak Christmas, 22 December 2011
http://www.radiovop.com/index.php/national-news/7813-zim-journos-face-bleak-christmas.html
9
The Zimbabwean, Chinotimba cautions journalists, 22 May 2014 http://www.thezimmail.co.zw/2014/05/22/chinotimba-cautions-
journalists/.

The Herald, The Chronicle and Sunday Mail. The
Labour Relations Act, Section 8
limited airtime and newspapers meant that artists,
musicians, actors, film makers, and journalists
Zimbabwe does not have legislation
competed for exposure and space. that specifically deals with sexual
harassment in the workplace but it is
Zimbabwe has not been spared by the impact of mentioned in Section 8 of the Labour
globalisation and poverty, and erosion of basic Relations Act as an unfair labour
human rights at the work place, and the media practice. According to Section 8:
and information industry is no exception. The
main player in the media is government, this 8. Unfair labour practices by
being the case since Independence. employer
An employer or, for the purpose of

paragraphs (g) and (h), an employer or
Government inherited a vibrant and viable
any other person, commits an unfair
broadcasting service, and newspaper publishing labour practice if, by act or omission, he
houses which came with a lot of ancillary services.
Most journalists and technology savvy graduates (g) demands from any employee or
found employment and career opportunities in prospective employee any sexual favour as
the media and information sector, especially with a condition of
the exodus of many white Zimbabweans who left (i) the recruitment for employment; or
the country soon after Independence. (ii) the creation, classification or abolition
of jobs or posts; or
(iii) the improvement of the remuneration
Before the decree of the 75 percent local content
or other conditions of employment of the
for all music and drama shown on ZBC radio and
employee; or
television, very few artists had a chance to have (iv) the choice of persons for jobs or posts,
their work appreciated by the general public. training, advancement, apprenticeships,
However, because of the prevailing economic transfer,
climate and the lack of maintenance and promotion or retrenchment; or
upgrading of the state broadcasting services (v) the provision of facilities related to or
equipment and newsrooms, the employment connected with employment; or
opportunities have gradually shrunk to alarming (vi) any other matter related to
levels. employment;
or

(h) engages in unwelcome sexually-
The private and public newsrooms and media
determined behaviour towards any
houses are failing to absorb graduates from the employee, whether verbal or otherwise,
various institutions. And while there has been a such as making physical contact or
growth in the number of artists and local advances, sexually coloured remarks, or
productions, not many find their way to the displaying pornographic materials in the
public space and this sometimes discourages workplace.
artists who then seek alternative means of
employment.


3.3 Sexual Harassment in the Media Industry
Journalists, and in particular female journalists are being sexually harassed at work by
their colleagues and bosses and they have no idea what to do or where to turn. They are
not sure whether they should tell someone about the incident or even who they should
tell in the newsroom. They are further traumatised when they go out on assignment and
are harassed by their news sources. When the journalists go back to the newsroom and
report these incidents, they are ridiculed or ignored. They are told to deal with it or get
over it since it is one of the professional hazards that a journalist has to deal with.
Sometimes the sexual harassment complaint is used to condemn the ability of female
journalists to carry out their work competently.

It is even more difficult to address issues of sexual harassment when decision-makers in
the media deny the existence and prevalence of sexual harassment. Young female
journalists who have just entered the profession or are working as interns are particularly
vulnerable. Media organisations have policies which are very clear but they are not
adhered to because the committees usually appointed to deal with the cases are
inadequately equipped to handle such matters.

Among the policies proposed by FAMWZ and ZUJ to prevent and address sexual
harassment are written policies that are enforced, and awareness of the policies10. An
organisational policy handbook needs to include:
v a general harassment policy,
v a gender policy,
v a sexual harassment policy, and
v a policy about how sexual harassment investigations are conducted in the
company or organisation.

A policy could also be included that forbids an employee in a supervisory role from
dating a reporting employee. If an organisation decides that a supervisor is allowed to
date an employee then the company should detail the steps required.

After creating these policies, you need to train all employees about these policies. You
also need to set up a committee empowered to deal with complaints of sexual harassment.
(see also Chapter 6 on Gender, Advocacy and Marginalised Groups, section 3.2.8)

3.4 Employment Creation in the Cultural Industry
A report published by the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZIMSTAT), Cultural
Statistics Survey Zimbabwe 2012, stated that the cultural industry has emerged as a source
of income and employment in recent years, and a tool to assert the national identity. The
report acknowledges that government has shown support for the industry by supporting

10
FAMWZ/ZUJ, What Can I Do? Who Should I Tell? Sexual Harassment in Media, 2013

national cultural institutions such as the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe, the National
Gallery of Zimbabwe, the National Library and Documentation Services, the National
Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe, and the National Archives of Zimbabwe.

The Cultural Statistics Survey Zimbabwe 2012 gives the following information:
In 2012 the distribution of the population in the cultural sector was as -- retail sale
of books, newspapers and stationary 3 percent, sound recording and music
publishing 2 percent, radio broadcasting 11 percent, news agency activities 6
percent, other information service activities 25 percent, advertising 11 percent,
creative, arts and entertainment activities 29 percent.11

Of the 5.4 million people employed in Zimbabwe according to the 2011 LFCLS,
just above 22,000 persons were in direct cultural industries thus contributing at
least 0.4 percent to national employment. For Harare, Chitungwiza, Norton,
Epworth and Ruwa, close to 13,000persons were in direct cultural industries
contributing a proportion of 1.6 percent of the total employees in these areas.12

3.4.1 Music Sector
The conditions of service of those earning livelihoods in Zimbabwes entertainment sector
have had to confront the economic challenges that have dogged Zimbabwe over the past
decade and a half. In this context, the music industry has fared no better, largely due to
the reality of a restricted economy not conducive to establishing a lucrative entertainment
industry. In his 2012 article, Dancing through the Crisis: Survival Dynamics and Zimbabwe
Music Industry, Dr. Nhamo Mhiripiri states that:
Despite all this, the music industry looks vibrant, and shows no signs that the big
recording companies Zimbabwe Music Corporation (ZMC), Records and Tape
Promotions (RTP), Gramma and Ngaavongwe will shut down or relocate to South
Africa as most other companies have done.

There is a vibrant music industry in Zimbabwe and over 20,000 families draw their
livelihoods in whole or in part from something related to music (Mhiripiri 2004; Mhiripiri
and Mhiripiri 2006). Zimbabwe is unique in that Zimbabwean citizens wholly own its
local recording and distribution companies.13 The recent emergence of the Zim Dancehall
is one example of employment creation/n livelihoods for mainly young Zimbabweans,
most of whom have had economically deprived backgrounds.

While the music industry has managed to stay its own course despite the economic
challenges there has been a reality of musicians failing to make ends meet and facing
deplorable conditions of service, largely resulting from an industry with little effective
protective mechanisms for musicians.
3.4.2 Artists and Intermediaries

11
Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZIMSTAT), Cultural Statistics Survey Zimbabwe 2012, pg 8
12
Ibid
13
Mhiripiri, Dancing through the Crisis: Survival Dynamics and Zimbabwe Music Industry

Dr. Mhiripiri points to the challenge of intermediaries, being the publishers, record
companies, broadcasters or club venues who facilitate an artists productions for a mass
market.
Contractual relations between artists and intermediaries are often skewed in favour
of the latter for several reasonsWhen the intermediary is powerful because of
ownership and control of vital resources and opportunities, there is the likelihood
that she or he extracts more from the proceeds arising from her or his liaisons with
the artist. Contracts, therefore, often are asymmetrical, and the bargaining power of
artists early in their careers is usually weak, while the bargaining power of
consistently successful artists is often very high.

This means that the earning capacity of artists having to rely on monopolised production
houses becomes reduced, and their conditions of service undermined.

In Zimbabwe, there are no institutions for social benefits for artists In such
circumstances, most musicians sustain themselves significantly with income from
non-copyright, and even non-artistic activities (see Pratt 2004). Very few artists
achieve the basic minimum ordinary living standards from copyright income or live
performances alone, and even fewer musicians manage to survive on music earnings
alone.14

3.4.3 Artists Working Conditions
The arts and cultural sector is very disorganised when it comes to issues of remuneration,
negotiations for better contracts and other working conditions. Musicians who were
interviewed said as a result of an ineffective Zimbabwe Union of Musicians(ZUM), they
are left at the mercy of promoters who exploit them, including sexually. Actors had a
bargaining platform which only applied to those based in Bulawayo, hence the need to
make it national. An interview by The Weekend Post with one arts practitioner, Marcus
Gora revealed that the arts and entertainment industry had little to offer its
artists/entertainers. According to Gora:
The consensus among the artistes is that their working conditions still leave a lot to
be desired. This is because the venue owners have a lot of power over the terms and
conditions of employment unless the artiste is very famous. Because life is hard and
most artistes are struggling, they are often forced to accept unfair working conditions
simply because there is no alternative and there are no regulations or unions to
protect them.In general because artistes do not have regular formal employment,
they are not protected by labour laws, which protect employees.We need to change
attitudes in society and recognise artistes as professionals, so that in turn the law can
treat them with the same respect as other qualified workers.15
Gora bemoaned the lack of an effective artists workers union, saying that the existing
ZUM lacks expertise in defending artists rights:

14
Mhiripiri
15
http://www.weekendpost.co.zw/articles/2014/08/27/artistes-not-protected-by-labour-laws-gora


Many artistes in Zimbabwe, working in different fields, work independently and
individually. While many recognise that they can achieve better conditions if they
band together, very few take the initiative to organise simply because life is too hard
and they are forced to live from hand to mouth. So, it is in many ways a Catch-22
situation.

He recommended that to improve the conditions of artistes:
It is very important that we achieve minimum standards of working conditions that
artistes can be guaranteed, when it comes to work, for example, in the music industry,
minimum performance fees, maximum duration of performance etc. The arts industry
is rich in potential even if it is not currently realised in Zimbabwe. The industry, if we
can call it such, has the potential to create jobs if a proper mapping of the industry is
carried out to identify its state, capacity, needs and potential contribution to the fiscus.

Apart from developing the industry, we should also be developing career guidance
for young people to know the full spectrum of job opportunities which are available
and which can be created in the industry. The music industry, for example, is not just
about playing on stage, there is a broad range of professions available from lighting,
to sound engineering, makeup-artistes. This goes back to changing social attitudes
about working in the arts industry.

Government needs to step in and fund projects and encourage genuine indigenous
creativity, which celebrates Zimbabwe today and speaks not only in Zimbabwe but
internationally. This will encourage artistes to be registered and give them hope of
laws being observed and enforced to protect them.

3.4.4 Piracy
Another challenge that has affected the conditions of service of artists is piracy. According
to Zimbabwe Mail, one of Zimbabwes renowned musicians, Hosiah Chipanga, threatened
to quit music in 2013, citing piracy. Chipanga was quoted as saying:
Why would I continue releasing albums while not gaining anything? I pump out
money into the project and the end result is nothing because of piracy? Musicians are
no longer surviving on their work, instead they are working for others.16

The Zimbabwean cited Metro Studios director Emion Sibindi, who called upon the relevant
authorities to tighten screws to curb piracy that has caused serious problems in the
industry and resulted in musicians having to sell their music on their own.
As a result of piracy, a number of record labels operations and business strategies
are far from standard as several artistes choose to distribute their own products. Such
a reflection depicts high levels of failure by relevant authorities to address the issues.
Despite anti-piracy campaigns and the adoption of the Copyright and Neighbouring
Rights Act in 2004, piracy remains a plague affecting the conditions of service for artists

16
http://www.thezimmail.co.zw/2014/07/02/piracy-levaes-musicians-paupers/

and also stealing opportunities of growth in the mainstream industry and any
employment creation that comes with it.

Another musician, Herbert Qwela Schwamborn aka Meta Physics, was of the view that
there is no music industry in Zimbabwe:
I left Zimbabwe because I wanted to expand and be in an environment that would
allow me to express myself musically without having to worry about the day-to-day
hassle. I think Zimbabwe has never been able to cultivate its biggest talents. It has
never been able to support its breadwinners. You find that whoever has talent leaves.
Its an intellectual drain which is not good for the country. There is no industry in
Zimbabwe Industry is something that people can generate income from. Its
something that is viable and functions17.

While government is commended for certain interventions that have promoted the music
industry, especially the 75 percent local content, support of music festivals and the
equipping of musicians, some of its actions and policies have also had negative
ramifications for the music industry.

These include the sanctions and travel bans imposed by governments in Europe, which
affected some Zimbabwean musicians directly or indirectly, the long and unpredictable
electricity outages, the fuel shortages which make it difficult to stage live shows
throughout the country, and Operation Murambatsvina/Operation Restore Order that hit
hardest against flea markets that have been the biggest sellers of local music.

Emmanuel Vori, the sales and marketing director of Gramma, was quoted as saying, We
lost 30 percent worth of sales as a result of the displacement of informal traders.18

Operation Chikorokoza Chapera a government-sanctioned police raid in 2006 on (illegal)
small, informal mines also had a similar negative impact on particular top musicians.
When these miners were dispersed and lost their income, some musicians saw audiences
dwindling, especially in the mining regions.19

17
The Zimbabwean, http://www.thezimbabwean.co/entertainment/music-and-dance/51537/there-is-no-music-industry.html.
18
See article by Maxwell Sibanda, Zimbabwe: Music industry dying slowly, 25 October 2005, posted on
http://www.freemuse.org/sw11081.asp.
19
Some musicians are based in small mining towns because they gain more from the illegal miners through provision of entertainment
(Discussion with Daisy Mutiti, 1 January 2008, Gweru).

4 PROMOTING EMPLOYMENT CREATION THROUGH
ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT IN THE CULTURE SECTOR
_________________________________________________________________
There has been a long standing localisation of the music industry in Zimbabwe, akin to
and now resonating with the current indigenisation programme. According to Dr.
Mhiripiri, Big international conglomerates such as WEA, SONY/CBS, EMI, BMG, etc.,
including South African interests, have local branches in most African countries, but not
in Zimbabwe.20

State intervention provided legislative mechanisms that enhanced the formation of
alliances, networks and distribution systems. Besides assisting with recording facilities,
the government diversified Kingstons booksellers into music retailers, and the quasi-
governmental Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation stations were a ready broadcaster for
all types of music (see Connell and Gibson 2003:119). The Broadcasting Services Act (2001)
stipulates a 75 percent local content quota requirement for local broadcasters. The local
stations, which are all state-owned, respect this provision and the youth station Power FM
actually converted the quota to 100 percent local content for a period, resulting in many
youth groups emerging to fill the available air time.

Many independent recording and promotion companies also emerged to take advantage
of new opportunities. All types of music that were previously sidelined suddenly found
an opportunity on the market. ZBC is a de facto broadcasting monopoly and the biggest
music user, hence the biggest payer of mechanical rights royalties to musicians. Along
with the programming quota system, the duty free importation of musical equipment has
boosted the growth of the local music industry, making its products economically viable
for public consumption.

The 75 percent local content quota within the Broadcasting Services Act (2001) has become
the foundation for a growing localised industry in which local talent is establishing
businesses and creating employment as local artists have found a platform to compete
among themselves and not lose out to imported local content.

Dr. Mhiripiri points out to this unique local content and how it has sustained the music
industry:
It is worthwhile to investigate how the different stakeholders in the music industry
sustain the interest of audiences and buyers, given that Zimbabwe is arguably one
African country where local really is lekker, with more local records selling compared
to foreign productions.21

20
Dr Mhiripiri
21
Mhiripiri, Dancing through the Crisis: Survival Dynamics and Zimbabwe Music Industry

4.1 Employment Creation under Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment
The Indigenisation Act provides for economic empowerment being the creation of an
environment which enhances the performance of the economic activities of indigenous
Zimbabweans into which they would have been introduced or involved through
indigenisation. It is safe to say that the music industry has seen empowerment through
establishing sustaining livelihoods, through employment and business creation.

4.1.1 State of the Arts, Entertainment and Culture Sector
The National Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Board (NIEEB) report on
Sector Specific Committee Reports and Recommendations, November 2010 outlined the
state of the Arts, Entertainment and Culture Sector. The study of this sector focused on
the following subsectors:
Performing Arts theatre, festivals, performance halls, music and dance.
Entertainment film, television, radio and advertising
Book publishing
Visual arts and crafts
Cultural heritage.

The NIEEB Report highlighted the sector as presenting opportunities for empowering
indigenous Zimbabweans through employment creation and contributing to Gross
National Product (GDP). The report states that:
In Zimbabwe this sector of the economy, whilst broad and vibrant, is poorly
regulated and its contribution to the fiscus cannot be easily measured.

4.1.2 Contribution to GDP
The government will need to develop an effective regulatory mechanism to enable the
nation to benefit from the immense potential that this sector has. This sectors
contribution to the fiscus and GDP can be greater than it is at present. The synergy
produced by an active relationship between various sectors that have a culture
component could be further enhanced so as to increase the contribution to GDP to above 2
percent (currently 1.8 percent). Further, the empowerment of the producers, proper
pricing of products, adequate investments coupled with professionalisation and
formalisation of the sector could lead to a significant increase in the sectors contribution
to GDP.22

4.1.3 Ownership of the Sector
The NIEEB report proposed the need to indigenise the sector as follows, thus ensuring
ownership of the sector by indigenous Zimbabweans.23

22
NIEEB 2010, p12
23
NIEEB 2010, p19

SUB SECTORS NET ASSET VALUE/ INDIGENOUS TENURE TO
TURNOVER SHAREHOLDING % COMPLY WITH
THRESHOLD (US$) ACT (YEARS)
Performing Arts(Theatre, 100 000 51 3
Music and Dance)
Entertainment
Film 10 000 51 3
Television 1 51 3
Radio 1 51 3
Advertising 1 51 3
Publishing and Printing 50 000 51 3
Visual Arts and Craft 1 51 3

The NIEEB report on the Arts, Entertainment and Culture Sector also outlined the
situation regarding the conditions of service within the sector, as follows:

4.1.4 Remuneration
Remuneration levels at grassroots remain low for most artists when compared to
internationally established artists and cultural workers. This makes it unattractive for
potential talent. Artists or producers of artefacts are exploited through undervaluation of
their products, which are then sold at exorbitant prices both locally and internationally.24

4.1.5 Associations and Corporate Governance
Associations which artists can be affiliated to are predominately found in urban areas,
making it difficult to access relevant information. Information regarding funding,
promotions, participation in galas, calls for auditions and training is, therefore, not
disseminated to most intended beneficiaries in remote areas. The practicing artists are not
formal which results in their economic output being undervalued.

4.1.6 Intellectual Property
Failure to recognise artists products as intellectual property results in exploitation of the
artist. The legislative framework for this recognition is deficient and not effectively
implementable. The report went on to propose strategies in the sector, which have a
bearing on improving the conditions of service of indigenous Zimbabweans in the media
and information sector, as follows:
For the protection of artistes from exploitation through undervaluation of their
products, it is recommended that:

24
NIEEB 2010, p20

o The National Art Gallery should be empowered to legitimise all exports of
visual arts and crafts in order to ensure only legitimate articles are exported
and that rare heritage or under-invoiced exports do not leave the country.
o Disbursement of royalties to musicians by the Zimbabwe Music Rights
Association (ZIMURA) should be half yearly instead of once a year.
o All indigenous authors should receive not less than 15 percent royalty.

Given the deplorable conditions of service in the media and information sector, especially
for entertainers due to the challenging and non-conducive economic environment, the
NIEEB report proposes further recommendations that have a bearing on improvement of
such conditions of service and creating employment opportunities through the growth of
the sector:
o The National Art Gallery, National Arts Council of Zimbabwe and other
related arts organisations are encouraged to decentralise to small communities
in order to promote broad-based rural participation to enable access to
information regarding funding, participation in galas and calls for auditions
and training. Government must address wide gender disparities in the sector
and marginalisation of disabled people through empowerment
programmes.25

IMPI noted during its outreach programme, that there was a feeling that rural areas are
being neglected and overlooked by entertainers. Likewise entertainers in rural areas felt
that they are unable to earn a living due to no exposure within the media which could
offer opportunities for them to undertake successful careers in the entertainment industry.
Other recommendations by the NIEEB Sectoral Committee on Arts, Entertainment and
Culture are as follows:
o Creation of an Artistes Fund to provide loans/grants/scholarships for artistes and
cultural workers as well as funding for the refurbishment of community halls for
performances.
o Introduction of tax rebates/holidays to corporates which can fund the arts and
culture sector projects and activities, and a fee to be levied on all blank cassettes,
DVDs, and CDs to be remitted to the Artistes Fund.
o Independent producers to be empowered so that they are able to produce the
required 40 percentfor airing instead of the current 12 percent, and enforced so the
broadcaster does purchase the required 40 percent from local independent
producers.
o Imposition of a levy on foreign films that will create a fund for the purpose of
cushioning the local film production industry.
o A levy of 1 percent of the export value of consignment to be awarded to the
National Art Gallery for development and professionalism of artists and crafts
people.26

25
NIEEB 2010, p22-24
26
NIEEB 2010, p23-24

4.1.7 Conclusion
For conditions of service to improve and employment to be created in the media and
information sector, and the cultural sector, the findings have revealed that this sector
must be viable in terms of business. For as long as newspapers, radioa nd production
houses are not viable enterprises, the conditions of service will deteriorate and no
employment creation can take place. Between 2000 and 2009 the Zimbabwean economy
experienced a precipitous decline, with unemployment rising and industries either
closing down or relocating. Given the medias reliance on advertising, the decline in the
economy dealt a serious blow to the operations of the media which affected the general
welfare of journalists.27

Employers should give urgent attention to the formation of their association, as this will
help to facilitate the process of establishing a NEC for the industry. A voluntary NEC is
the responsibility of all stakeholders to enable the improvement of the industry. A NEC
for the media industry is long overdue, and has been the subject of several
recommendations of the past decade. A results-based action plan should be adopted to
bring together the partners in this endeavour (see Recommendations in the following section).

27
Dr Wallace Chuma, The State of Journalism Ethics in Zimbabwe, July 2013, p13

5 RECOMMENDATIONS INFORMATION &
EMPLOYMENT AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE MEDIA PANEL OF
INQUIRY
5.1 Media laws that adversely affect the day to day operations of media houses and
journalists and all that fall under the media and information industry should be
reviewed.
5.2 There is a strong case for an industry code that could also ensure the mission and
values of individual companies are achieved. This would offer an opportunity for the
industry and its institutions to create a positive public identity that can lead to a
more supportive political and regulatory environment and increase confidence and
trust among important constituencies and stakeholders.

5.3 The industry must establish an Employment Code of Conduct that incorporates
agreed employment standards to:
Protect core rights of employees, and provide minimum standards that can be
varied through bargaining or individual negotiations within considered limits;
Explain various types of contracts, taking account of diversity of the modern
labour market;
Define hours of work to protect the health and safety of employees as well as
meeting social needs of families; and
Establish a mechanism for mediation.
5.4 The government of Zimbabwe through journalists unions/workers councils must

establish positive programmes to oppose discrimination against women journalists,
the disabled and people with HIV and AIDS.
5.5 The government must address firmly the practise of sexual harassment against
women at the work place through arrest and prosecution of the accused.
5.6 There is need for job descriptions for media which are linked to personal
development plans and salary structures with minimum/maximum pay scales.
5.7 Recruitment policies are required in the media, and a central database is needed
of all media personnel, with their skills, qualifications and experience.
5.8 It is recommended that a results-based Action Plan be adopted with targets in four
stages and a timeframe of six months for the establishment of a National
Employment Council for media, as follows:
Pre-engagement meetings with employers by ZUJ, ZINEF, and Ministry to reach a
consensus on setting up a NEC, within one month;
A Symposium of Media Employers, ZUJ and Ministry to set up a Media Employers
Association, and to draft and adopt a NEC constitution, within two months;
Register the NEC and nominate representatives as per constitution, in one
month;
Establish a NEC secretariat for a functioning NEC, in two months.

INFORMATION &
5 RECOMMENDATIONS continued MEDIA PANEL OF
EMPLOYMENT AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE INQUIRY
5.9 There is need for all stakeholders, especially government, to provide an enabling
environment for access information held by public bodies. The state should make
every effort to ensure easy, prompt, effective and practical access to such
information, and enact necessary procedures and legislation.
5.10 State parties should ensure that public broadcasting services operate in an
independent manner by guaranteeing editorial independence.
5.11 Media have to keep pace with new technology. The internet and social media
have an advantage over traditional newsprint and broadcasting as information can
be spread to a larger audience faster and more cheaply.
Music and Cultural Industries

5.12 The Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Acts must be enforced to reduce piracy
and theft of intellectual property.
5.13 Sophisticated marketing and distribution techniques are needed to ensure the
profitability of the music industry, and ideas can be adapted from other countries in
this regard.
5.14 Although it is noted that inadequate financial resources to match demand for
robust modern media is the greatest challenge facing the country in both public
and private sectors, huge employment opportunities can be realised if some of
these impediments are addressed in various ways.
5.15 The state can for instance make effort to maintain broadcasting equipment
which affects transmission of popular content generated by local artistes and icons.
5.16 The National Art Gallery should be empowered to legitimise all exports of visual
arts and crafts, and retain a levy of a percentage on export value.
5.17 Disbursement of royalties to musicians by ZIMURA should be half yearly.
5.18 All indigenous authors should receive not less than 15 percent royalty payment.
5.19 The National Gallery, the Arts Council and related organisations are encouraged
to decentralise to communities in order to promote broad-based rural participation.
5.20 An Artistes Fund should be created to provide loans/grants/scholarships for
artistes and cultural workers and to refurbish performance venues. Corporates who
fund this sector should receive tax rebates.
5.21 Independent producers to be empowered to produce the required 40 percent
and this must be enforced so the broadcaster purchases the required 40 percent
from local independent producers.
5.22 Imposition of a levy on foreign films would create a fund to support the local film
production industry.

EMPLOYMENT AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE INFORMATION &

MEDIA PANEL OF
DIGITISATION INQUIRY
5.23 Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services should implement its
commitment to expand the media industry with priority given to upgrading services
from analogue to digital, which can create jobs for many professionals, TV
specialists, newsreaders, editors, musicians, film directors, photographers and
costume designers.
5.24 Government should in conjunction with all media players hold workshops and
discussion forums to educate people on the impending digitisation and address
some of the following questions. Issues that relate to digitisation.
How will digitisation impact on current business models and companies in the
media industry value chain?
How can institutions best identify and enter into areas where values have been
created both inside and outside the industry?
What areas of current business offer new entrants clear opportunities to change
current business models and how can companies respond?
5.25 Training schools, colleges, and universities should embark on skills and courses
required so the skills are in place before digitisation is rolled out.
5.26 Film producers, musicians, artists and other content producers need to establish
the increase in demand in anticipation of digitisation.
5.27 With the opening up of airwaves and introduction of new players licencing and
vetting procedures need to be reviewed.
5.28 Media houses must review current business models and assess if these are ready
for digitisation and take into account new IT platforms.
5.29 Human resources practitioners should carry out skills analysis exercises in
conjunction with recruitment agencies to identify local and external skills which will
fill vacancies created by digitisation.
5.30 Digitisation should be linked to ZimAsset and the Indigenisation Policy, to give
opportunities to local potential business owners to participate in the media industry.
IMPI

7 APPENDIX
___________________
APPENDIX 7.1
Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) position paper:
National Employment Council for the media industry
SUMMARY
Consultations to form a National Employment Council (hereinafter referred to as NEC) for the
media industry which started as early as 2006 have not been successful. This paper seeks to present
the position and facts to the best knowledge of Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) on the
question, What could be the problem or sticking issues? and to give interventions thereof and a
proposed plan of action.
The media is currently without a national employment council for its own industry. It has failed to
take advantage of the provisions of the law which allows setting up of such structures. It is
apparent that the law that regulates the labour relations is in support of such structures hence the
call by ZUJ for the setting up of a National Employment Council in terms of section 56 of the
Labour Act.
The values and purposes of the Labour Act as outlined in Section 2A are best served through the
existence of a NEC for the media industry. An NEC for the media must be formed because:
The media does not have a common bargaining platform
Little organisation in terms of addressing industry related issues
With a NEC work related disputes are not prolonged and
do not end up spilling into the courts
Areas of mutual interest can be resolved
A NEC assists in collective bargaining process ZUJ Profile
NEC also sets codes of conduct at the workplace, discuss ZUJ is a media trade union that
retrenchment issues as well as set pension and medical aid seeks to protect and promote the
schemes rights of journalists as media
Interaction brings more unity and lasting solutions to workers. Established in 1984,
challenges in the industry. the Union thrives to attain better
The Media industry contains such a lapse which needs to be working conditions for
addressed in line with the spirit of the law as seen in the preamble journalists, urges unwavering
of the major piece of legislation which governs labour relations. professionalism from members,
When read with Part VIII of the Labour Act it is clear that it advocates for media pluralism
demands that a NEC be formed for the media industry. and diversity and fostering a
united media workforce. ZUJ
ZUJ PROPOSED PLAN OF ACTION has a membership of eight-
The Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting hundred (800) journalists, drawn
Services facilitates engagement meetings with employers from the private and public
so as to reach a consensus on setting up a National media as well as freelance
Employment Council. journalists.
The Ministry further leads the process of a Media
employers / ZUJ Symposium which will see the setting
up of a Media Employers Association, Drafting and
adoption of the NEC constitution.
Upon completion of these activities, the remaining
activities would be to register the NEC, set up the Secretariat and have a functioning NEC.

INFORMATION &
MEDIA PANEL OF
INQUIRY
CHAPTER 8
MEDIA LAW REFORM AND ACCESS TO INFORMATION
Media Law Reform and Access to Information
PANELISTS
Jacqueline Chikakano, Committee Chairperson
Brian Mangwende
Priscilla Munangati

Research/Programme Officer
Oliver Gawe
IMPI

CONTENTS
Legally, the information revolution
has thrown up new issues to do with
growth promotion, regulation,
CHAPTER 8
standards and protection of society
from negative, harmful material.
The orientation of laws affecting the
1. Introduction information sector has been one of
control, and not one of viewing this
2. Legal Framework sector anew as a growth pole in the
national economy.
3. Summary of Findings
The orientation of advocacy work in
4. Statistical Analysis of Findings this sector has been to view this
sector as a matter of power,
5. Issues Emerging from the Inquiry legitimacy and rights contestation.

6. Legal Arguments for Media Law The biggest casualty of both of these
Reform orientations has been the industrial/
business side of the sector whose
7. Recommendations growth has been stymied and
neglected. To this day, the legal
8. Appendix regime on information has many
gaps and inadequacies, creating a
List of Stakeholder Interviews and Submissions situation where information
products from Zimbabwe are freely
exploited without any returns to the
economy.

The country is ill-equipped to
enforce any intellectual property
rights, or develop viable business
Information and Media Panel of Inquiry IMPI models and platforms from them.
From Terms of Reference for an
Official Inquiry into State of the
Information and Media Industry


1 INTRODUCTION
_____________

This chapter is a reflection of the findings of the thematic committee on Media Law
Reform and Access to Information, from the various inquiry processes that the committee
engaged in. As with the other panels, this committee officially began its inquiry on April
4, 2014, and used various methods of obtaining public and stakeholder sentiments on
media law reforms and access to information, as described below.

The inquiry, whose commissioning came at a time when Zimbabwe had ushered in a new
Constitution, was very timely, as government was faced with the need for re-alignment of
laws. The new Constitution was being celebrated by the media sector in Zimbabwe in
view of the ample recognition of fundamental rights relevant to the media such as
freedom of expression, freedom of the media and access to information, etc. This was also
a time when the various courts in the country were inundated with cases related to media
freedom and aspects of freedom of expression. Some cases had also been filed at the
Constitutional Court.

Stakeholders, including the media, were clamouring for urgent movement towards
aligning media laws to the new Constitution, and the parent ministry also made
observations that pointed to the need for reform of some media laws. Particularly notable
were comments made by the Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services
on the need for expunging the criminal defamation laws.1 It was therefore evident that,
not only was there a need for review of the obtaining media laws and the access to
information regime, but with varied thoughts and perceptions on what the countrys
media legislation should and should not comprise of, there was also a need to create an
opportunity for public and stakeholder input into how the media laws should be framed.

It is against that background that this committee undertook to inquire into the status and
impact of the current laws on fundamental media freedoms and on access to information,
with a view to developing a perspective for reform that is informed by the public and the
relevant sectors. In undertaking this inquiry, the committee looked into a number of laws
including:

1http://www.sundaymail.co.zw/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=39259:criminal-defamation-to-
go-prof-moyo&catid=37:top-stories&Itemid=130#.UoSK82xGLIU


1.1 Terms of Reference for the Committee

This committee was mandated to assess the current status of the media policy and legal
framework as well as the adequacy of protection of media freedoms and other related
freedoms guaranteed in the Constitution which have an impact on the media and
information industry, such as freedom of expression, access to information and the right
to privacy, among others. The committee was also tasked to determine how to balance
media freedoms and other freedoms guaranteed in the constitution. Having made the
above assessment and analysis, the committee was mandated to make recommendations
on how the identified laws can be reformed as a contribution to the advancement of the
countrys information and media sector.

This assignment makes it necessary to look closely at issues relating to the rights to
privacy, freedom of expression, conscience, and freedom of the media, among other
things, including the nature of the constitutional guarantees, the regional and
international standards on each aspect. It also necessitates a look at what the courts have
said about related issues, locally and in other jurisdictions and mechanisms as well as
scholarly thoughts on these aspects.

In fulfilment of this mandate, the committee employed various information-gathering
methods outlined below. Because there was another committee inquiring into access to
information with regard to available platforms and how these can be enhanced to ensure
wide enjoyment of this right, this committee focused on the extent to which this right is
protected at law, as well as other barriers to the enjoyment of this right and how these can
be rectified.

1.2 Methodology

In conducting its inquiry, this committee employed various methods in order to gather
requisite stakeholder perceptions as well as related insights in line with the Terms of
Reference. The following methods were employed: a) Public outreach inquiry; b) Desk
research; c) Stakeholder interviews; and d) Regional study visits.

1.2.1 Public outreach inquiry
The outreach inquiry for this committee comprised of plenary interactions with the
various communities that participated in the outreach. Perceptions of citizenry were
sought through administration of questionnaires to samples of the participants who had
an appreciation of the issues related to media law and access to information, as well as the
media itself and other stakeholders. These included legal practitioners who also attended
these meetings, aimed at obtaining their perspectives on the current operating
environment and media law framework.


The purpose of the outreach was to gather the views of journalists and the public to
enable the committee to review the right to freedom of expression of the mass media in
Zimbabwe, and of the citizens as well. For the purposes of this reference we use the term
mass media to refer to radio, newspapers, magazines, television and other electronic
media.

1.2.2 Desk research
A study was conducted of the existent laws that affect the media and information
industry, the existing international and regional, national and constitutional legal
frameworks on related rights such as privacy, access to information, media freedom and
freedom of expression. The research was largely informed by the issues that came out of
the public outreach inquiry where a number of issues were raised directly and indirectly,
regarding areas in need of reform. The research also looked into various related statutes,
existing research and literature, an analysis of court precedents, as well as precedents
from other countries.

1.2.3 Stakeholder interviews
The public outreach inquiry was complemented by interviews with various stakeholders
who have an interest and influence around media laws reform and access to information.
These included journalists, NGOs, Members of Parliament, the parliamentary portfolio
committee on information, media and broadcasting services, and media and
constitutional lawyers.The aim of these interviews was to obtain informed perspectives
from experts and industry, including the extent of reforms that should be instituted to the
current laws/provisions in line with the constitution and key regional and international
trends. In addition to interviews with stakeholders, their perceptions were also obtained
through written submissions on various issues related to the committees inquiry.

1.2.4 Regional study visits
The three panellists also undertook visits to Tanzania and South Africa where they sought
to learn the extent of regulation and media-related legislation.

2 THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK
_____________

This committee was tasked to look closely at issues relating to the rights to privacy,
freedom of expression, conscience, and freedom of the media among other things,
including the nature of the constitutional guarantees, and regional and international
standards on each aspect, as well as what the courts have said about related issues, locally
and in other jurisdictions and mechanisms, as well as scholarly thoughts on these aspects.


2.1 Regional and International Benchmarks
Zimbabwe is a state party to a number of regional and international instruments that
provide for the rights related to the media, freedom of expression, and access to
information, creating significant obligations for the country. There are also a number of
instruments that proffer persuasive arguments to the media and information industry
issues, although they are non-binding. These include:
Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights2; Article 19 of the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;3 and Article 9 of the African
Charter on Human and Peoples Rights4 (the Charter).

The African Charter places a responsibility on each member state, including Zimbabwe, to
ensure freedom of expression and access to information. Its Article 9 provides that:
Every individual shall have the right to receive information. Every individual shall
have the right to express and disseminate his opinions within the law.5

2.1.1 Freedom of Expression
The Declaration of Principles of Freedom of Expression in Africa (Banjul Declaration),
adopted by the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights in 2002, further
expands the right to freedom of expression, freedom of the press, and access to
information within the African continent. Regarding Freedom of Expression, the Banjul
Declaration provides as follows:

Article 1
1. Freedom of expression and information, including the right to seek, receive and
impart information and ideas, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art,
or through any other form of communication, including across frontiers, is a
fundamental and inalienable human right and an indispensable component of
democracy.
2. Everyone shall have an equal opportunity to exercise the right to freedom of
expression and to access information without discrimination.

Article 2
No one shall be subject to arbitrary interference with his or her freedom of
expression. Any restrictions on freedom of expression shall be provided by law, serve
a legitimate interest and be necessary in a democratic society.

2 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948; Adopted and Proclaimed by General Assembly Resolution 217 A
(III) of 10 December 1948

3 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights Adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on
19 December 1996; Vol 999, 1-14668

4 African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights, Adopted in Nairobi on June 27, 1981 and entered into force on
October 21, 1986

5 Article 9(1) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (ACHPR)

A comparative overview of the media laws and practice in Malawi, Zimbabwe, Namibia
and South Africa carried out by the Konrad-Adenuar-Stiftung in 2003 revealed that the
principle of constitutional sovereignty should not be limited. Limitations to the right to
freedom of expression in the Constitution tend to be limited generally and usually take
one or a combination of three forms.

The first regime of limitation of rights can be provided for on an internal clause-by-
clause basis. This type of limitation typically tends to take the form of a list of grounds of
exclusion from the right to freedom of expression. Most notable in this category was the
old Zimbabwe Constitution which permitted the State to restrict freedom of expression in
the case of defence and public order. An example of another constitution constructed that
way is the South African Constitution which excludes hate speech from the protective
umbrella of the right to freedom of expression.

The second way in which limitations of rights can be provided for is on the basis of a
catch-all limitations clause, which broadly applies to all of the fundamental rights that
are protected by the Constitution. Catch-all limitation clauses typically provide that rights
may be limited only in terms of a law of general application, and only provide for an
internal clause-by-clause limitation mechanism, usually combining this with an over-
arching, catch-all limitation mechanism, as is the case with the South African
Constitution.

The third way in which limitations of rights can be provided for is by way of a
derogation clause that allows for the suspension of certain rights during a state of
emergency. According to Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), there is evidence in some of the
countries that the constitutional right to freedom of expression is being interpreted in a
restrictive way.

2.1.2 Access to Information
Regarding Access to Information, the Banjul declaration in its Article 4 provides as
follows:
Public bodies hold information not for themselves but as custodians of the public
good and everyone has a right to access this information, subject only to clearly
defined rules established by law.
The right to information shall be guaranteed by law in accordance with the
following principles:
o Everyone has the right to access information held by public bodies;
o Everyone has the right to access information held by private bodies which is
necessary for the exercise or protection of any right;
o Secrecy laws shall be amended as necessary to comply with freedom of
information principles;
o Everyone has the right to access and update or otherwise correct their personal
information, whether it is held by public or by private bodies.

The African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Good Governance (ACDEG), among
other things, seeks to promote the establishment of the necessary conditions to foster
citizen participation, transparency, access to information, freedom of the press and
accountability in the management of public affairs.(Article 2:10)

2.1.3 Broadcasting
Regarding broadcasting, the Banjul declaration states that a State monopoly over
broadcasting is not compatible with the right to freedom of expression, and states further
that a broadcast regulatory system shall encourage private and community broadcasting
in accordance with the following principles:
Licensing processes shall be fair and transparent, and shall seek to promote
diversity in broadcasting; and
Community broadcasting shall be promoted given its potential to broaden access
by poor and rural communities to the airwaves.
Public broadcasters should be governed by a board which is protected against
interference, particularly of a political or economic nature.

2.1.4 Print Media
The Banjul Declaration states that any registration system for the print media shall not
impose substantive restrictions on the right to freedom of expression. On the general
working environment for the media, the declaration provides as follows:
Effective self-regulation is the best system for promoting high standards in the
media;
The right to express oneself through the media by practicing journalism shall not
be subject to undue legal restrictions.

2.1.5 Protecting Reputations/ Defamation
The Banjul declaration stipulates that states should ensure that their laws relating to
defamation conform to the following standards:
No one shall be found liable for true statements, opinions or statements
regarding public figures which it was reasonable to make in the circumstances;
Sanctions shall never be so severe as to inhibit the right to freedom of expression,
including by others.

2.1.6 Limitations to Freedom of Expression
In terms of limitations to the right to freedom of expression, Article 19 (3) of the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights states that the right to freedom of
expression is subject to restrictions that are provided for in law and which are:
For the respect of the rights and reputations of others;
For the protection of national security, or of public order or of public health or
morals.


The Banjul declaration provides that:
Freedom of expression should not be restricted on public order or national security
grounds unless there is a real risk of harm to a legitimate interest and there is a close
causal link between the risk of harm and the expression.

2.1.6 Protection of Sources and Other Journalistic Material
On this aspect, the Banjul Declaration provides that media practitioners shall not be
required to reveal confidential sources of information or to disclose other material held
for journalistic purposes, except in accordance with the following principles:
The public interest in disclosure outweighs the harm to freedom of expression;
and
Disclosure has been ordered by a court, after a full hearing.

2.2 The National Framework
The legal framework governing the media and information sector in Zimbabwe was
mostly promulgated before the obtaining constitution came into existence. The 2013
Constitution of Zimbabwe contains a number of progressive provisions in relation to
media freedom, access to information and freedom of expression, in comparison with the
outgoing constitution whose Section 20(1) was framed in more general terms.

Section 20(1) of the previous Constitution of Zimbabwe, simply provided that:
Except with his own consent or by way of parental discipline, no person shall be
hindered in the enjoyment of his freedom of expression, that is to say, freedom to
hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without
interference, and freedom from interference with his correspondence.
Notably, the provision provided wide guarantees to freedom of expression but did not
include any specific guarantees of freedom of the press.

With the new Constitution in place after the March 2013 referendum and the enactment of
the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 20) Act 2013 on 22 May, two sections
make specific reference to the rights of the mass media to operate freely and to access
information. These are Section 61 of the Constitution (Bill of Rights) on Freedom of
Expression and Freedom of the Media, and Section 62 on Access to Information.

The Constitution makes provision for a Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) in Section
248. The ZMCs mandate is to regulate the operations of the mass media through
registration/licensing of all media practitioners and houses, as well as to uphold freedom
of the media, and to promote and enforce ethics in the media, among other functions. The
mass media are also affected by the regulations of telecommunications through the Postal
and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ).


In relation to the safety and working conditions of journalists, Zimbabwes media remain
threatened by the various criminal defamation laws that have been used to arrest or
threaten journalists with arrests on a frequent basis over the last 10 years. Such laws
include the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act; the Public Law and Order
Security Act (POSA); the Official Secrets Act; and the Access to Information and
Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA).

The Zimbabwe mass media also face multiple regulations through the ZMC and the
Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) in relation to content and licensing. The
existence of three direct regulatory bodies in relation to media content and licensing,
namely the Zimbabwe Media Commission, the Zimbabwe Media Council, and the
Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe, makes the full functioning of the media
bureaucratic and cumbersome, according to the Zimbabwe National Editors Forum
(ZINEF).

Sections 6, 57, 61 and 62 of the 2013 Constitution, usher in the following important
aspects.
Section 6 provides for an expansive list of official languages, which has a bearing on
access to information. The section provides that the official languages of the country shall
be,
Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Koisan, Nambya, Ndau, Ndebele, Shangani,
Shona, Tonga, sign language, Sotho, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa
with an Act of Parliament possibly prescribing additional languages as officially
recognised languages and languages of record.

The section further provides that the state and all institutions and agencies of government
at every level must,
(a) ensure that all officially recognized languages are treated equitably, and
(b) take into account the language preferences of people affected by governmental
measures or communication.
(4) ...promote and advance the use of all languages used in Zimbabwe including
sign language, and must create conditions for the development of those languages.

These provisions can strengthen access to information by all Zimbabweans, regardless of
their language or ethnic group, although literacy remains a factor.

Section 57, provides for the right to privacy, with Sub-section (d) providing that
every person has the right to privacy which includes the right not to have the
privacy of their communications infringed.


This right is related to the right to freedom of expression because for the latter to be
enjoyed, there should also be a guaranteed measure of privacy with personal
communications.

Section 61 says every person has a right to freedom of expression which includes:
Freedom to seek, receive and communicate ideas and other information.
Freedom of artistic expression and scientific research and creativity, and
academic freedom.
Freedom of the media which includes protection of the confidentiality of
journalists sources of information.
Freedom of establishment of broadcasting and other electronic media of
communication.
Freedom of state media to determine independently the editorial content of their
broadcast or other communications, to be impartial, and to afford fair
opportunity for presentation of divergent views and dissenting opinions.

Notably, the provision introduces and guarantees key aspects of freedom of expression,
such as:
Freedom of the press which includes protection of confidentiality of journalists
sources of information.
Artistic freedom.
Freedom of scientific research and creativity (which is well in tandem with the
provisions of other constitutions in the region such as that of South Africa).
Freedom of establishment for broadcast and electronic media (not guaranteed by
some other constitutions such as that of South Africa).

Section 62 regarding access to information, provides that:
Every Zimbabwean citizen or permanent resident including juristic persons and
the Zimbabwean media, has the right of access to any information held by the State
or by any institution or agency of government at every level , in so far as the
information is required in the interests of public accountability.

Every person, including the Zimbabwean media has the right of access to any
information held by any person, including the State, in so far as the information is
required for the exercise or the protection of a right.

Legislation must be enacted to give effect to the right of access to information

Section 61(5) however places specific limitations on the exercise of freedom of expression
and freedom of the media as well as on access to information s62(4), which is not the case
with other rights such as privacy (57), assembly and association (58).


A comparison with the constitution of South Africa, as an example, indicates the
following:
o Both constitutions have separate and explicit guarantees of freedom of expression
and access to information;
o The right to freedom of expression in both constitutions includes freedom of the
press, artistic creativity, academic freedom, and freedom of scientific research;
o Both constitutions have specific limitations to freedom of expression that are
similar.

However, the Zimbabwean Constitution goes a step further to guarantee protection of the
confidentiality of journalists sources of information as well as a guarantee of freedom of
establishment for broadcasting and other electronic media6. Section 62(4) gives specific
provisions for state-owned media. In terms of access to information, the two provisions
are of similar import as they both guarantee that access to everyone and both stipulate
that legislation must be effected to give effect to this right. Both constitutions guarantee
peoples access to information that is held by other non-state actors.

6 Section 62(2-3) of constitution of Zimbabwe Act No. 20/2013

Constitution of Zimbabwe, Act 2013. Chapter 4 Democratic Rights
Part 2 FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS
61 Freedom of expression and freedom of the media
(1) Every person has the right to freedom of expression, which includes
(a) freedom to seek, receive and communicate ideas and other information;
(b) freedom of artistic expression and scientific research and creativity; and
(c) academic freedom.
(2) Every person is entitled to freedom of the media, which freedom includes protection of
the confidentiality of journalists sources of information.
(a) are necessary to regulate the airwaves and other forms of signal distribution; and
(b) are independent of control by government or by political or commercial interests.
(4) All State-owned media of communication must
(a) be free to determine independently the editorial content of their broadcasts or other
communications;
(b) be impartial; and
(c) afford fair opportunity for the presentation of divergent views and dissenting
opinions.
(5) Freedom of expression and freedom of the media exclude
(a) incitement to violence;
(b) advocacy of hatred or hate speech;
(c) malicious injury to a persons reputation or dignity; or
(d) malicious or unwarranted breach of a persons right to privacy.
62 Access to Information
(1) Every Zimbabwean citizen or permanent resident, including juristic persons and the
Zimbabwean media, has the right of access to any information held by the State or by an
institution or agency of government at every level, in so far as the information is required in the
interests of public accountability.
(2) Every person, including the Zimbabwean media, has the right of access to any
information held by any person, including the State, in so far as the information is required for
the exercise or protection of a right.
(3) Every person has a right to the correction of information, or the deletion of untrue,
erroneous or misleading information, which is held by the State or any institution or agency of
the government at any level, and which relates to that person.
(4) Legislation must be enacted to give effect to this right, but may restrict access to
information in the interests of defence, public security or professional confidentiality, to the
extent that the restriction is fair, reasonable, necessary and justifiable in a democratic society
based on openness, justice, human dignity, equality and freedom.


Section 86of the Zimbabwean Constitution goes on to impose limitations on the exercise
and enjoyment of rights, saying,
(1) The fundamental rights and freedoms set out in this Chapter must be
exercised reasonably and with due regard for the rights and freedoms of other
persons.

This section provides that all fundamental rights and freedoms set out in the Bill of
Rights...may be limited only in terms of a law of general application and to the extent
that the limitation is fair, reasonable, necessary and justifiable in a democratic society
based on openness, justice, human dignity, equality and freedom, taking into account all
relevant factors including-
(a) The nature of the right or freedom concerned;
(b) The purpose of the limitation, in particular whether it is necessary in the interests
of defence, public safety, public order, public morality, public health, regional
town planning or the general public interest;
(c) The nature and extent of the limitation;
(d) The need to ensure that the enjoyment of rights and freedoms by any other person
does not prejudice the rights and freedoms of others;
(e) The relationship between the limitation and its purpose, in particular whether it
imposes greater restrictions on the right or freedom concerned than are necessary
to achieve its purpose; and
(f) Whether there are any less restrictive means of achieving the purpose of the
limitation.

While the Constitution provides thus, the following are some of the laws that impact on
the media and information sector in Zimbabwe:

The Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act [Chapter 10:27] (AIPPA),
Official Secrets Act [Chapter 11:09], Broadcasting Services Act [Chapter 12:06],
Public Order and Security Act [Chapter 11:17],
Interception of Communications Act [Chapter 11:20],
Privileges, Immunities and Powers of Parliament Act [Chapter 2:08], and
Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Act Chapter 26:05.

Constitution of Zimbabwe, Act 2013.
Chapter 12 Independent Commissions Supporting Democracy
Part 5 ZIMBABWE MEDIA COMMISSION
249 Functions of the Zimbabwe Media Commission

(1) The Zimbabwe Media Commission has the following functions:
(a) to uphold, promote and develop freedom of the media;
(b) to promote and enforce good practices and ethics in the media;
(c) to monitor broadcasting in the public interest and, in particular, to ensure
fairness and diversity of views broadly representing Zimbabwean society;
(d) to encourage the formulation of codes of conduct for persons employed in the
media and, where no such code exists, to formulate and enforce one;
(e) to receive and consider complaints from the public and, where appropriate, to
take action against journalists and other persons employed in the media or
broadcasting who are found to have breached any law or any code of conduct
applicable to them;
(f) to ensure that the people of Zimbabwe have fair and wide access to information;
(g) to encourage the use and development of all the officially recognised languages
of Zimbabwe;
(h) to encourage the adoption of new technology in the media and in the
dissemination of information;
(i) to promote fair competition and diversity in the media; and
(j) to conduct research into issues relating to freedom of the press and of
expression, and in that regard to promote reforms in the law.
(2) An Act of Parliament may confer power on the Zimbabwe Media Commission to
(a) Conduct investigations and inquiries into
(i) any conduct or circumstance that appears to threaten the freedom of the
media; and
(ii) the conduct of the media.
and
(b) Take or recommend disciplinary action against media practitioners who are
found to have breached any law or any code of conduct applicable to them.
(3) An Act of Parliament may provide for the regulation of the media.
250 Reports of Zimbabwe Media Commission
In addition to the report it is required to submit in terms of section 323, the

Zimbabwe Media Commission may, through the appropriate Minister, submit reports
to Parliament on particular matters relating to the media which, in the Commissions
opinion, should be brought to the attention of Parliament.


2.3 Other Factors that Impact on the Application of the Law
Court rulings can impact on interpretation and application of specific laws but must be
interpreted within the context of that specific ruling. For example, a recent Constitutional
Court case has struck down the offence of criminal defamation in the Criminal Law
Code, but only so far as that offence existed under the old constitution. Freedom of
expression was framed in more general terms under the old constitution. The new
Constitution , in addition to outlawing hate speech, also requires the laws to uphold a
persons privacy and reputation without making any distinction as to whether that
person holds public office or not.

There was no constitutional body regulating the media under the old Constitution, nor
any justification for such a constitutional body. It may appear contradictory for the new
Constitution to guarantee freedom of expression and speech while simultaneously setting
up a commission to regulate those same freedoms. It seems unlikely that such a
constitutional body would be established to regulate lawyers, for example. Such bodies
should be set up, if at all, by Acts of Parliament, thereby allowing freedom to the
representatives of the people (through Parliament and the Executive) to legislate and
make policy on this issue when the need arises. As things stand now, the Constitution
must be amended first, which is a very difficult and involving process. There is a general
misconception that independent constitutional commissions somehow have greater
prestige, autonomy or legitimacy than Parliament or the Executive for the sole reason that
they are constitutional bodies. Yet the commissions are appointed by the Executive or by
Parliament, and cannot have greater authority than those who appointed them.

For a balanced perspective, it is necessary to articulate the legitimate concerns of a State in
the area of media freedom and access to information, as this is often a contested area
within the legal framework of any nation. The State through the Executive has the duty of
safeguarding the public interest and national security, and in certain extreme cases, it may
limit access to information or interfere with freedom of expression. For example, in the
quest to combat terrorism, money laundering, organised crime, human trafficking and
child pornography, among other threats, Zimbabwe may resort to laws that curtail the
extent of enjoyment of rights such as freedom of expression and access to information.
However, such laws must balance the interests of state security with the competing
interests of other rights, such as privacy and freedom of expression. While this could be a
national security issue, it is also a rights issue, and the law must balance these competing
interests through a system that allows judicial oversight in cases where fundamental
freedoms are going to be wilfully curtailed, except in extreme cases of emergency.

Finally, it should be noted here that positive laws and a sound legal framework alone
cannot exhaustively or exclusively address all issues arising in connection with media
freedom. Many issues are left (by Parliament and the Constitution) to regulation or
management by other means. The laws must afford some freedom to policy-makers to
frame policy initiatives within the existing legal framework.

An example is the definition of community for the purpose of licensing community-
based broadcasting services. Also, it should be appreciated that inadequacies in realising
media freedom and information access are not always the fault of the legal framework,
but relate rather to the non-implementation of existing legislation due to lack of resources,
or the absence of political will, etc.

___________________
From the various processes taken in the inquiry by the committee, a number of findings
emerged and are summarised as follows.

3.1 Access to Information
In practice, access to information remains a huge hurdle for the media, especially for the
private media. Although there is in place a law meant to provide for this right, AIPPA
does not provide for access to information, including measures that would make it easier
for any person in Zimbabwe to access information to the extent envisioned in the
Constitution.

The enjoyment of the right to information is currently very limited due to a number of
reasons:
o Limited reach of the national broadcaster,
o Lack of legal obligation to give information from non-public institutions,
o Unaffordable cost of newspapers,
o Non-appreciation of access to information as a right,
o Uncooperative officials in public institutions,
o Restrictive procedures in the parent act AIPPA,
o Few numbers and at times invisibility of information officers in the communities,
o Inadequate promotional measures within AIPPA, hence citizens remain unaware
of access to information as a right and the existence of the enabling law, while
some public institutions also remain unappreciative of the rights and at times
frustrate efforts.

Although sign language is now officially recognised in the Constitution as one of the
national languages, and the Constitution further mandates all State institutions and
agencies of government to put in place measures to ensure that the rights of people with
disabilities are recognized (s22), the current media law framework especially on access to
information and broadcasting, is not supportive of the enjoyment of the rights to freedom
of expression and access to information by people who are deaf or visually impaired.


3.2 Freedom of Expression
The continued existence of insult and criminal defamation provisions has instilled a sense
of fear in many journalists and citizens, thus undermining the freedoms guaranteed by
the current constitution, such as freedom of the press and freedom of expression for the
general populace. That freedom of expression for the citizens is also limited by the
existence of restrictive provisions in laws that protect the national interest/national
security such as the Interception of Communications Act, which law allows interception
and surveillance of communication through an Executive order, but prohibits
unauthorised interception. Under the international constitutional doctrine of separation of
powers, the Executive is the arbiter in the first instance of what is in the national interest
or whether national security is threatened. This is not the responsibility of the Judiciary.

The Media Monitoring Project of Zimbabwe (MMPZ) expressed concern about cyber-
security laws, saying that, while it doesnt condone the use of social media to abuse
others, such laws could undermine freedom of expression and media unless they result
from wide consultation to ensure that social media platforms are leveraged for social
good.7

3.3 Media Regulation
The current situation in which some journalists adhere to the Voluntary Media Council of
Zimbabwe while others do not, is contributing to polarisation and poor ethical conduct in
the media, particularly due to the fact that the media as an industry are not bound by a
uniform code of conduct.

Journalists prefer a self-regulatory framework, set up and run by the media itself without
government interference, such as the one in Tanzania or Kenya (see chapter on Media as
Business. However this would be dependent on a constitutional amendment to remove the
regulatory powers vested in the ZMC. In the absence of a constitutional amendment on
the functions of the ZMC, the available option is for co-regulation of the VMCZs
voluntary self-regulation and a new statutory self-regulation mechanism created under
the auspices of the ZMC and in terms of a new media regulation law.

3.4 Broadcasting
Current broadcasting laws do not fully promote the establishment of broadcasting and
other electronic media as envisaged in Section 61 of the new constitution. For example,
while it is well acceptable that frequency is a finite resource and should be managed by a
body such as the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ), the freedom of
establishment for broadcasters is hindered by BAZ to the extent that the act has no
measures to ensure that BAZ does not abuse its discretion by unjustifiably delaying the
call for any class of licenses.

7
MMPZ statement of September 16, 2014, Concerns raised on proposed social media laws

Most communities across the country desire to see the urgent licensing of community
broadcasters, especially community radios which they are convinced will also go a long
way in bridging the gap in access to information. Despite much discourse on the issue of
community broadcasting, there are still no regulations regarding this class of licenses and
as a result of that, there is no definition of what constitutes a community for purposes
of licensing, which can assist communities in preparing for the eventual licensing of such.

There is widespread resistance to payment of viewer and listener licenses to ZBC for
various reasons, but mostly due to poor content, poor quality of programming, and poor
access.

There is need for a clear government policy to ensure that the public media are bound by
the founding values in the Constitution, in particular a reflection of , the nations diverse
cultural, religious and traditional values, s3 (d), and recognition of the inherent dignity
and worth of each human being , s3 (e).

Following the changes in the naming of some ministries, some laws such as the
Interception of Communications Act (ICA) do not reflect clearly to which ministry they
belong to and that needs to be corrected.

3.5 Protection of Intellectual Property
The laws on intellectual property were identified as a inadequate in the Terms of
Reference for this study, as follows:

To this day, the legal regime on information has many gaps and inadequacies,
creating a situation where information products from Zimbabwe are freely exploited
without any returns to the economy. The country is ill-equipped to enforce any
intellectual property rights, or develop viable business models and platforms from
them.

This falls under the Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Act Chapter 26:05, which needs
review and strengthening to protect the intellectual property generated by the culture and
information industries against widespread piracy and the challenges of new media
platforms. This law must be clear and enforceable, with deterrent penalties. The current
law is open to interpretation.

For example, the Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Act Chapter 26:05 Section 59(5)
says, Any person guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable to a fine not
exceeding Level 10 (that is, US$700) or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding two
years or both such fine and such imprisonment in respect of each article to which the
offence relates. This is open to interpretation as article can be understood as one CD or
other item, or one song, then the penalty is significant as 10 CDs with 6 songs on each CD
amounts to 60 articles.

3.6 The Case for Legal Reforms
A number of laws and specific provisions exist that are not in tandem with the current
Constitution and are therefore restricting the enjoyment of the fundamental freedom
enshrined in the Constitution. Some of the laws include the Access to Information and
Protection of Privacy Act [Chapter 10:27] (AIPPA]; Broadcasting Services Act [Chapter
12:06]; the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act [Chapter 9:23], the Censorship
and Entertainments Control Act [Chapter 10:04]; and the Interception of Communications
Act [Chapter 11:20] among others.

Opportunities exist for the reform and/or introduction of new laws in line with the new
Constitution, eg:

3.6.1 The repeal of AIPPA and its replacement with a stand-alone and comprehensive
access to information law which fully protects as well as guarantees this
right would be in line with regional and international standards and Section 62(4)
of the Constitution.
3.6.2 The introduction of a media regulation law to give effect to the freedom of the
media now guaranteed in the Constitution, including aspects of whistle-blower
protection as well as to provide for other regulatory and ethical issues pertaining
to the media.
3.6.3 The introduction of data protection laws to create a balance of interests such as
state security, privacy and freedom of expression in relation to state surveillance
and interception of communications.
3.6.4 Introduction of a converged broadcasting and telecommunications law and
regulatory framework.
3.6.5 The introduction of clear government policy on the need for public media to be
bound by the founding values of the constitution, in particular reflection of , the
nations diverse cultural, religious and traditional values, s3 (d), and recognition
of the inherent dignity and worth of each human being , s3 (e).

4 STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF FINDINGS
________________

4.1 Statistical Analysis of Findings from Primary Data Gathered on Thematic
Area: Media Law Reform and Access to Information
4.1.1 Perceptions on Media Legislative and Regulatory Environment
The media space in Zimbabwes context has evolved over time, transcending the pre-
independence (before 1980) and post-independence (1980-2014) eras. With an evolving
political economy aimed at driving socio-political transformation, the medias role during
the period has been to consolidate the fruits of independence, while beyond that, a
response to this consolidation has accounted for some significant developments in terms
of laws.

Table 1 Zimbabwe Media Law Landscape during the period 1980- 2014
Media Law Year Purpose
Access to 2002 provides for the regulation of mass media houses and
Information and journalists
Protection of prevents unauthorised collection, use or disclosure of
Privacy Act (AIPPA) personal information by public bodies
protects personal privacy
provides members of the public with a right of access to
records and information held by public bodies
makes public bodies accountable by giving the public a
right to request correction of misrepresented personal
information
Public Order and 2002 makes provision for the maintenance of public order and
Security Act (POSA) security in Zimbabwe
prevents offences against public order and allows state
to enforce public order
allows government to monitor public gatherings
Broadcasting 2001 establishes Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe

Services Act (BSA) regulates licensing of broadcasting services and systems
regulates ownership and control of broadcasting
organisations
provides codes of conduct and programme standards
for broadcasters
Interception of 2007 legalises interception of communication in specified
Communications circumstances (for electronic and postal material) and
Act (ICA) prohibits unauthorised interception
establishes a Monitoring of Interception of
Communications Centre
sets out the procedure for application by various
authorities for permission to obtain a warrant to intercept
communications
sets out the obligations of service providers in relation to
interception of clients information and accounts
provides the procedure for review of action taken to
intercept information
Censorship and 1967 establishes and sets functions of the Board of Censors
Entertainment who monitor film and other entertainment content
Control Act (CECA) produced for the public.
regulates publications, pictures, statues and records
regulates and controls the public exhibition of films, the
importation, production, dissemination and possession of
undesirable or prohibited video and film material,
publications, pictures, statues and records and the giving
of public entertainments
regulates theatres and places of public entertainment in
the interests of safety

Criminal Law 2005 criminalises publishing or communicating of statements
(Codification and prejudicial to the state
Reform) Act criminalises publication of false materials and other
(CLCRA) materials undermining the authority of or insulting the
President
criminalises publication of false information denigrating
someones status in the society
Official Secrets Act 1970 prohibits the disclosure for any purpose prejudicial to the
(OSA) safety or interests of Zimbabwe of information which
might be useful to an enemy
makes provision for the purpose of preventing persons
from obtaining or disclosing official secrets in Zimbabwe
prevents unauthorised persons from making sketches,
plans or models of and to prevent trespass upon
defence works, fortifications, military reserves and other
prohibited places.

Some of the prominent pieces of legislation that characterised the media landscape during
the post-independence era, and the motivation, are provided for under Table 1 above.
Against this background, the survey under the theme of Media Law Reform and Access to
Information dramatises current and emerging trends and perceptions on these media
laws.

The survey results drawn from primary data gathered across the 10 administrative
provinces and covering journalists, editors and readers/public reveals that 62% of
respondents judge Zimbabwean media laws to be restrictive, whilst 22% believe the
legislative and regulatory environment is conducive. About 16% of the respondents have
no views or are neutral on the subject. This is depicted under Figure 1.

Figure 1: Perceptions on Media Legislative and

Regulatory Environment
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Restrictive Conducive Other

The survey further explores judgement on which of these catalogued media laws shown
under Table 1 are restricting the media space, and hence provide leads for possible
reforms in the medium-to long-term to create a conducive operating environment for the
media in Zimbabwe.


The results, which are dramatised through Figure 2,reveal that the Access to Information
and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) at 41% is judged by the public to be the most
restrictive media legislative instrument, followed by Public Order and Security Act
(POSA) at 27%.

These two pieces of legislation account for 68%, that is above 2/3 of respondents concerns
on restrictive media instruments in Zimbabwe since independence, according to these
results. This implies that any meaningful reforms of media laws could target these in the
Zimbabwean context to have any significant impact on public perception of freeing the
media space.

Figure 2: Laws Most Cited as Restricting

Media Freedom
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
AIPPA POSA BSA CLCRA OSA ICA CECA

On the media law restrictiveness radar, the Broadcasting Services Act (BSA) and Criminal
Law (Codification and Reform) Act (CLCRA) are judged to have the same impact of 11%,
while the other pieces of legislation are all judged below 10%; that is, Official Secrets Act
(OSA) at 7%, Interception of Communications Act (ICA) at 2%, and Censorship and
Entertainment Control Act (CECA) at 1%.

With any reform initiatives to be undertaken, these would result in secondary impacts on
the media reform initiatives, while POSA and AIPPA will account for significant primary
impacts, and hence significant changes to the media operating environment in Zimbabwe.


_______________________

Key issues emerged from the various processes of inquiry that the committee engaged in,
including the outreach, regional study tours, stakeholder interviews, and desk research.

5.1 Broadcasting
There is need for more players in broadcasting. More broadcasters should be licensed
instead of the current situation of only one television station. The BAZ should make
quarterly invitations to prospective broadcasters.

Government should support the setting up of community broadcasting by creating a legal
environment in which community radio stations can function and flourish, and put in
place the necessary measures for licensing community broadcasters, especially
community radio, in line with the BSA.

Currently there is no definition of what constitutes a community for purposes of
licensing community broadcasters which impacts on preparations by communities for the
eventual call for licensing.

The current situation of ZTV has resulted in the broadcasting of stale information by the
national broadcaster because it has a monopoly situation with no competition, and is
undercapitalised due to lack of clarity on revenue streams. ZBC is too urban-centric in its
programming focus and it has turned into a State broadcaster instead of a public /
national broadcaster. There is too much bias in coverage of political parties. There must be
a law that defines editorial independence of the ZBC which is guaranteed under Section
61 of the Constitution.

The provisions of the Broadcasting Services Act should be implemented to incorporate a
three-tier approach to broadcasting in terms of public, private and community radio, as
recommended by the African Charter of Broadcasting. A public service broadcasting
model should be used to reposition ZBC, not a State-run model.

Listeners fees should continue to be levied but should be collected by the BAZ into a
Broadcasting Fund to finance the broadcasting sector. Interviews for the BAZ board
should be conducted publicly and statutes concerning the BAZ should be reformed
accordingly.

Decision-making processes about the allocation of frequencies should be open and
participatory, and a frequency plan should be developed for those frequencies allocated
to broadcasting, in order to promote their optimal use as means of ensuring diversity. The
frequencies plan, once adopted, should be published and widely disseminated.


5.2 Licensing
The legal framework should be relaxed to enable more community radio stations to be
licensed. In terms of the Act, a community radio licence can be issued only to corporate
bodies, which presents a challenge for the licensing of community stations in rural areas.
This requirement should be reviewed to allow only persons endorsed by a given
community to apply for such licences whether they are a corporate body or not, although
licensing fees are prohibitive. In licensing community broadcasters, priority should be
given to people domiciled within the area serviced by the community radio station,
regardless of how that is eventually defined, in order to give a sense of ownership to that
particular community that it serves. BSA does not allow political parties and civic
organisations to be licensed so they can have their own radio and television stations,
although this would be another way to enhance diversity.

The Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) says the following aspects are noteworthy...
v Freedom of establishment for broadcasters and electronic media that is guaranteed under
Section 61(3)(a) implies the licensing of broadcasting services on the basis of licensing the
platform rather than licensing the services. The provision does not take into account the fact
that one does not have to be the owner of a platform to provide a broadcasting service. The
laws should reflect a classification of broadcasting services that is service-based rather than
platform-based to eliminate the need to review a platform-based classification every time that
there is a new or change in technology.
v Public service obligations should be imposed on providers of broadcasting services, such as
advancing the use of all languages used in Zimbabwe, including sign language.
v Section 61 (3)(b) of the Constitution refers to, Broadcasting and other electronic media of
communication have freedom of establishment, subject only to State licensing procedures that
are independent of control by government. This provision needs to be reviewed in light of a
provision of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Radio Regulations.
v Provisions in Section 61(4) of the Constitution that all State-owned media of communication
must be impartial and afford fair opportunity for the presentation of divergent views and
dissenting opinions must apply to all media of communication.
v Broadcasting frequencies are a limited national resource which should be shared equitably and
Section 61 of the Constitution, while giving freedom of establishment to electronic and
broadcast media, should have been framed in a manner that recognizes this aspect.
v Government-owned institutions should not be subjected to an open process of licensing under
the BSA with other prospective licensees because these have a public service mandate unlike
other private entities which will be inspired by the need to make profits. Section 10 of the
Broadcasting Services Act needs to be amended to provide for this exemption to Government-
owned institutions, although Section Part VIII of the Act already provides for an automatic
statutory license for the public broadcaster.
v Government should be permitted to change its nominee in a licence without the new nominee
having to be subjected to a fresh application to avoid unnecessary delays in productivity.
v There should be limitation of cross-ownership between a broadcasting licensee and a signal
carrier licensee, particularly in a digital broadcasting environment, whereby the allocation of a
frequency to a broadcaster for own signal carriage will result in idle capacity on the
broadcasters transmission network, resulting in wastage of the limited frequency resource.
v Local broadcasters should, in terms of the law, be able to access local content without any
hindrance from foreigners who may acquire exclusive rights to local content.
v The law must provide for the definition of community for purposes of licensing community
Report broadcasters.
of the OfficialThe BSA
Inquiry defines
into what
the State a community
of the broadcasting
Information and service
Media Industry is but does not
in Zimbabwe 373
prescribe what community is.
5.3 Freedom of Expression
Freedom of expression on political issues and at public gatherings is still a problem. Even
if there is police clearance for public meetings, there can be harassment of people who
attend.

The Interception of Communications Act gives too much power to one ministry, and an
independent judicial commission should be created to oversee this issue.

Laws such asthe Public Order and Safety Act (POSA) are intrusive, and must be removed
because they negatively impact on freedom of expression.

5.4 Application of the Law and general legal issues
Although Section 61 of the new Constitution guarantees freedom of the press and
expression, criminal defamation laws have the potential of being abused to harass and
intimidate journalists. For as long as criminal defamation exists in the statute books, the
State still has the leeway to use these provisions to the detriment of media freedom and
freedom of expression.

Existing civil defamation laws are adequate to deal with the publication or broadcasting
of defamatory articles in the media.

There is selective application of the media laws such that journalists are not equal at law.
Private media gets the brunt of the law and are the ones mostly arrested or charged under
laws such as criminal defamation while those from public media are either reassigned or
fined.

The repeal or reform of all laws affecting media activity in compliance with the provisions
of the new Constitution is urgent. This should remove all legal restrictions on the
establishment of media outlets in line with the Constitution, while ensuring a framework
that supports a broadcasting sector that is licensed by a non-partisan, independent,
broadcasting authority.

A national media and access to information policy framework framed in accordance with
the spirit and provisions of the new Constitution is a necessity so that there is clear policy
direction which will influence the formulation and review of related laws.

New technological developments have invalidated archaic broadcasting and
telecommunication regulations and these need to be updated as a matter of urgency and
brought together under cohesive legislation that takes into account modern ICT
developments.


Government should subsidise institutions/organisations that promote access to
information, such as those promoting local languages. Community radio can play a
critical role in this objective.

The Official Secrets Act limits media freedom in that journalists who disclose information
in contravention of the Act are guilty of an offence. This has the undesirable effect of
encouraging the media to self-censor rather than risk heavy penalties. The penalty for
disclosure of State secrets under Section 4 of Zimbabwes secrecy law is very harsh --
imprisonment for up to 20 years, a fine, or both. MISA-Zimbabwe says this form of prior
restraint is unacceptable.

5.5 Access to Information
5.5.1 For the Public
There is no radio and television reception in some parts of Rusape, Beitbridge, Esigodini
and Binga, such that some of the people residing in Binga rely on information from
Zambian media while those in Beitbridge rely on South African media which they access
easily without use of decoders. Radio Moambique can be accessed in eastern
Manicaland, including Mutare, with music programmes or broadcasts in Shona. People in
areas that have non- or partial access to transmission, such as parts of Rusape and
Esgodini, rely on satellite television. The problem in areas such as Binga is caused by the
non-existence of Transmedia transmitters. The one that was at Kamativi long back has
been removed.

According to the Deaf Zimbabwe Trust, the current legal and media framework is not
supportive of the enjoyment of the rights to freedom of expression and access to
information for deaf people in Zimbabwe. For example, at that time there was no
provision of sign language interpretation during prime time news and other news
bulletins. News on Good Morning Zimbabwe provides only partial sign language
interpretation. Usually business news does not come with sign language interpretations,
captions or sub-titles.

Access to information via the internet is without restrictions, however challenges are in
the private and public media, including ZTV, because they are partisan in their
dissemination of information. Newspapers are expensive and do not reach marginalised
areas, affecting access to information.

Access to information is limited even for people who access mainstream media due to the
fact that journalists and the media cover mostly political issues. Also because ZTV enjoys
a monopoly and lacks resources, many of the issues raised by local communities are not
aired on ZTV. There is limited access to information even on basic issues such as farming,
or health.


There is need to identify new players in the media industry due to the use of new
technologies to dispense information and news. This includes bloggers, social media
commentators and other forms of citizen journalists who publish news items online.
There are examples of fully functioning bloggers associations around the world. In
Africa, there is the Bloggers Association of Kenya. There is a wide pool of knowledge that
can be adapted to the Zimbabwean environment to ensure that bloggers and citizen
journalists practice their trade safely and responsibly.

Constitutional awareness is lacking hence people not aware of their media freedoms.

5.5.2 For Journalists
Information is not easily accessible to journalists. At times one has to pay money to get the
information. State officials are not comfortable to release information to journalists from
independent media institutions to the extent that it fuels polarisation and corruption in
the media.

Access to information about prominent people is difficult as they first ask which media
organisation a journalist works for before granting an interview. The Official Secrets Act
is being used to deny even public interest information and its existence is a drawback to
the media who fear its repercussions.

It is not easy for freelance journalists to get information from government officials as they
shun freelance journalists, and prefer to give information to journalists working in the
mainstream media. Bloggers should not be considered as journalists, however the
constitution recognises freedom of the media for all.

5.6 Regulation of the Media
The media sector in Zimbabwe is overly regulated as argued by ZINEF and there is need
for a converged framework to the extent possible. This entails a review with an objective
to repeal AIPPA and replace it with a new Act that takes into account the provisions of
the new constitution, decriminalising journalism and promoting self-regulation.

Self-regulation is the preferred system for regulating the media, so the media cannot
avoid ethical and legal responsibilities. Under the current legal framework, a co-
regulatory system should be considered, in which the first preference would be voluntary
regulation and in the event of failure, the complaint can go through the legal process.
Another method could be statutory recognition of the self-regulatory system, as for the
law society of Zimbabwe.

There is need for a Media Practitioners Bill to speak to the regulation of media
practitioners, and protect journalism as a profession. The media must have a significant
input into the crafting of laws that impact on their regulation. Access to information and
media regulation must be completely separate.

The Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe (VMCZ) complaints committee is ignored by
some media houses and individuals. Publication of these proceeding by VMCZ has not
been wide enough to name and shame the offenders.

The media should be actively involved in deciding what the media development fund is
used for by ZMC because currently it is not clear what the moneys levied by ZMC from
media houses are being used for. Any law regulating the media should be clear on this.

5.7 Privacy, Freedom of Expression and Surveillance
According to the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, Zimbabwe should take
measures to prevent violations of the right to privacy, and to ensure that relevant national
legislation, procedures and practices regarding the surveillance of communications, and
the interception and collection of personal data comply, with international human rights
law and the Constitution.

The ICA lacks effective domestic judicial oversight mechanisms, as well as effective
methods by which to redress breaches of privacy. This is a matter for the Executive, ie
national security under the Presidents Office, not an individual ministry, as the Executive
has the paramount duty of safeguarding the public interest and national security. Under
the international system of separation of powers, this is not the responsibility of the
Judiciary.

The ICA has no measures to guard against blanket data interception and retention which
is an existent danger that can be exploited to the detriment of citizens. Cyber-security
should be considered in this context, and should benefit from wide consultation to ensure
that social media and the digital technologies that facilitate social platforms are leveraged
for social good.

6 LEGAL ARGUMENTS FOR MEDIA LAW REFORM
_______________________

6.1 Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA)
According to the preamble of this Act, the law is aimed at,
o providing members of the public with a right of access to records and information
held by public bodies;
o making public bodies accountable by giving the public a right to request
correction of misrepresented personal information;
o preventing the unauthorised collection, use or disclosure of personal information
by public bodies;
o protecting personal privacy;
o providing for the regulation of the mass media;
o establishing a Media and Information Commission.

Zimbabwe is considered as one of only 13 African countries that have freedom of
information laws, according to Advocate Pansty Tlakula, the Special Rapporteur on
Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa of the African Commission on
Human and Peoples Rights (ACHPR). This is commendable, especially considering that
Zimbabwe was one of the first countries on the continent to put such a law in place.
However, the extent of guarantee of access to information as a right under this law is very
limited, and the fact that it is a hybrid law is undesirable, as it provides for a number of
issues, mainly related to access to information and protection of privacy, as well as
regulation of the media.8

While this law, and indeed any other access to or freedom of information law, should be
aimed at providing the public with the right to access information, it contains too many
provisions which detract the extent to which this right is exercised in Zimbabwe. Some of
the problematic provisions are explained below.

v Preamble
Whereas the constitution in Section 3(2) (g) states that transparency, justice, accountability
and responsiveness are some of the principles of good governance, the preamble to
AIPPA also makes mention of the fact that this law is aimed at making public bodies
accountable. However, the extent of accountability which in such a law should indeed
be broad, is very limited from the outset with the preamble restricting it to public bodies
giving the public a right to request the correction of personal information.

According to the ACHPRs model law on access to information, properly implemented
access to information legislation holds the promise of fostering good governance by
improving information management, and by enhancing transparency, accountability and
greater participation of the populace in public affairs9, however this is only made
possible when such a law is composed in such a way as would make this feasible. A
reading of the preamble and indeed the contents of this law, indicate a lack of sufficient
provisions and mechanism to support the sustenance of good governance by this law.

v Section 4(1)
This Section limits the information that one can access to only records, yet Section 62(1&
2) of the Constitution guarantees access to information which is much broader. Section
12(1) of the ACHPR model law on access to information, for example, states that, every
person has an enforceable right to access information..... while Section 62 of the
constitution also makes reference to access to information. The act therefore needs to be
amended to widen the scope of what information can be accessed, in line with the spirit
of the Constitution and related key instruments.

8 Interview with Commissioner Tlakula- 18 August 2014- Johannesburg, South Africa
9 Page 9- ACHPR Model law on access to information for Africa

v Section 4 & 5(1)
This provides for access to information held only by public institutions. Section 62(2), on
the other hand, stipulates that every person, including the Zimbabwean media, has the
right of access to any information that is being held by any person, meaning that
information can be obtained from both public and non-public institutions, a point also
emphasised in the Banjul Declaration which stipulates that:

Everyone has the right to access information held by private bodies which is
necessary for the exercise or protection of any right;

Section 12 of the ACHPR model law for example, amply provides as follows:
subject to this act, every person has an enforceable right to access information from
a public body or relevant private body; and
a private body, where the information may assist in the exercise or protection of any
right....

v Section 5(3)
This provision restricts access to information by citizens only, contrary to Section 62(2) of
the constitution which stipulates that,
every person, ...... has the right of access to any information held by any person,
including the state, insofar as the information is required for the exercise or the
protection of a right.
A review of this section is necessary to ensure that it is not exclusionary in its import in
line with the Constitution.

v Section 6
In terms of this section, a person who requires access to a record that is in the custody or
control of a public body should make a request, in writing...

The stipulation that requests for information must always be in writing, is in itself a
limitation to the enjoyment of this right, hence this provision is too narrow to the extent
that it does not allow room for the admission of non-written requests. This is against a
background where Section 6 of the Constitution clearly recognises sign language as one of
the official languages of this country. This limitation is also contradictory of Section 8 of
the same act which states that the head of a public body shall take reasonable steps to
assist a requester. It should therefore be clearly provided for in the law that requests can
be oral, as is the case with section 13 of the AU Model Law on Access to Information
which states that:

A person who wishes to obtain access to information of an information holder must
make a request in writing or orally to the information officer of the body. If a person

makes a request orally the information officer must reduce that oral request to
writing and provide a copy thereof to the requester.10

AIPPA or any such law should go further and contain provisions that proactively
promote the easy access to information for all groups of people. It should thus be repealed
or amended to give effect to the exercise of this right as stipulated by Section 62(4) of the
constitution.11

v Section 8 & 11 Timeframe for responses to requests for information
A public body in terms of Section 8(1) can take up to 30 days before issuing a response
and in terms of Section 11, this 30-day period can be extended by another 30 days or
longer on stated circumstances. This long timeframe and the uncapped possible extension
of the timeframe affects the timely release of information. According to Silveira House,
this is tantamount to a denial of information because access to information is also about
timely release of such information12. Section 11(1) provides that:
The head of a public body may extend the time for responding to a request by a
further period not exceeding thirty days or, with the Commissions permission, for a
longer period if
(a) the applicant does not give sufficient detail to enable the public body to identify
the requested record; or
(b) a large number of records is requested or is required to be searched, and meeting
the time limit will unreasonably interfere with the operations of the public body; or
(c) more time is needed to consult with a third party affected by the request or
another public body before the head of the public body can decide whether or not to
give the applicant access to the requested record...

This provision needs to be revised with a view to reducing the provided timeframes to
ensure a speedy turnaround of information from information holders.

v Sections 14, 15, 18, 19 Limitation clauses
According to Principle 8 of the African Platform on Access to Information (APAI),
limitations to the right to information must be strictly defined, while according to the
Silveira House paper, the limitations contained in the above-mentioned sections severely
curtail the work of the media and the publics right to information, in that they are
constructed so widely that there is room for their abuse to unjustifiably deny information
to a requester. Further, they do not tally with the three conditions for denial of
information that are set out in Section 62(4) of the constitution, i.e. in the interests of
defence, public security, professional confidentiality.

10 Page 3 of MISA-Zimbabwe Position Paper on Provisions of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy
Act- July 2014.

11 Research by Silveira House and 2 others
12 Silveira House research report

Section 14 prohibits access to deliberations of cabinet and local government bodies,
Section 15 limits access to information relating to advice or recommendations given to the
President, a Cabinet Minister or a public body,and Section 18 prohibits access to
information relating to inter-governmental relations or negotiations, while Section 19
prohibits access to information relating to financial or economic interests of a public body
or the State.

The Act therefore must be amended to ensure that the limitations contained therein are in
line with those permissible in Section 62(4) of the Constitution, i.e. in the interests of
defence, public security and professional confidentiality, and also to ensure that they are
carefully couched to avoid their abuse.

6.2 Broadcasting Services Act [Chapter 12:06]

v Section 10(1)
Section 61 of the Constitution provides that every person is entitled to freedom of media
and that broadcasting and other electronic media of communication have freedom of
establishment, subject only to state licensing procedures that
(a) are necessary to regulate airwaves and other forms of signal distribution, and
(b) are independent of control by government or political or commercial interests.

This is not fully supported or reflected in the Broadcasting Services Act (BSA), to the
extent that some of its provisions severely limit the realisation of this right. For example,
Section 10(1) provides that:
The Authority shall, subject only to the availability of band spectrum and after
carrying out its functions in terms of the First Schedule, publish a notice in the
Gazette and in a national newspaper inviting applications for licences to provide the
broadcasting services or systems specified in the notice.

According to MISA-Zimbabwe, the absence of specific intervals within which invitations
for calls for licence application must be made, or a stipulation as to the timeframes within
which Broadcasting Authority if Zimbabwe (BAZ) should examine or process
applications for licences is detrimental. This gives wide discretion to BAZ which is subject
to administrative and political abuse.13

Unless this provision is repealed/amended, broadcasters in Zimbabwe will not be able to
freely establish themselves as envisaged in Section 61(3) of the constitution because the
timing of when one can apply for licences remains unclear and at the discretion of the
BAZ.

Whereas Section 4(3) of the act on the establishment and composition of the BAZ Board
states that a minimum of four board members should be women, Section 17 of

13 Page 4- MISA-Zimbabwe policy brief on broadcasting, July 2014

Constitution of Zimbabwe requires that both genders are equally represented in all
institutions and agencies of government at every level, and that women constitute at
least half the membership of all Commissions and other elective and appointed
governmental bodies established by or under the Constitution or any Act of Parliament.

According to MISA-Zimbabwe, the independence and operations of BAZ are
compromised by powers granted to the Minister of Media, Information and Broadcasting
Services, in that the minister is empowered under Section 4B to,
give the Board such general directionsas the Minister considers necessary in
the national interest.
The Act further states that the BAZ shall take all necessary steps to comply with any
direction given to it. The Minister is thus mandated with overbearing statutory powers
and presence14.

6.3 Freedom of Expression and the Media
While Section 61(2) of the Constitution clearly guarantees freedom of the media, the
national laws still contain provisions that limit freedom of expression and of the media,
beyond what is justifiable and permissible in the Constitution to the extent of
criminalising peoples right to express themselves. This is through offences such as
criminal insult, publication of falsehoods, and criminal defamation provisions. On the
other hand, in a number of incidences where the media or citizens have been tried under
these laws, most of the cases have been withdrawn or dismissed by the courts.

6.4 Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act [Chapter 10.27]

v Section 64 - Abuse of freedom of expression
This provision criminalises the publishing by any media, of false information that,
(i) threatens the interests of defence, public safety, public order, the economic
interests of the State, public morality or public health; or
(ii) is injurious to the reputation, rights and freedoms of other persons; or
(b) information which he or she maliciously or fraudulently fabricated; or
(c) any statement
(i) threatening the interests of defence, public safety, public order, the economic
interests of the State, public morality or public health; or
(ii) injurious to the reputation, rights and freedoms of other persons
Anyone found guilty of this offence can be fined up to the highest level of fines available
or imprisoned for up to three years.

v Section 80 - Abuse of journalistic privilege
In terms of this section, it is an offence for a journalist to publish false information or
information which is injurious to the reputation, rights and freedoms of other persons;

14 Page 4- MISA-Z policy brief on broadcasting

which threatens the interests of defence, public safety, public order, the economic interests
of the State, public morality or public health. The offence attracts an imprisonment term of
up to two years.

The UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression issued a statement on
criminal defamation stating that:
Criminal defamation is not a justifiable restriction on freedom of expression, all
criminal defamation laws should be abolished and replaced, where necessary, with
appropriate civil defamation laws.

The three special international mandates for promoting freedom of expression, i.e. the UN
Special Rapporteur, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media and the OAS
Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression, issued a joint statement as far back as 2002,
that said:
Criminal defamation is not a justifiable restriction on freedom of expression; all
criminal defamation laws should be abolished and replaced, where necessary, with
appropriate civil defamation laws.15
The Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information has over the
years condemned the use of criminal defamation laws. In her report at the 46th ordinary
session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights (ACHPR),
Commissioner Pansy Tlakula condemned the use of criminal defamation laws to
prosecute journalists who publish articles that are critical in exposing elected public
officials and said these should be abolished.

6.5 Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act [Chapter 9:23]

v Section 30
This provision criminalises the making of an act which intentionally or recklessly causes
the police or defence forces to withhold their services, loyalty or allegiance. The act can
equally apply to publication of information by the media and remains a potential threat to
media freedom.

v Section 31
The provision makes it an offence to communicate or publish certain false statements
prejudicial to the State, i.e. publications that incite, promote public disorder or public
violence, and endangering public safety or interfering with any essential service. The
penalty is a maximum level fine or imprisonment for up to 20 years or both a fine and
imprisonment term.

According to a MISA-Zimbabwe policy brief on AIPPA published in July 2014, it is now
settled law that criminalising falsity is unconstitutional as ruled by the Constitutional

15 Joint Declaration of 10 December 2002

Court in the case of Chimakure, Kahiya and ZimInd Publishers v The Attorney General,
in which Deputy Chief Justice Luke Malaba emphasised that:

a strong Constitutional protection of freedom of expression cannot tolerate the
imposition of self-censorship on free speech and the press through fear of lengthy
sentences of imprisonment for offences of publishing or communicating false news.

This was also noted by Malaba DCJ in the case of Chimakure & 2 others v AG,16 wherein
he noted that,
The bedrock principle......of the guarantee is that no exercise of the right to freedom
of expression can, without more, be restricted on the ground that the message
conveyed is false, offensive or not favourable...

This provision was held to be unconstitutional to Section 20(1) of the previous
constitution.

v Section 33
In terms of this provision, it is an offence to publish a statement concerning the President
or Acting President, which engenders feelings of hostility and causes hatred, contempt or
ridicule. Such a person is deemed guilty and liable to a fine not exceeding level six or
imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year, or both. As with Section 31, a number
of cases have queried the constitutionality of this provision, such as the case of Media
Monitoring Project Zimbabwe staffers, Tsitsi Chimhanda, Fadzai December and Gilbert
Mabusa; or the case of Owen Maseko17, a visual artist charged under this provision for
exhibiting paintings depicting the Gukurahundi conflict.

v Section 42(2)
The section criminalises the making of any insulting or otherwise grossly provocative
statement that causes offence to persons of a particular race, tribe, and place of origin,
colour, creed or religion. The offence attracts a fine and/or imprisonment for a period not
exceeding one year, or both.

v Section 95
A person is guilty of criminal insult if by words or conduct they seriously impair the
dignity of another person; or if they seriously invade the privacy of another person. This
offence attracts a fine and/or imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year, or both.

v Section 96
A person is guilty of criminal defamation if they intentionally publish a false statement
that harms the reputation of another person, and is liable to a fine up to or exceeding
Level 14 or imprisonment for a period not exceeding two years, or both.

16 Pg 14 SC-13vb -2013
17 http://www.swradioafrica.com/2014/01/15/judgment-reserved-in-zim-insult-law-challenge/

According to Silveira House and others, this provision has been increasingly used in the
arrest of journalists, such as Golden Maunganidze in 2011, which case was however
withdrawn for lack of evidence; as well as in the case of a community media activist,
Kudakwashe Matura in 2012. Matura was acquitted a year later on 13 December 201318.

6.6 Official Secrets Act [Chapter 11:09]
Section 4 of the Official Secrets Act (OSA) prohibits the publication or communication of
security-related information, and the penalty if found guilty is a fine or imprisonment for
a period not exceeding 20 years, or both. Critics of this provision note that while
acceptable that states need to protect official secrets for purposes of state security, this
particular provision is too widely constructed to the extent that it may affect almost any
perceived action by anyone. Principle 1.1(a) of the Johannesburg Principles on National
Security, freedom of expression and access to information,19 states that,
any restriction on expression or information must be prescribed by law. The law
must be accessible, unambiguous, drawn narrowly and with precision so as to
enable individuals to foresee whether a particular action is unlawful.

Complaints have thus included the fact that the provisions of this law ought to concisely
identify the classes of information that are classified under this section20, and also argue
that its penalty may need to be reviewed as it is too severe.21

Principle 1(c) emphasises the importance of the existence of restrictions to fundamental
freedoms that are based on specific grounds, as established in international law, including
for the protection of national security. Further the principles emphasises the fact that,
No person may be punished on national security grounds for disclosure of
information if (1) the disclosure does not actually harm and is not likely to harm a
legitimate national security interest, or
(2) the public interest in knowing the information outweighs the harm from
disclosure22, and that no person may be subjected to any detriment on national
security grounds for disclosing information that he or she learned by virtue of
government service if the public interest in knowing the information outweighs the
harm from disclosure.23

The principles also state in their preamble that some of the most serious violations of
human rights and fundamental freedoms are justified by governments as necessary to
protect national security. Though non-binding, this instrument, which is based on
international and regional law and standards on the protection of human rights24 and was
endorsed four times by the then UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and

18 Silveira House research paper
19 1996
20 Silveira House research papers
21 MISA-Zimbabwe policy brief on state secrets
22 Principle 15
23 Principles 16
24 Page 4 Johannesburg Principles on National Security

Expression in his 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2001 reports to the UN Commission on Human
Rights, lays down noteworthy aspects that a law like OSA should be grounded on in
order to balance freedom of expression and access to information, with the need to
safeguard national security.

6.7 Privileges, Immunities & Powers of Parliament Act [Chapter 2:08]
Section 21 (10-12) of the Schedule to this Act criminalises a number of provisions that
affect the media such as :
o Wilfully publishing a false or perverted report of any debate or proceedings in
Parliament or wilfully misrepresenting any speech made by a member.
o Publishing a defamatory statement reflecting on the proceedings or character of
Parliament or a committee.
o Publishing a defamatory statement concerning a member in respect of his conduct
as a member.
The penalty, if found guilty of this offence, is a fine not exceeding Level 7 or
imprisonment for a period not exceeding two years, or to both such fine and such
imprisonment.

6.8 Protection of Journalists Sources of Information
Freedom of the media provided for in Section 61(2) of the Constitution includes protection
of journalists sources of information, stating that:
...every person is entitled to freedom of the media, which freedom includes
protection of the confidentiality of journalists sources of information.

This principle is echoed in the Banjul Declaration which provides that media practitioners
shall not be required to reveal confidential sources of information or to disclose other
material held for journalistic purposes, except in accordance with the following principles:
...the public interest in disclosure outweighs the harm to freedom of expression;
and
disclosure has been ordered by a court, after a full hearing25.

In South Africa, for instance, statutory provision is made to allow for the disclosure of
journalists sources of information. This provision is a carry-over from the days of
apartheid, and would probably not withstand constitutional muster today. The Press
Ombudsman Code in South Africa, which governs journalists in the print media on a
voluntary basis, precludes journalists from disclosing their confidential sources of
information. Some jurisdictions in the world, such as the United States, give journalists a
statutory right to protect their confidential sources of information. Other countries allow
journalists to refuse to testify in court without fear of being held in contempt of court.

25 Banjul Declaration on

This right is otherwise known in law as a qualified privilege. The term qualified
denotes that the privilege is not absolute in the way the attorney-client privilege is
absolute. The basic rationale for the existence of a qualified privilege goes to the heart of
the protection of freedom of expression. Confidential sources are essential to investigative
reporting. The protection of sources is also an ethical requirement for both journalists and
the media. It is a condition for the free flow of information in society. However despite the
provision of the constitution and those of the regional standards stated above, there
continues to be in existence, provisions that pose a threat to the protection of journalists
sources of information.

v Section 113 (c) and 232 of Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act [9:07]
In terms of these provisions, a court can subpoena a witness to give evidence, with failure
or refusal to give such evidence as required attracting penalties. According to Silveira
House paper, the existence of such provisions remains a threat to the protection of sources
that Section 62(2) of the Constitution guarantees. Such provisions need to be amended to
ensure respect of professional and ethical limitations such as the protection of sources. In
the case of the State vs Muchadeyi Masunda & 8 others, journalists Stanley Gama, Vincent
Kahiya, Nevanji Madanhire, Feluna Nleya, and Jennifer Dube were subpoenaed in 2010 to
give evidence on the source/s of their story, although they did not give evidence as the
case was later withdrawn26.

v Section 42 (c) of AIPPA
This section empowers the media council to summon any person as a witness and
requires the journalist to produce any document or otherwise give evidence that may be
relevant for purposes of an inquiry being held by the council.

6.9 Interception of Communications Act [Chapter 11:20] on Privacy
This right is guaranteed under section 57 of the Constitution, and is also strongly
guaranteed in regional and international human rights instruments such as Article 12 of
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), Article 17 of the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), Article 16 of the Convention in the Rights
of the Child (CRC), and Article 14 of the Convention on the Protection of Migrant (CPM),
as well as Chapter 2 of the African Union Convention on Cybersecurity and Personal
Data Protection. According to the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, this right,
is a core tenet of democratic societies. Its inclusion in such a variety of provisions
demonstrates its significance in relation to the protection of a broad array of other
fundamental human rights (and) failure to protect this has a knock-on effect on
citizens abilities to exercise these other rights, thus undermining many of the
principles upon which democracy is based.27

26 Silveira House research report

27 Paper by Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum

A number of issues are at stake as far as this right is concerned, including how to balance
this right with other key issues of state security vis a vis surveillance as well as the extent
to which and individuals right to privacy can be protected, both online and offline. The
ability of the media to execute their work effectively hinges on their ability to
communicate freely without interference or fear of such, which freedom is equally
required by all citizens.

Section 57 of the Constitution provides that every person has a right to privacy which
includes the right not to have the privacy of their communications interfered with.
However, the Interception of Communications Act curtails this right, especially insofar as
it allows in terms of Section 5, the interception of individual communication by a ministry
without having all competing rights and interests weighed by a court of law, so there is
no judicial oversight of applications for interception as a guarantee to the protection of all
fundamental freedoms, nor is state security the responsibility of the Judiciary.

6.10 Censorship & Entertainments Control Act [Chapter 10:04]
Inasmuch as this Act and the Board established therein are key, stakeholders such as
MISA and artists themselves have raised concerns in particular over the wide
discretionary powers vested in the Board as well as the vague description of what
material is prohibited under the Act which makes it difficult for people to draw the line.
Some sections questioned include 13, 14 & 15, 16 which deal with publication of
undesirable information that is likely to be contrary to public health or even the economic
interests of the State. Section 16gives the Board absolute power to decide whether or not
to allow artists to enjoy their right to freedom of artistic expression, which power, if
unchecked, can be abused to the detriment of fundamental freedom.


INFORMATION &
7 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MEDIA PANEL OF
MEDIA LAW REFORM INQUIRY
7.1.1 A separate media regulation law should be introduced to give effect to the right
of media freedom guaranteed in Section s61(2) of the Constitution, including
protection of journalists rights and sources of information, the functions and
operations of the ZMC, as well as general regulatory issues.
7.1.2 Within the scope of the current legal framework, there is room for co-regulation
of the media, should the industry desire that. It is however recommended that the
proposed media regulation law should establish a statutory self-regulatory mechanism
under the auspices of the ZMC that will be responsible for the enforcement of a media
code of conduct formulated by representatives of all relevant stakeholders, with a
legal framework modelled along the lines of the Legal Practitioners Act. The law
should create a complaints system that is appointed and composed of
representatives of the media, which is a mandatory adjudicative panel of first
instance. This will reduce polarisation in the media as all will be bound by one code,
while reducing the financial burden of recourse to the courts, among other
advantages.
7.1.3 Such a law should be devoid of penal measures and criminalisation of freedom
of expression or of the work of the press and instead contain provisions that promote
the use of non-criminal measures to deal with disputes and complaints against the
media, such as use of civil defamation at the courts.
7.1.4 All provisions that amount to criminalisation of freedom of expression or of

statements made or published by the media should be repealed, including section 31,
33, 95, 96 of the criminal code; and sections 64, 80 of AIPPA.
7.1.5 In the long term, ideally there should be constitutional and legislative shift to
allow self-regulation of the media, in line with regional and international standards.
7.2 Zimbabwe Media Commission

7.2.1 The ZMC would still, in terms of this law, exercise general oversight over the body
mentioned in 7.1 as well as take charge of the broader policy issues, in line with the
powers vested in it by Section 248 to 250 of the Constitution, and other roles such as
training, monitoring and capacity-building of the media, as well as initiatives to
promote a sustainable media and information industry, among other key roles.
7.2.2 Any law should be clear on the use of moneys received by ZMC, and
involvement of the industry in deciding what the media development fund is used for.
....continued

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR
MEDIA LAW REFORM INFORMATION &

(BROADCASTING) MEDIA PANEL OF
INQUIRY
7.3 Broadcasting
7.3.1 Convergence. With advances in technology which have resulted in
convergence of the platforms and media of communication, there is need for a
converged broadcasting and telecommunications legal framework, which among
other things should establish an independent, converged regulatory body.
7.3.2 Digitisation. Due to the digitisation process, priority should be placed on raising
public and stakeholder awareness of Zimbabwes digital migration plans,
developments, challenges and what this will mean. There should be adequate
policy and funding support for the process and for local content production.
7.3.3 Transmission. Transmedia should be obliged by law to replace and erect more
transmitters to extend access to national radio and television throughout the
country, providing reception in areas that have no access.
7.3.4 Content. A law should be introduced to provide for wider and comprehensive
media development measures to promote and sustain local content production,
the use and mainstreaming of all national languages, capacity development within
the sector, as well as the sustainability of the media, including community
broadcasters. Local broadcasters should, in terms of the law, be able to access
local content without hindrance from foreigners who acquire exclusive rights.
7.3.5 Governance. Provisions of the BSA and ZBC acts should be amended
particularly to ensure Board appointment processes that are consistent with gender
parity provided under the Constitution, are open and transparent, and allow public
participation and parliamentary oversight. The ZBC Act must be amended to
insulate the editorial independence of the ZBC as guaranteed under Section 61.
7.3.6 Community Broadcasting. Government through the relevant institutions and in

consultation with stakeholders should develop a licensing framework for community
broadcasters, especially community radio, in line with the BSA, and set known
annual dates for the processing of license applications. Community needs to be
defined in law for this purpose, and persons endorsed by the community should be
given priority in licensing. Community radio and information centres/hubs can play
a critical role in strengthening access to information through local languages, and
this should be subsidised as a public service. The BSA should be amended to allow
government and development agencies to support community radios for up to
half of the annual working budget, with the balance financed by the community.
7.3.7 Licensing. The BSA must be amended to specify intervals within which BAZ
should publish and process invitations to ensure the existence of all three categories
of broadcasting at all times, as provided for by the Act, that is, public, commercial
and community. There should be limitation on cross-ownership between a
broadcasting licensee and a signal carrier licensee, particularly in a digital
broadcasting environment. ...continued

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR
INFORMATION &
ACCESS TO INFORMATION MEDIA PANEL OF
INQUIRY
7.4 Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act
AIPPA should be repealed and replaced with a law that specifically provides for
access to information with ample provision for protecting this right, including its
expansion to information held by non-public bodies as envisaged in Section 61 of
the Constitution, while media regulation issues are provided for under a separate
law.
7.5 Official Secrets Act

Section 4 and 8 of the Official Secrets Act should be amended to ensure clarity in
terms of the offences as the Acts description of offences is wide and vague. The
legislature should clarify and limit its application to matters that are judicially
justifiable. The penalty for contravention of these sections should be reduced,
and the scope of defences expanded to include, among others, public interest,
prior publication, and journalistic privilege. Policy makers should consider
repealing this law and replacing it with, for example, a clearly defined Espionage
Act, or a permissive Official Information Act, or a Public Interest Disclosure Act.
7.6 Board of Censors

The powers vested in the Board of Censors should be clearly defined, and powers
to limit freedom of expression, freedom of the media, and access to information
should be reduced to match the limitations in the Constitution of Zimbabwe
(2013).
7.7 Privacy, surveillance, freedom of expression

The national legal framework, especially the Interception of Communications
Act, must be updated to take into account technological developments in the
media and information sector and to provide better protection and balance of
citizens right to privacy and protection of state security and other aims of such a
law. In particular, the act should be amended to ensure that government only
has access to meta data rather than the contents of communication, subject to
judicial authorisation. The ICA should also be amended to require reasonable
suspicion to be demonstrated before communications are intercepted, in line
with best practice worldwide. Cyber-security laws should be formulated after
wide consultation to ensure that digital technologies that facilitate social
platforms are leveraged for social good, and to consider vulnerabilities at
national and international levels. There is need for legislation to be enacted
which outlines the collection, use and storage of data obtained through
surveillance and other legal means, and which is in line with the countrys
obligations under international law.
7.8 Intellectual Property. The Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Act Chapter 26:05
must be reviewed and strengthened in the context of threats to intellectual
property, and consultations should be held with stakeholders in this regard.
IMPI

8 APPENDIX
_____________
List of Stakeholder Interviews and Submissions
The Committee on Media Law Reform and Access to Information interviewed the
following stakeholders, and made external study visits to Tanzania and South Africa.
Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Information Media and Broadcasting Services
Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe
Law Society of Zimbabwe
Attorney General/ Prosecutor General
Civil society human rights organisations
Media lawyers

The committee received written submissions from the following:
Deaf Zimbabwe Trust
MISA-Zimbabwe
Silveira House
Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe (VMCZ)
Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum
Zimbabwe National Editors Forum (ZINEF)
NkululekoSibanda, MDC-T
Anastanzia Ndhlovu, ZANU-PF MP
Zimbabwe Music Rights Association

ACHPR Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information
Media Monitoring Project of Zimbabwe (MMPZ) statement of September 16, 2014.
_____________


INFORMATION &
MEDIA PANEL OF
INQUIRY
CHAPTER 9
TECHNOLOGY CONVERGENCE
IN THE INFORMATION SECTOR
IN ZIMBABWE
Special Submission on Convergence of Technologies for
Delivery of Information
by Gelfand Kausiyo
IMPI


Technologically, Zimbabwe is an
information dinosaur. There has
been very little capitalisation and
CONTENTS technological upgrade in what
subsists as the information
industry in Zimbabwe today. The
digitisation revolution in the
CHAPTER 9 broadcast subsector is well behind
schedule.
1. Convergence in the Information
Sector Even when it catches up willy-
nilly, thanks to the global digital
2. Emerging Patterns of Information migration deadline of 2015,
Consumption Driven by Zimbabwe will discover it lacks
Convergence sufficient investments in the
creative industries which should
3. Zimbabwe Fertile Ground for Digital have been a concomitant of the
Convergence digitisation investment
programme.
4. The Legislation Framework for
Convergence in Zimbabwe Consequently, Zimbabwe may be
fated to evolve as an information
5. The Digital Roadmap for Zimbabwe consumer market, and not as an
information producer market. The
6. Conclusion newspaper industry fares no better.
Until recently, the industry
7. After Word Update on Print Media depended on old setting, plating
and printing technologies. Where
8. Recommendations attempts have been made to
modernise, this has been by way of
9. Appendix refurbished machines, an approach
References which can never put Zimbabwe on
Author Interview the cutting edge of information
technology. For all these reasons
and more, Zimbabwes
information sector remains a
Information and Media Panel of Inquiry IMPI dinosaur technology.
...From Terms of Reference for An
Official Inquiry into the State of the
Zimbabwe


1 CONVERGENCE IN THE INFORMATION SECTOR
__________________
This submission on the convergence of technologies for the delivery of information, deals
primarily with issues of digital or electronic convergence and how it is impacting on the
information sector in Zimbabwe. The paper presented by Gelfand Kausiyo analyses the
technological trends, and presents the key issues fundamental to transforming the
industry into a formidable force in the media and information sector. The benefits brought
about by digital convergence, the drawbacks and some suggestions to overcome the
challenges are discussed, together with some suggestions on policy direction that
government may consider for adoption in order to shape Zimbabwes media and
information landscape.

Pre Convergence Era Converged World
Visual
Radio
Online TV
PublicaHon Broadcast
Podcast
Telephone
Zim
Convergence
SMS
iPod Music Message
Internet Camera

Previously separate technologies were used to process

what a converged device like an iPhone can accomplish

1.1 Background
Not so long ago in Zimbabwe, if one wanted to listen to radio, one would need a radio
receiver to do that a TV receiver to watch television pictures or movies a computer to
type and receive electronic mail a physical paper-based diary to schedule ones
appointments a big alarm clock to wake you up a telephone to make a phone call a
pager to send and receive SMS messages a photographic camera to take still pictures

a video camera to record video a video cassette recorder to playback videos or movies
hired from the video shop an audio cassette recorder or the once popular walkman to
listen to music cassettes the list is endless. These are just but few examples to illustrate
the long road traversed before the phenomenon of convergence came about.

It seems like a fairy tale to tell a teenager in Zimbabwe today, that once upon a time, it
was indeed necessary to carry around a separate camera, music player or walkman and
a physical diary for appointments, it just seems so unreal, cumbersome and old fashioned
but in reality that is in fact what happened as late as the year 2000, at the turn of the
century, and sadly it remains so for other parts of Zimbabwe.

Fast forward to 2014, all the tasks highlighted in the above paragraph and more can be
magically accomplished in just one single device running multiple applications, for
example an iPhone. Sometimes the tasks can be accomplished simultaneously at lightning
speed. The rate at which the technology has evolved can be a positive thing for any
developing country or it can equally be disastrous for the developing world if not
systematically harnessed in a structured way or in an environment where the regulations
are not responding to the needs of the consumer an undesirable state of affairs for any
developing country.

1.2 Definition of Convergence
Convergence is often defined by many experts in very generalised terms without a single
universal definition available, but broadly appears at two levels:
(i) technological level, and
(ii) media or content level.

Technological convergence occurs when multiple products come together to form one
product with the advantages of all of them, e.g. the iPhone example as illustrated in the
background paragraph above. On the other hand, media convergence refers to the
removal of entry barriers across the telecommunications, information technology, and the
media and consumer electronics sectors that originally operated largely independently of
one another but are now becoming integrated at infrastructure level, end-user devices
level or services level.

Wikipedia, the free online encyclopaedia, refers to an even broader terminology digital
convergence as previously separate technologies such as voice (and telephony features),
data (and productivity), and video that now share resources and interact with each other
synergistically.

The rest of this chapter will focus on the synergies created by digital convergence, how
they impact on the information sector, and how this phenomenon can be harnessed
positively for national development. The interaction of media elements that when
combined produce a total effect that is greater than the sum total of the individual

elements, has inspired some media organisations such as Zimpapers, the AMH Group,
the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) and other media houses in Zimbabwe, to
explore multimedia delivery of information.

Digital convergence places the consumer at the centre of developments in the media and
information industry.

This chapter on convergence will take aim at,
Providing an analysis on the global trends in technology and the impact this is
having on the way in which information is being consumed by end-user customers
in Zimbabwe and southern Africa,
Explaining the broader national opportunities that convergence has brought to the
market forces in Zimbabwe, and
The possible regulatory challenges this may pose.

Some logical considerations will be made towards bringing together previously separate
industry-based regulations into a single legal and regulatory framework as Zimbabwe is
at a crossroads.

Conclusions and recommendations will be drawn towards the end of the chapter, on
possible policy direction that can enable Zimbabwe to embrace digital convergence for the
betterment of society, reignite its media prowess, and become competitive regionally and
globally.

1.3 Opportunities Presented by Technology Convergence
The opportunities presented by technological convergence in Zimbabwe can be looked at
primarily at two levels:
(i) Business Level Benefit, and
(ii) End-user Consumer Level Benefit.

1.3.1 Business Level Benefit
In the world of convergence, Zimbabwean businesses would like to achieve maximum
benefit by realising good profits on their products or the content created. For example the
media houses would like to create content once and publish it to many platforms
available to it with the hope of attracting the interest of all their customers that may have
preferential ways of receiving content.

A radio station that belongs to the public broadcaster or one of the recently licensed
private radio stations in Zimbabwe would do well by broadcasting primarily on
frequency modulation (FM), and in addition do live audio streaming of their radio
services on the Internet. They may also opt to make their content available on podcasts,
via Internet. In this case the Internet becomes the secondary medium of broadcast which
is a good example of convergence. It benefits business in that the same content that has

been created once is now being sent or published to many different platforms
simultaneously at minimal costs.

For the Zimbabwe Radio Station depicted in the graphic illustration below, it is clear that
this business approach will save the organisation money, and there will be many more
benefits associated with the principle of creating content once and publishing it to many
platforms. Digital convergence in this example has the effect of casting the Radio Stations
net wider than only the FM footprint can provide, by using the Internet and other
telecommunication infrastructure only recently made possible by the telcos.

Household Radio
Receiver in Gweru
FM
Broadcast Car Radio Receiver
along Masvingo
Road
Create content once
and publish it to Oce PC in London
Internet or Johannesburg
many platforms Streaming Mobile Phone in Mt
Darwin
Many different convergent partners such
as Econet, TelOne, Telecel and others Zimbabwe Radio Station
invest in the networks, facilities and
telecommunication equipment that Oce PC in
makes up the Internet Internet Avondale
Podcast
backbone providers; Internet access Mobile Phone in
Bulawayo
providers; content and application
providers. Radio and Television Stations
invest in studio infrastructure and Oce PC in Chinhoyi
content generation. Visual Mobile Device in
Radio Mutare supported
on a mobile network

1.3.2 End-user Consumer Level Benefit
For the consumer, the digital convergence benefits are multi-fold, i.e. for starters, the
consumer does not need to carry around multiple devices in order to be effective and
efficient. One device will do the trick to receive e-mails, receive television broadcasts,
receive radio services online, make phone calls, take pictures and provide other numerous
benefits, all in one gadget, thanks to convergence. The consumer becomes a truly
empowered citizen.


2 EMERGING PATTERNS OF INFORMATION
CONSUMPTION DRIVEN BY CONVERGENCE
_________________
Zimbabwe patiently waits for the launch of mobile television services in the country this
revolutionary form of technology convergence is knocking on the countrys doorsteps.
The consumption of television services in todays busy schedules can no longer be limited
within the confines of ones TV viewing room at home, in Sakubva or Borrowdale.

Zimbabweans have become smarter, using tablet devices and other smart phones on the
go. They are now demanding to watch their favourite TV programmes in whatever way
possible, at the most convenient time and without having to be glued onto the TV set in
the living room at home. In other countries, such as South Africa and Mauritius, mobile
TV services have already been launched on the market, consumed from passenger/back
seats of cars, parents and kids watching breakfast news on the way to school, on the
bus/train, etc.

In-car On tablets and In public

entertainment phablets transport
TV Viewing Patterns influenced by Technology Convergence

These viewing patterns are strongly influenced by convergence and the proliferation of
electronic gadgets in the marketplace. It is therefore not long before Zimbabwe starts
experiencing even higher levels of digital convergence right in the palms of the citizens
hands.

With the imminent launch of digital broadcast television, the next big move for
Zimbabwes information industry is most likely the introduction of mobile TV services
and IPTV services supported by improved broadband networks, using 4G or Long Term
Evolution (LTE) networks, the new standard for high-speed wireless communication
systems.

2.1 Convergence Driven by the Advertising World (Global Trends)
Advertisers are known to push the boundaries. With digital convergence, the advertising
world will become more aggressive and vibrant in Zimbabwe.

For instance, in the industrialised countries of the north, visual radio has been made
possible by the elements of traditional FM radio taking advantage of the proliferation of
Internet services and, to some extent, the endless opportunities made possible by mobile
television, which is on its own merit another classical form of convergence.

The fusion of these varied elements onto one device has attracted a lot of attention from
the advertising world. With it, comes a high level of interactivity, whereas in the past it
was not possible to talk back to the Radio DJ on air, but convergence has now made it
possible to fuse traditional radio with GSM or cellular phone communication systems,
providing the talk-back mechanism for the listener to talk back to the Radio DJ.

This application has been widely regarded as an instant hit with consumers worldwide
because, apart from providing just the means to talk back to ones favourite on-air
personality, one can also participate in online voting, selection of the next song on air,
partaking in instant surveys, etc., all thanks to digital convergence.
InteracHve Online
AdverHsing VoHng
Some ways in which the radio
listener can enjoy features Digital Convergence
brought about by Digital
Convergence
Instant Inuence
Surveys Playlist
2.2 Opportunities Created by the Broadcasting Digital Migration Process

The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has prescribed June 17, 2015 as the
deadline date by which all countries in Region 1 shall have migrated from analogue to
digital broadcasting.


What this means is that Zimbabwe (which falls in that category of countries that make up
Region 1) will go digital and with that comes more digital convergence. There is a
likelihood of many players coming on board in the digital broadcasting space and this is
likely to create more electronic traffic, resulting in greater access to information, more
choices, and more opportunities for media convergence within the newspaper groups,
broadcasting and telecommunications space.

The imminent proliferation of television stations in the country will also bring about
tough industry competition. In order for broadcasters to stay relevant and remain at the
top of the minds of the consumers, they will need to embrace the technology and make
use of digital convergence to be innovative and stay ahead of the competition, be it local
or foreign.

From the lessons learnt across the globe, the broadcasters who skilfully and quickly adapt
to the changes in technology will survive the business jungle. They are far more likely to
be successful in this digital revolution where business is constantly changing than
organisations that do not embrace digital convergence. In a converged world, the content
that was created primarily for radio or print media, will creatively find its way onto
television and other social media platforms and vice versa. There will be new business
opportunities for cross-promotion of products and new product offerings that may result
from attractive packages put together in direct response to evolving consumer
behaviours, e.g. Video on Demand (VoD) or movie rental services, over a broadband
connection.

2.3 Convergence and the Social Media Platforms
Not so long ago in Zimbabwe, when an exciting news story broke in the country, one
would have to patiently wait for it to be broadcast at 8 oclock on prime-time evening
viewing on ZBC TV. If you missed the 8 oclock news bulletin, snippets of the broadcast
would be made available not so generously on radio within limited timeframes, and on
late-night TV viewing. However, if one missed all of that due to work commitments or
other pressing matters, including reasons associated with being on the road, etc. the last
alternative would be the morning newspaper (The Herald, Chronicle, Newsday, Daily News,
and others). Such was the limiting effect on media consumption in Zimbabwe.

However, in todays Zimbabwe, just like in other quite developed countries, the impact of
Facebook, Twitter and other Social Media Platforms has had a dramatic impact on the way
news and other information is disseminated by media houses and how it has in turn been
consumed by the end-user customer.

The developments in social media along these lines can be described as the most
revolutionary for the 21st century. It has been a major breakthrough, unprecedented and
historic in many ways than one, all thanks to digital convergence.


Zimbabwe on the Social Media Scene

Un-Converged World
Story is carried on 24 Hours later, The

ZBC TV at 8.00 PM From 1.00PM Herald, Chronicle,
Before 1.00PM for Zimbabwean onwards Daily News, Newsday
Territory and other newspaper
Facebook publicacons
Story is sparingly
Story Breaks on ZBC
Radio limited only to
8.00PM carried by interspaced 24 hours
Zimbabwean news bullecns both later
territory on Radio & TV
Face
book
Era Social Media
Radio & TV
Online Newspapers
including TradiHonal
PlaUorms & Blog Sites Newspapers
WebcasHng
Story is instantly Moments later on

available to a wide
Radio & TV and 24 hours later
cross seccon both Globally within a few limited distribucon
naHonally and across across the borders moments
only in Zimbabwe
the Diaspora
via audio streaming

Converged World


The characteristic of dissipation of news and other information determines the consumers
level of appetite for consumption, method of preference and therefore choice of the
medium to tune into. It further determines why consumers may (or may not) choose to
watch the national public broadcaster ZBC over other international media such as CNN,
Aljazeera and/or eNews Africa.

All media houses in Zimbabwe have somewhat adopted the social media networks as
part of their extended sphere of influence. Such an approach is truly more empowering
for the consumer. It is more economical, brings more options into the hands of the
consumer, makes more business sense and brings a whole new experience to the end
customer who is receiving the varied media products in Zimbabwe.

According to the Herald Online Newspaper dated October 20, 2014 the First Lady Grace
Mugabes Meet the People Rallies dominated cyberspace and online conversations. The
Twitterhashtag #GraceMugabe attracted 1,439,959 impressions from October 13-19, 2014
whilst ZAMPS in a separate publication reports that it takes at least three months for the
Herald to reach the same figures with physical daily publications.

3 ZIMBABWE FERTILE GROUND FOR DIGITAL
CONVERGENCE
_________________
There are many factors that make Zimbabwe a fertile ground for continued digital
convergence. As a starting point, the country enjoys one of the highest literacy rates in
Africa. For people to be able to interact confidently using multimedia devices they have
got to be able to read and write fairly well. The sending of text messages and use of
interactive applications that are supported on the smart phone devices, require basic
education to interpret electronic instructions on display. The fact that almost everyone in
Zimbabwe can read and write has contributed to the uptake of Internet-related
technologies, which in turn will drive up convergence.


The following chart represents an overview of Zimbabwes Digital Penetration:

Zimbabwe Digital Penetration

14
12
10
8
Millions
6
4
2
0
Mobile Radio TV Viewers Internet Fixed Line
Subscripcon Listeners Subscripcon Subscribers
s s Source:
The Media
Year 2013 11.1 8.1 5.4 4.5 0.31 Authority
SA
Year 2014 13.5 5.2 0.30

According to the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe
(POTRAZ), the main reasons why Zimbabwe continues to enjoy high levels of Internet
penetration are:
Reduced mobile broadband tariffs,
The proliferation of smartphones,
Reduced smartphone prices, and
Uptake in social media activity by family and friends.

With the improvements

registered in Broadband
Penetration IPTV will be
easy to introduce to
Zimbabwe
3.1 Main drivers of Digital Convergence

The digital broadcast migration that is currently sweeping across Africa has necessitated
the formulation of complementary strategic plans to create digital content so as to fill up
the multi-channel television environments created by this development. The need for
digital content has increased multi-fold in order to fulfil this business requirement. It is
envisaged that Zimbabwe will be no big difference as the driving forces are the same.


There are far too many electronic gadgets on the market and the winning formula that
will set apart one device from the other is an element of superiority in the devices ability
to handle multiple applications glitch-free and with the precision it requires without
having to upgrade to another device.

The war of devices is being fought at the level of convergence where one device that can
integrate all the important features into one, is a clear winner.

As the broadband penetration gets deeper into communities, the level of convergence has
reportedly seen an increase to higher levels in direct response to the market demands. An
increase in bandwidth capacity and speed of the communication networks has also
resulted in further enhancements to electronic convergence.

3.2 Car Manufacturers in Support of Digital Convergence
Most big-brand vehicles manufactured from January 2012 onwards, some of which have
found their way to the markets in Zimbabwe, now come with inbuilt digital multimedia
receivers as standard packages, making digital convergence the most common feature
found in modern day cars. Apart from supporting a multitude of playable media devices
and FM reception these devices now come with integrated navigation systems and on-
board Internet highly integrated features.

A quick search on cars with convergence devices across the big car manufacturers has
yielded the following results for cars manufactured for the European market, most of
which end up in Africa and Zimbabwe in particular, at some point in the future
Audi S7, BMW 125d M, VW Golf, Volvo S60, Toyota Prius and so the list goes on,
including Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG (2012), etc.

On-board entertainment in vehicles use electronic convergence
This move by leading car manufacturers to install digital multimedia devices as part of
on-board entertainment is a big endorsement for digital electronic convergence as it takes
the driving experience in luxury vehicles to another level.

It improves on navigation and assists with vehicle safety on the public roads. The concept
of digital convergence aimed at the vehicle market allows for multiple tasks to be
performed on a single device that was, until recently, solely used for audio entertainment.

Effectively this approach conserves the much-needed space and power in smaller
vehicles. Digital convergence is playing a major role in automotive improvements.

3.3 Some Disadvantages of Digital Convergence
With every bit of improvement in technology, electronic gadgets have gotten smaller and
packed with numerous applications and functions all in one. Many newsrooms and
corporate offices in Zimbabwe will sport a multifunction printer described as 4-in-1 (print,
copy, scan and fax). In essence the devices have tended to support a high level of
convergence although getting smaller in actual size. The downside to that development is
that this has resulted in compromised quality in certain instances.

There is an initial trade-off in quality with some of the new releases of digital equipment,
where the introduction of multi-function technology formats always lowers slightly the
standard that one is used to from a previously independent device. The international
trend has however shown that within a period of about a year or two from the date of
inception of the new technology, the disparity in quality of some devices is reduced and
the dedicated devices become less popular and disappear off the market.

In rural Zimbabwe the dedicated devices seem to last longer than the usual 1-2-year lag
period stated above. Although people rely on MP3 players, iPods and smartphones to
play music in the converged world, cassette recorders are surprisingly still in use in
certain parts of rural Zimbabwe due to this lag. The overall effect of this development is
that obsolete technology that is no longer supported still finds its way into rural
Zimbabwe.

Legislators, while advancing the good cause for digital convergence, ought to take note of
this observation and strike a good balance by allowing for slow but reasonable uptake of
converged technology applications across the spectrum. They must take their citizens
along with digital convergence to narrow the digital divide. There is a thing called
dumping ground where obsolete technology is dumped by those ahead in development
and one hopes certainly that rural consumers will receive the much needed legal
protection against this bad industry practice.

3.4 Unreliable Functionality
Converged devices are not always as reliable as their independent singular modules, for
example a mobile phones web browser does not always render certain web pages in their
correct format when compared to dedicated, PC-based web browsing.

An area where some technology has remained highly specialised and shunning the
concept of convergence is in digital cameras. Dedicated cameras are more preferred by
professional photographers to inbuilt cameras that come integrated with cellphones and
other similar gadgets due to their superior image quality and other unique features like
the zoom function.

This is one area where it is going to be interesting to track the developments and use of
technology as cameras remain key tools of the trade, particularly for sports journalists,
wildlife photographers, and related story-tellers in Zimbabwe.

Dedicated camera
Dedicated Highest quality
Superior zoom funccon
Camera Likely to remain popular in the
coverage of sporcng events
Integrated phone camera - as a

Phone/ result of convergence
Compromised quality
Camera May not be used by professional

photographers for sports events
4 THE LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK FOR CONVERGENCE

IN ZIMBABWE
_________________
One area that has escaped legislation across the broad spectrum in Zimbabwe is the
computer industry that has remained virtually unregulated, except for general laws
applicable to all industry and commercial activities in the country. In sharp contrast the
telecommunications industry has been heavily regulated through the Postal and
Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) and so has been the
broadcasting sector, through the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ).

Now with electronic convergence, where the information technology or computer
elements are a huge factor in the deployment of telecoms and broadcasting systems, this
is likely to see a change in the way in which the discreet services have been viewed by the
policymakers. It is no longer possible to treat them as separate entities for purposes of
legislating. They are so inter-dependent that it calls for a new regulatory regime if
Zimbabwe has to conform to international standards.

4.1 Regulatory Trends in the Region
As the world of information communication technology (ICT) continues to converge, it
would be very difficult to keep the various legislative bodies separate for Zimbabwe. It

would take too long for instance, to effectively process or facilitate licence applications for
services required in the rapidly changing ICT sector. It would be difficult to regulate and
mediate disputes on converged services if the processes are misaligned and out of touch
with reality on the ground.

A good example of regulatory convergence to facilitate the evolving trends in
broadcasting, telecommunications and ICT in general can be drawn from the South
African regulatory context where the South African Telecommunications Regulatory
Authority (SATRA) and the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) were merged into
what is now known as the Independent Communication Authority of South Africa
(ICASA) a product of statute through the ICASA Amendment Act 2000, amended 2005.

The ICASA Amendment Act 2005 also provided for the incorporation of the Postal
Regulator into ICASA (https://www.icasa.org.za/).

Areas to be Telecommunicacons and ICT

regulated
converged Broadcascng
services
removing
barriers of Postal Services
entry

The authority is now responsible for regulating under one umbrella, the
telecommunications, broadcasting and postal industries in the public interest, to ensure
affordable services of a high quality, enforce compliance with rules and regulations,
protects the consumer from unfair business practices and poor quality services, hears and
decides on disputes and complaints brought against licensees, and controls and manages
the effective use of the radio frequency spectrum.

This recent development recognises that the new breed of service providers in the
converged world, do not only offer voice-related services, or only video or data-related
services, but provide Information Communication Technology (ICT) services that need to
be fully recognised and enabled through appropriate legislation mechanisms in order for
them to be effective in offering unhindered services. The legislation ought to be an enabler
as opposed to stifling growth. It is therefore recommended that legislators in Zimbabwe
must revise all applicable legislation in line with international trends.

IP-based convergence will drive the way VoiP services, IPTV services, Mobile TV, Smart
TV and HbbTV services will be offered to the market place. A common approach on the
international scene is something referred to as Triple Play offering, made possible by

the convergence of telecommunication technology where it permits the manipulation of
all forms of information voice, data and video. Triple play offering is the provisioning of
voice, video and data over a single broadband connection and has become an instant hit
with consumers. Everyone in Zimbabwe can expect a triple play or even quadruple play
offering from the telecommunication service providers in Zimbabwe, such as Econet,
NetOne, TeleCel and others, but this is only possible if the commercial environment is
appropriately enabled.

A quadruple-play service is the next level of offering as it integrates mobility often by
supporting hotspot-based phones that are capable of shifting from GSM to WiFi when
they get within the proximity of triple-play enabled environments. Such is the beauty of
convergence, and the argument in this document is simply for Zimbabwe to accept that
the silo mentality offered by discreet regulatory authorities is not in keeping with
international standards and therefore can no longer be a viable option as the consumer
demands dictate otherwise.

The technology revolution is driven at an international level and conformance at regional
level will assist the developing world to stay abreast of such key developments for the
continued growth and good health of media organisations in Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe must adopt the trendy digital technology convergence with all its advantages
in order toprotect its intellectual property rights, and facilitate the dissemination and flow
of information in an unhindered way.The country must attain high levels of universal
access and achieve effective regulatory standards that aim to overcome inconsistencies
and obstacles that came into being as a result of the historical and/or traditional
separation of technologies. It is highly recommended to do away with the so-called silo
mentality.


5 THE DIGITAL ROAD MAP FOR ZIMBABWE
_________________
Zimbabwes digital roadmap can be depicted as follows.

For the last five years there have been a number of notable entries into the Zimbabwean
media and ICT space that started with the launch of 3G services in August of 2012. By
December 2013 the country had registered just over 100 percent mobile phone
penetration. In mid-2013, Zimbabwe registered its first private broadcasting radio
stations.

Facebook reportedly reached fever pitch late last year and drove up broadband
penetration for the country. In August of 2013 Econet announced the launch of LTE, a first
for Zimbabwe. The service was immediately available in certain parts of Harare,
Bulawayo and Victoria Falls.

By June 2015 the country is geared to go digital a first for Zimbabwe after years of
analogue broadcasting. This will be the biggest development in the history of
broadcasting for the region and it will improve significantly the technical quality of TV
reception.


Young creative minds will be required by this industry to polish up their skills and
become innovative. Planning for 5G, the next generation wireless telecommunication
network will start in 2016, with implementation only possible well after 2020.

The economic impact of decisions that national governments will make about the
assignment and award of spectrum for 5G will be potentially significant. This after the
digital dividend from broadcasting networks shall hopefully have been duly declared and
auctioned off.

6 CONCLUSION
_________________
The arguments presented in this chapter require that media organisations in Zimbabwe
rethink existing assumptions about the way in which information is being consumed by
the end-user customer, as these affect marketing and programming decisions at a content
level and strategic investment direction at a business level.

The effect of what is happening with media convergence is more than just an ordinary
shift in technology. It fundamentally alters the rules of the game and thereby redefining
relationships between industries, the technologies involved, audiences, ownership
structures and markets. If one looks at the way content is being consumed on multiple
devices by viewers the world over, it calls for meaningful strategic partnerships, mergers
and acquisitions. Alliances across industries in Zimbabwe have become more viable as a
result of this development and hence the need for further business exploration in the
digital media business.



7 AFTER WORD
_________________
Response to Chapter 9
Technology Convergence in the Information Sector in Zimbabwe
by Vincent Kahiya, Editor-in-Chief, Zimbabwe Independent

I have gone through the contribution by Mr Gelfand Kausiyo whose input I found very
enlightening especially on the broadcasting side of digital media. The contribution
however lacks in as far as it does not deal authoritatively with developments in the print
media and then growth of digital story-telling in the country. There is need to look at
developments at Zimpapers and AMH and to some extent ANZ and Modus in the
reconfiguration of the businesses to start to embrace digital.

The media houses have over the years developed huge digital audiences which surpass
more developed economies in Africa and the developing world. I can speak for AMH
which I know enjoys as many as 10 million page impressions in a month on the NewsDay
website. There are 400,000 likes on the NewsDay Facebook page and I know that as many
as 350,000 people are reading NewsDay online every day.

Zimpapers also has impressive numbers and the company has recently revamped its
digital news environment to refocus the business. Zimpapers and AMH, and of late ANZ
have news on mobile phones, a popular product with rural folk without access to
newspapers.

The reason I am volunteering this information and these figures (which are compiled by
Google on a daily basis) is to dramatise emerging trends in the media as print starts to
migrate to digital. There has been investment and developments in this area and, by
comparison, Zimbabwe is doing well although there are still many areas lacking.

Lastly, the author mentions the internet penetration in the country which has a huge
bearing on the media. News can be accessed cheaper on the phone due to MNO providing
data bundles for as low as $3 a month. In short, this subject needs more research in
spelling out the impact of digital on print.

A study of how audiences are adopting digital as a platform to consume media is
therefore critical. It is also critical to evaluate the impact of citizen journalists and
user-generated content on news media. _____________________


8 RECOMMENDATIONS ON
TECHNOLOGY CONVERGENCE
INFORMATION &
IN THE INFORMATION SECTOR MEDIA PANEL OF
INQUIRY
8.1 Training. Zimbabwe must introduce a multimedia school and equip journalists
with multiple Internet-based skills to entrench a deeper appreciation of technology
convergence that will prepare journalists to edit stories online and file from multiple
devices. Modern journalists must be multi-skilled and should be able to shoot on their
own, edit and file online without the assistance of a cameraman or field technician.
Further the government should introduce and promote the use of electronic gadgets
through e-learning at primary school level, and establish ICT centres in rural areas.
8.2 Unified Legislation. The sectors of Broadcasting, Media and ICT must be
governed by one piece of legislation and the regulatory authorities overseeing these
separate sectors (BAZ, POTRAZ) must be merged to form just one effective authority.
8.3 Licensing. Licences issued to broadcasters must be broadened to allow them to

create additional digital channels without the need to seek a licence for each service
they intend to introduce. The principle of licensing should focus on a bouquet of services
rather than individual channels within the bouquet for as long as the licence holder is
able to keep within their allocated spectrum or bandwidth capacity. They should be
allowed to introduce complimentary Internet-based services using the same licence,
e.g. Video On Demand, IPTV services, etc.Community-based Internet radio services
should be introduced in Zimbabwe in addition to licensing of mobile television services.
8.4 Digital Content. Content producers must produce digital content that is prepped
and formatted for multiple outlets including Internet and mobile.
8.5 Essential Studies. A study of how audiences are adopting digital as a platform to
consume media is critical. It is also critical to evaluate the impact of citizen journalists
and user-generated content on news media.
8.6 Smartphones. The booming smartphone industry in Zimbabwe must be

supported together with promotion of social media applications.
8.7 Mergers and Acquisitions. Smart ownership structures, cross promotion of

products and services must be allowed, e.g. a newspaper group should be able to
extend its sphere of influence by buying into broadcasting media operations and/or ICT
companies to invest in broadband and Internet-related infrastructure expansions for
purposes of safeguarding the future of its product line and services, and vice versa.
8.8 Triple Play. Telecommunication companies must offer value for money services,
e.g. offering triple-play services to create appetite for broadband usage.
8.9 Free Wi-Fi. Free Wi-Fi must be introduced slowly in Zimbabwe (the creation of
Public Hot-Spots) in order to promote access to information and to government e-
services.
IMPI

9 APPENDIX
____________
9.1 References
Blackman, C. (1998) Convergence between telecommunications
and other media
The International Journal on Media Management Vol 5, 2002
Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of
Zimbabwe (POTRAZ)

Statistics Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe All Media Products Survey (ZAMPS)
Zimbabwe Advertising Research Foundation (ZARF)

9.2 Interview www.iptv-news.com
Gelfand Kausiyo,
Chief Executive Officer, Turbo Worx, and
Chair of Digitisation Committee on ZBC Board
by Thomas Campbell, October 7, 2014
Really splendid insight on Zimbabwean and African broadcasting ecosystem
Gelfand Kausiyo will be appearing at this years AfricaCast, Africas premier show on
the future of broadcasting, which takes place on November 11-13, 2014 at the Cape Town
Convention Centre, South Africa.
IP&TV News: What are the most exciting things happening in Zimbabwean broadcasting?
Kausiyo: The most exciting things taking place in Zimbabwe right now are the prospects
of new television players entering the commercial digital broadcasting space as a result of
the endless opportunities presented by the imminent launch of DVB-T2 in the country.
There is a bustling hive of activity as potential new television players are either making
final touches to their strategic business plans or contemplating taking on the giant
national public broadcaster once the country has gone digital. Previously Zimbabwe
operated only one national television channel owned by the Zimbabwe Broadcasting
Corporation, with a second television channel whose footprint or broadcasting reach is
limited to two provinces of the country. Now with the imminent launch of DVB-T2 the
sky is indeed the limit it appears the fun is about to begin!

We know youre going to be speaking at AfricaCast on the digital switchover, focussing on
Zimbabwe and Sub-Saharan Africa. How much progress has been made in this direction?
Although the ITU has prescribed June 17, 2015 as the deadline date for digital migration
for all countries that fall in Region 1 (which Zimbabwe is part of), there are going to be
serious regional challenges posed by this deadline. Whilst it appears a possibility to beat
this deadline from a broadcasters perspective and from the transmission partner side of
things, consumer awareness or the lack thereof, and unwillingness to change for the sake
of it without proper incentives in place, are likely going to impede on this deadline.
If one looks at best practice and the SADC project Gantt chart for successful digital
migration in the region where all the project tasks are carefully drawn up and projected
using the critical path assumptions then the reality of a June 2015 deadline fades quickly
away. Nonetheless I have seen an awful amount of commitment from the policy makers,
the broadcaster and the transmission partner where considerable effort went into serious
planning, taking the lessons learnt from the rest of Africa. The border areas in Zimbabwe
seem to have received priority planning for obvious reasons as more and more effort now
goes into attempts to achieve universal access so that digital migration adds to
universality as opposed to throwing people into the digital darkness.
What do you think are the main challenges still impeding the switchover, and how can
these be overcome? What kind of timescale are you currently thinking of?
The main challenge remains the obvious culprit number one: finance. Broadcasters and
legislators have been warned time and again on the huge amounts of money required to
take a country from analogue to digital broadcasting. The entire broadcast value chain
will need to be looked at holistically as any attempts to leave out one of them creates the
undesirable weakest link and obvious point of failure. As the digital platforms get
developed, so must be the content acquisition strategies. There has been a bit of
coordination challenges between industry players, typically the broadcasters on the one
end and the policy makers on the other. In South Africa there have been wrong
assumptions made until there was an aborted take-off late last year as a result of lack of
an all-inclusive policy.
In Malawi there have been attempts to launch which did not go on so smoothly due to
lack of coordination and these problems are being reported almost consistently across the
region. One hopes that countries like Zimbabwe who are late entrants in this process will
use these examples of failure and avoid the same pitfalls. Everyone still hopes that the
ITU deadline date will and must be met, even the SADC Outcome of Council of Ministers
Meeting expressed the same views and commitments in one of their resolutions passed at
the just ended SADC summit held at the Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe in August 2014. The
deadline date is solid, so it appears!

What do you think the biggest opportunities the digital switchover will open up in African
broadcasting exactly how significant do you think this will prove in the years to come?
The biggest opportunities will come in the form of digital content creation. Content based
on good technical quality and innovative programming will be required as broadcasters
try to fill up the multiple channels created by digital migration. And as they try to claim
the number one spot in the minds of viewers who will no doubt have a wider choice of
TV channels. This will prove quite significant for public broadcasters in the Sub-Saharan
African region as they are all bound to lose their monopoly that they have enjoyed for so
long since the inception of television in most of these countries. They will be forced to
become commercial and to compete more effectively in an open market system. Only the
best will survive but the national public broadcasters will become a different animal as
they will be forced get into public-private partnerships in order to stay relevant in the
upcoming highly commercialised digital space.
Are there any innovations currently coming to the fore you think could have a significant
impact on African broadcasting and why?
Dynamic bit-rate management, interactive advertising and smart electronic programme

scheduling, which allows for maximum return on investment responding directly to
consumer behaviour, will come to the fore as the fight for the piece of advertising cake
intensifies. The operator who will use these features of multimedia digital broadcasting
more effectively and innovatively to respond to the market dynamics will hold the key to
success in the digital commercialisation caused by this digital migration for instance the
ability for any operator to effectively manage the head-end equipment in such a way that
it responds favourably to the quality issues demanded by HD video channels versus SD,
at different times of the day, etc. while keeping viewers within their bouquet of services.
Broadcasters must throw HD quality where it makes good business sense and avoid
wasting precious bandwidth where only talking heads are involved. This skilful
balancing act will require some young creative minds to be appropriately motivated so
that broadcasters can stay ahead of the game.
How much value is there in African broadcasters coming together at an event such as
AfricaCast? Are there any conversations youre particularly excited about having at this event?
AfricaCast is an event where serious broadcasters converge and together with their
partners in the telco industry talk about issues of convergence and the evolution of
broadcasting (including OTT, HbbTV, etc.) and in doing so they strike strategic business
partnerships. If you look at the way content is being consumed on multiple devices by
viewers the world over, it calls for meaningful strategic partnerships. I am looking
forward to finding out exactly whats up the sleeves of the telco operators. With the
digital dividend declared, it seems like all their medium term growth ambitions are
geared towards becoming content suppliers, and I am wondering what sort of strategic
partnerships can be struck resulting in a win-win situation.____________________

INFORMATION &
MEDIA PANEL OF
INQUIRY
CHAPTER 10
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Key Recommendations
Collated and Presented by Subject
Drawn From
All Thematic Committees/Chapters
IMPI

CONTENTS

CHAPTER 10

CONCLUSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS

The Conclusions speak to
the Terms of Reference for
1 Media as Business
the Official Inquiry into the
2 Information Platforms/Content State of the Information and
Media Industry in
3 Ethics and Standards/
Zimbabwe.
Professional Code/ Media
Council The Consolidated
Recommendations
4 Media Training / School of contained in this Chapter
Journalism / National Film Board are collated and presented
by subject, and not by
5 Gender committee.
6 Employment
The previous chapters retain
7 Information Sector, Arts and their own committee
Culture recommendations.

8 Legal Framework
9 Convergence and New Media


10 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
_________________________________________

Each Thematic Committee of the Information and Media Panel of Inquiry (IMPI)
produced a thematic report based on research and outreach, and those thematic reports
were used as the basis for chapters in this report. Each thematic chapter contains the
recommendations from its relevant committee, which are presented at the end of each
chapter.
To ensure clarity and avoid repetition, key recommendations have been
consolidated here, and drawn from more than one thematic committee. It should be
emphasised that the recommendations below are consolidated by subject, as there was
considerable crossover by committees on various aspects of related issues. Gender issues
are mainstreamed through each sector, but the thematic committee requested to have
some of their recommendations presented here as gender and marginalised groups, and
that has been done.
The recommendations below are a consolidation from various committees that
speaks to the Terms of Reference for An Official Inquiry into the State of the Information
and Media Industry in Zimbabwe.
The general Conclusion is that the components are in place for a vibrant
information and media industry in Zimbabwe that can relate to national values and
compete in regional and international markets, retain and protect intellectual property,
generate high-quality content, provide employment and generate sustainable profits,
protect and project women and marginalised groups, respond to and develop new
technologies, and use and protect the freedoms guaranteed in the Constitution.
But there is work to do. These components are scattered. In order to respond
adequately and creatively to the emerging opportunities, it is necessary for the media and
information sector to:
} engage each other, communicate more among ourselves about what we want
and consolidate structures to facilitate that;
} engage with government through the Ministry of Information, Media and
Broadcasting Services, which is in fact a part of the sector;
} engage with stakeholders and users to hear their views and tap into their
ideas, a process facilitated by new media platforms;
} be more creative in generating and marketing content and seeking resources
through the many possibilities available; and,
} work together to develop infrastructure to reach the entire country and
beyond. That is... listen to... and hear... the lady in the rural areas who pleaded
for access to local information, newspapers, radio and television If I say
good morning, I want to be heard at the same time throughout the country.


There must be accuracy, integrity, correctness and consistency, and fairness in
media coverage, and this professionalism can return to the media if all are guided by one
agreed Professional Code of Ethics and a common Media Training Curriculum. All media,
both public and private, must adhere to professional standards of journalism.
To deflect interference and to promote media professionalism and ethics, it is
recommended that Zimbabwe adopts a dual regulation of the media statutory and
voluntary similar to the Media Council of Kenya model, and enforces an agreed Code
of Ethics for media houses and journalists that is anchored in professionalism and
integrity.
Regarding the legal framework, there is need for review of existing media laws in
line with the Constitution, including legal issues to do with media regulation, and
removal of all penal measures and criminalisation.
1 Media as Business

These recommendations are identified by sector, thus confirming the perspective
presented in the Terms of Reference that the information sector is fragmented. There was
little regard for industry-wide recommendations, thus illustrating the need for a meeting
place or association of media proprietors where they can exchange views and plan for
common challenges.
This industry remains structured as if we still live in an era where
telecommunications, print and broadcasting; where voice, image and word, still exist apart and in
distinct, impenetrable compartments, and that is seen in the results of this inquiry, although
glimmers of change are emerging, and the media industry is quite different one year later
than it was at the start of the IMPI inquiry.
While technology has converged, the business models, the regulatory models, the
taxation models, the institutional models all these have not, however the industry and the
government see the need for this, as eloquently stated by the stakeholders during the
IMPI outreach, and the users are running far ahead, especially the youth.
Media publishers and broadcasters need to establish a common forum, as do
editors, and the Advertising Media Association and the Zimbabwe Book Publishers
Association need to be more active in meeting their objectives. Content merchants and
backbone operators need to establish with some urgency an institutional vehicle for
regular contact. Industry-wide structures for lobbying government for hospitable policies
and tax concessions and funding still need to be established. Thus there is a disconnection
here, with the industry recommending the need for a stimulus package including tax
reduction (see below), yet they do not have a forum to lobby for this. This also covers
collaborative actions in non-competitive areas of common interest, such as training,
printing, newsprint purchase and investments, product distribution, backbone
development, etc.
Who is expected to take the first step?

The inquiry reviewed the business aspects of the print and electronic media,
online platforms, advertising agencies and outdoor media, book publishers, performing
arts, content producers, and film operations in Zimbabwe, and concluded that despite
current challenges, the opportunities for business growth far outweigh the challenges -- if
common platforms for collaboration among stakeholders are strengthened and if
appropriate business models are adopted in response to new media platforms.
The Terms of Reference for this sector of the inquiry said, Here is one sector
unaware of commons and of thoroughfares even though so many exist, albeit unmarked! This
remains the case in general, although some companies are moving faster than others
towards convergence. So the following recommendations from this sector are mainly to be
read in the context of improving contact and coordination within the industry and with
government, as well as sourcing resources and changing perceptions about how to
organise the present and future.

1.1 Newspaper Industry
A stimulus package based on new business models and platforms should be introduced,
to resuscitate the newspaper industry. Loans should be available to media houses at low
interest rates. Taxes should be reduced, especially multiple taxation, as this inhibits the
growth of the industry. The cover price of newspapers should be reduced.

1.2 Magazines
Magazines should be recognised as mainstream media, with relevant statutory
instruments to position the industry in the mainstream. The local magazine industry has
great potential and should be protected through tariffs on foreign-registered publications.
Industry-wide consideration should focus on conversions and start-ups using new media
platforms.

1.3 Printers
The local printing industry should be capacitated to deliver quality efficiently, the local
paper industry resuscitated, and labour laws reviewed.

1.4 Circulation
Media houses should register their publications with the Audit Bureau of Circulation
(ABC), an international voluntary organisation consisting of publishers, advertisers and
advertising agencies, whose main function is to provide a standard procedure by which
member publishers compute their net paid sales. The circulation figures are checked and
certified by a firm of chartered accountants approved by the bureau.

1.5 Advertising Agencies
The Advertising Marketing Agency (ADMA) should be remodelled as a functional body
with permanent staff, run by the CEOs of media houses (print and electronic), to regulate
all aspects of the industry and lobby for more favourable conditions of engagement with
other stakeholders. The impact of new media must be identified, considered and planned

to make full use of opportunities. Advertising agencies must set clear guidelines on
commercial production that favours and promotes local talent. Foreign media-buying
houses should be restricted as they do not add value to the economy.

1.6 Book Publishers
The Zimbabwe Book Publishers Association (ZBPA) should be strengthened to lead
adaptation to e-publishing and new media platforms, establish joint strategies to protect
the industry, and lobby government. Top priority should be to initiate a study on the
impact of and access to new media and electronic publishing, to enable transformation of
the local industry.

1.7 Convergence
1.7.1 Smart ownership structures, cross promotion of products and services must be
encouraged, for example, a newspaper group should be able to extend its sphere of
influence by buying into broadcast media operations and/or ICT companies to invest in
Broadband and Internet-related infrastructure expansions for purposes of safeguarding
the future of products and services, and vice versa. Media houses must review current
business models in the context of new IT platforms, as users now have new choices for
media delivery.

1.7.2 Government should in conjunction with all media players hold workshops and
discussions on digitisation and address some of the following issues/questions:
o How will digitisation impact on current business models and companies in the
media industry value chain?
o What areas of current business offer new entrants clear opportunities to change
their business models and how can companies respond?

1.8 ZimAsset
Media business development should be linked to ZimAsset and the indigenisation policy,
to give opportunities to local potential business owners to participate. At least two
national studies are needed to:
1.8.1 Determine how audiences countrywide are adopting digital as a platform to
consume media; and,
1.8.2 Evaluate the impact of citizen journalists and user-generated content on media
enterprises.

2 Information Platforms and Content

There is general agreement among users, practitioners and other stakeholders that the
national broadcaster is not fulfilling its mandate to inform, educate and entertain the
nation due to poor quality of programmes, urban focus, and poor image and sound
quality, although radio fared better than television in this analysis; and large parts of the
country have no access to local programmes as they cannot receive the signal.

A key recommendation calls for recapitalisation of the national broadcaster using
a public service model as part of a three-tier broadcast industry comprising public,
commercial and community broadcasting. Many respondents believe that a complete
overhaul of products on local TV is needed and that improved service will benefit all
parties, as more people will access the local stations and pay the fees, thus supporting
viability of the national broadcaster.
Although there was little public understanding of the digital revolution that is
taking place in the country this year, and the multiple channels this will bring to local
broadcasting, the focus groups of practitioners urged the rapid development of local
programme content to compete with foreign programmes, and strengthening of existing
institutions such as the Film School and Production Services in the context of modern
technology.
The key recommendation calls for improvement of access to media products
throughout the country, improving choices through a variety of information platforms,
including community broadcasting and establishing community information centres as
focal points for content collection and dissemination. Although the definition of
community is not clear in law, there was significant pressure for the licensing of
community radio stations, as well as licensing of new national players. Performing arts
such as theatre should be used to disseminate information, as well as new technologies.
There must be more action to ensure that the languages and cultures of various ethnic
groups reflected in the Constitution have more visibility. Family newspapers must
publish decent content, and the media must be attuned to nation-building.
This lack of clarity is impacted by the organisational structure of government and
this should be revised to align the information sector with new technologies.
The Terms of Reference noted that, Conceptually, the information revolution is still
conceived as only a hardware and software proposition, hardly a content development challenge.
This remains the case.

2.1 Public Broadcasting
2.1.1 Public media should be national in scope to serve the interests of the public and the
nation, and the national broadcaster should be a public service broadcaster. State parties
should ensure that public broadcasting services operate in an independent manner with
editorial independence. A public service broadcasting model should be used to reposition
ZBC, within a three-tier system of public, commercial and community broadcasting.
There are many strengths in this model and the national broadcaster has a key role to play
if properly structured and resourced.

2.1.2 ZBC must be recapitalised with the clear objective of facilitating better quality
programming and a sustainable business model, as well as national coverage and
reception, as well as to make the national broadcaster more competitive in terms of access,
quality and delivery of content that is relevant and appropriate. Transmedia must address
the transmission challenges throughout the country.


2.1.3 Independent producers to be empowered to produce the required 40 percent and
this must be enforced so the broadcaster purchases the required 40 percent from local
independent producers. Broadcasters and users should pay in good time to enable
sustainability of the industry.

2.1.4 Radio is still the most popular information platform but content could be refreshed
to include the return of radio drama and an education component with radio lessons for
primary schools, as well as expanding rural coverage about activities and culture,
financial reporting about rural development, and live broadcast of parliamentary debates.

2.1.5 National radio services should be accessible in the rural areas and to the diaspora
worldwide through streaming on internet, and planning to add television.

2.1.6 Government should ensure that Multichoice adheres to the agreement that when a
DSTV subscriber is switched off for non-payment, the ZBC signal should remain.

2.2 Digitisation
2.2.1 There must be adequate policy and funding support for the conversion process and
related aspects such as local content production. This should be viewed holistically, not
solely as a hardware and technology conversion.

2.2.2 Preparations for digitisation must be fast-tracked with more explanation of
implications, and coordinated plans for content production for local consumption and
export. ZBC TV must generate and purchase content now in preparation for digitisation
in mid-2015, offering many channels including news, movies, documentaries, history,
lifestyle and sports. Film producers, musicians, artists and other content producers must
be well-prepared for the new opportunities to meet the demands generated by
digitisation.

2.2.3 Priority should be placed on raising public and stakeholder awareness of
Zimbabwes digital migration plans, developments, challenges and what this will mean.

2.2.4 There must be action to ensure that the languages and cultures of various ethnic
groups reflected in the Constitution have more visibility.

2.2.5 Existing infrastructure such as Production Services and the Film School must be
rehabilitated in the context of modern technology, and used to create content to meet the
digitisation deadline for mid-2015 or the country will be flooded with foreign content.

2.2.6 Content producers, film directors or writers guilds should form associations to
enable them to speak with one voice to lobby government and industry. A broadcasters
association should be formed to uplift standards of the broadcasting industry.


2.3 Deaf TV
A channel that celebrates deaf culture should be established to address the information
concerns of this community, similar to South Africas DTV (Deaf TV).

2.4 Film Industry and National Film Board
A film commission or National Film Board should be established with responsibility for
the industry training, funding, marketing and distribution, etc., and lobbying
government, as per the document included in this report. The proposal should be
considered by government, discussed with industry and refined as necessary, and
appropriate legislation enacted. A levy on foreign films would create a fund to support
the local film production industry.

2.5 Licensing
With the opening up of airwaves and introduction of new players, licensing and vetting
procedures need to be reviewed. Licences issued to broadcasters must be broadened to
allow them to create additional digital channels without the need to seek a licence for each
service they intend to introduce. The principle of licensing should focus on a bouquet of
services rather than individual channels within the bouquet for as long as the licence
holder is able to keep within their allocated spectrum or bandwidth capacity. They should
be allowed to introduce complimentary Internet-based services using the same licence,
such as Video on Demand services, IPTV services, among others.

2.6 Community Broadcasting
2.6.1 Government through the relevant institutions should put in place the necessary
measures for licensing of community radio, in line with the Broadcasting Services Act.
Community needs to be defined in the law for this purpose, and persons endorsed by
the community should be given priority in licensing. Stakeholders should be engaged in
a broad consultation to develop a licensing framework for community radio.

2.6.2 The Broadcasting Services Act should be amended to allow government and
development agencies to support community radios for up to 50 percent of the annual
working budget, with the balance financed by the community.

2.6.3 Community radio and information centres/hubs can play a critical role in
strengthening access to information through local languages, and this should be
subsidised as a public service with properly trained, ethical journalists.

2.6.4 Community-based Internet radio services should be introduced in Zimbabwe in
addition to licensing of mobile television services.

3 Ethics and Standards / Professional Code /
Media Council
The Terms of Reference indicated that the information sector faces a values dilemma.
Years of adversarial and polarised relationships have levied a horrendous toll on professional and
ethical standards. The sectors values crisis has to be addressed in a comprehensive way that
seeks integrity and professionalism in the sector.
There is a general belief among Zimbabweans that standards of journalism in the
country have gone down and communities expressed this opinion repeatedly during
outreach meetings organised by IMPI. Issues raised were about unethical practices, poor
training, substandard content, and poor working conditions, all with an ethical
dimension.
There is no single body of rules or standards of ethics or professional behaviour to
guide Zimbabwean journalists in the practice of their profession in the way that doctors,
accountants, lawyers and other professionals have ethical standards to guide them,
although a few media organisations have crafted their own Codes of Ethics to guide
editorial practice. Ethics and professional standards are applicable to specific challenges
faced by journalists in disseminating information to the public, often captured in a Code
of Ethics which contains the principles of truthfulness, accuracy, objectivity, impartiality,
fairness and public accountability.
Such a code of professional standards normally rules out discrimination on the
basis of gender, race, religion, or disability, and respects the principle of innocent until
proven guilty. The outreach found that readers and audiences generally do not believe
that these principles are upheld by the media in Zimbabwe, both in print and television.
Radio fared better as it was described by the public as being less sensational.
The conclusions drawn from the findings of this inquiry support these
sentiments, but look forward in a positive manner in the sense that this dilemma is
recognized by media practitioners, owners and other stakeholders, government and the
public, who all expressed the need and willingness to address these challenges and
strengthen the media industry in Zimbabwe by adherence to professional ethics and
standards through a national Code of Ethics and a common Media Training Curriculum.
The inquiry found that polarisation in the media has been acute, with significant
political dimensions in addition to interference in the media by the corporate sector,
advertisers, sports and entertainment sector, and journalists, among others. Perceptions
of media bias now affect the ability of individuals and groups to properly assess the
content of various publications and broadcasters.
Key recommendations focus on the need for professional standards reflecting ethics
such as accuracy, integrity, correctness and consistency, and fairness in media coverage; a
code of ethics for proprietors, advertisers and business to avoid corporate interference; dual
regulation of the media (statutory and voluntary) to deflect interference and promote

media ethics. Recommendations on perceptions include depoliticising the media space to
improve public confidence; a professional media community developed through training,
mentoring and shared experience; and improved working conditions for journalists.

3.1 One Agreed Code of Ethics
3.1.1 There must be accuracy, integrity, correctness and consistency, and fairness in media
coverage, and this professionalism can return to the media if all are guided by one agreed
Code of Ethics that is the product of wide consultation and input from stakeholders. The
minimum standards in ensuring balance, fairness and best practice should be set out
clearly, and media workers must agree to uphold the ethics of the profession.

3.1.2 Organisations such as the Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe (VMCZ) and
Zimbabwe National Editors Forum (ZINEF) should help to formulate a national Code of
Ethics that demonstrates the commitment of journalists and media stakeholders to ethics
and professionalism in the public interest, drawing on the VMCZ draft and existing codes
from three other countries included in this report. The Code of Ethics must also address
corruption within the profession, manifested by the widespread practice of brown
envelope journalism.

3.1.3 The commitment of all stakeholders will be needed to apply the code consistently so
that, among other things, women can report sexual harassment with the confidence that
they will not be vilified, and the concerns of marginalised persons are not trivialised.

3.2 Media Council
All media houses and journalists should be obliged to join a professional body or Media
Council that has power to enforce the Code of Ethics. Media practitioners should be
guided by the ethics of their profession in the same way that doctors, accountants and
lawyers have ethical standards to guide them.

3.3 Ethical Conduct by Corporations
The Advertising Media Association should ensure that corporates do not interfere with
content production and presentation, or use advertising rates to force unethical decisions.
A binding Code of Conduct should be agreed by stakeholders to define conduct by
corporations, to stop the corporate sector from interfering with media products. There
should be constitutional standards to guide and protect journalists, especially editors, so
that they are not vulnerable to influence from advertisers or those with political power.

3.4 Values and Content
Family newspapers should publish decent content as some content is lacking respect for
family values. Radio and television programming should be scheduled to facilitate family
viewing at appropriate times. Obscene music should be restricted, and press freedoms
curbed if not used responsibly. Rights of women, children, the disabled and vulnerable
groups enshrined in the Constitution must be upheld in the media, and by the media.


3.5 Complaints
3.5.1 The media space must be depoliticised to rebuild public confidence and enable
media houses to implement their editorial policies within a clear regulatory framework.
Journalists should stand apart from political engagement and use appropriate language
when analysing political issues.

3.5.2 Dual regulation of the media is the preferred approach to deflect interference by
owners, editors or journalists, and promote media ethics, and it is recommended that
Zimbabwe should adopt this model that combines statutory and voluntary regulation. This
should include the establishment of a Complaints Act for a functional Zimbabwe
Complaints Commission, similar to the Kenya Complaints Commission.

3.5.3 The Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services, media houses,
journalists, political parties and the commercial sector should demonstrate willingness to
change the situation and respect professional ethics in the media. Media should be a tool
for nation building and not destruction. Public meetings should be open to all media.

3.5.4 There is a range of opinion on the structure and work of the public media, but
generally editors across the spectrum as well as civil society and some political parties
believe that government should not be directly involved in the running of the media,
except to create an enabling legislative framework based on the Constitution; and should
leave the running of the public media in the hands of boards of directors with
responsibility for selecting and assessing senior management and ensuring that they have
the policy, vision and resources to do their work in a professional manner.

3.6 A Common Media Training Curriculum
See the following section on Media Training and School of Journalism
4 Media Training / School of Journalism / National

Film Board

This is a disaster area of the media and information sector in Zimbabwe that needs urgent
attention. Although training institutions have grown numerically and even escalated in
status in recent years to levels of higher learning, the quality of the product -- that is,
the journalist -- from these institutions has fallen far short of industry requirements and
national or public expectation. It is a maxim that the decline in the quality of journalism in
Zimbabwe is in inverse proportion to the increase in the quantity of journalism training
institutions. There is little coordination among these training institutions, and
requirements for registration are not enforced.
There is a consensus in the information and media industry that the standard of
journalism and other media practices in Zimbabwe has plummeted to unprecedented

levels, and that training and capacity-building is an essential factor, not only in rebuilding
the industry, but re-inventing it in the context of modern technologies.
The editors blamed training institutions for producing mediocre journalists and
media workers who cannot operate in the newsroom without re-training. Newsroom
mentoring has been depleted by the migration of skilled and experienced journalists.
Journalism trainers, on the other hand, say the newsrooms are responsible for
undoing the good training they have given to new reporters. The trainers also blame the
decline in the standard of Zimbabwes primary and secondary school education for the
poor command of English, in particular, and poor general knowledge among newly
trained reporters.
Trainees blame the lack of appropriate equipment, poorly stocked libraries, and
the inappropriately structured curricula in journalism training institutions. Training aids
in these institutions, especially for broadcasting, belie, rather than reflect, the
technological revolution.
The media sector faces a basic training and skills crisis, well before one talks about
modernising those skills. Therefore this report includes a proposal for the establishment
of a national Journalism Training Academy to provide all levels and aspects of media
training, including various specialised training for holders of a first degree.
This report also contains a proposal for the establishment of a National Film Board
(NAFIB) with a training component for a dynamic, professional and self-sustaining local
film-making industry that is globally competitive. (See Content 2.4 above)

4.1 Professional Media Community
There must be professional training and mentoring to develop a professional media
community, with due attention to the opportunities and challenges offered by the
changing technology and changing perceptions of the information sector.

4.2 School of Journalism and criteria for other training institutions
4.2.1 Zimbabwe must establish its own School of Journalism, a world class institution
standing shoulder to shoulder with the best in the world, with the minimum entry
requirement being a first degree. The country needs to establish a new institution or to
transform at least one of the existing media and journalism training colleges into a Higher
Journalism Training Centre, offering reporting courses across the sectors to graduates
trained in other fields such as law, business, finance, economics, science and environment.
4.2.2 A common Media Curriculum must be developed with components for short,
medium and long term training, as well as re-training, and continue to train people to
teach, operate equipment, build systems, write and produce material, and translate
productions into other languages. Ethics must be the foundation of media training, and
the Code of Ethics must be included in a common media training curriculum. Public
media must serve the interests of the public and the nation, and media training
institutions should be obliged to include this component through a common curriculum.
Training modules on magazine publishing should be introduced into journalism training
courses, including new media platforms.

4.2.3 The Ministry of Media, Information and Broadcasting Services must take a greater
oversight role in the regulation of media and journalism training programmes, alongside
the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology, and help to
mobilise resources for this purpose.

4.2.4 The media industry and media and journalism colleges should be eligible to access
the Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund (ZIMDEF) to help support training. In the
short-term, Zimbabwe media and journalism departments require assistance in procuring
books, equipment and establishing teaching laboratories. The broadcasting training sector
needs help with training equipment. There is also need to invest resources in developing
photojournalism and new media platforms in colleges.

4.3 Basic Training and Specialised Subjects
Journalism and media training and capacity building must respond to the needs and
objectives of the country, and offer a holistic basic training as well as a range of training in
specialised subjects including investigative reporting, radio reporting, television
reporting, and production of documentaries. Journalism training institutions should be
capacitated to carry out regular rural reporting so trainees can practice rural reporting
when in the field.

4.4 Multimedia Training
The school of journalism must be a multimedia school that equips journalists with
multiple Internet-based skills to entrench a deeper appreciation of technology
convergence that will prepare journalists to edit stories online and file from multiple
devices. Journalists must be multi-skilled and should be able to capture images, edit and
file online. Media institutions and media training institutions must invest in appropriate
technology and equipment for training purposes. Training schools, colleges, and
universities should embark on courses required so the skills are in place before
digitisation is rolled out. The use of electronic gadgets should be introduced and
promoted through e-learning at primary school, and through ICT centres in rural areas.

4.5 Course Development and Staff Development
4.6.1 A separate body should be established to promote and monitor training standards in
media colleges and other institutions, including reviewing modules and recommending
changes in response to a changing environment. Colleges need clear staff development
programmes, including specialisation. Partnering with recognised training institutions in
other countries should be considered.

4.6.2 Media training institutions may offer degrees or diplomas, post-graduate, certified
short courses, as well as media training for other disciplines, but content must be
developed with an industry structure and approved by appropriate authorities, and must
be sensitive to gender issues. If the major training institutions stay centred on media
studies, this will not build capacity in journalism.

4.6.3 Universities and colleges need assistance in organising or accessing workshops for
training of trainers to help staff to develop new teaching skills, especially in journalism.

4.6.4 Media colleges must include courses in management and leadership skills to help
editors to run their institutions, and to become opinion leaders in the communications
industry.

4.6.5 All media practitioners, whether journalists, technicians, advertising, public relations
or administrators, should be required to take a course on issues of gender mainstreaming.
Properly structured mentorship programmes should be established to enable transfer of
skills and knowledge, but also attributes such as courage, discernment and assertiveness,
which can play an important role in supporting women to achieve leadership positions.

4.6.6 Universities and media colleges should consider establishing affiliate satellite
departments at provincial polytechnics to offer diplomas in journalism and media studies,
and to run special summer or winter schools on specific subjects. The media industry
should establish career guidance outreach programmes to help students to make
informed decisions about entering the profession.

4.6.7 Training institutions, media organisations and the media industry should establish a
functional official platform to discuss training issues and to engage with government.
4.7 Registration
All media training institutions must be registered with the appropriate authorities for
higher and tertiary education, and for media. There should be strict conditions for
licensing of journalism training institutions which include radio and television studio
facilities, practical newsroom set-ups, modern training equipment such as cameras, and
skilled and competent staff. The institutions should have transport to allow for practical
news gathering and reporting. No institution should be given a license if it does not meet
these basic requirements. Those offering dubious diploma and certificate programmes
should be closed because they are compromising journalism standards.

4.8 Media In-House Training
4.8.1 Media houses should continue with in-house training covering a wide range of
subjects, including basic reporting and editing skills, feature writing, newsroom
management, specialist desks, ethics, media law and gender mainstreaming. Media
houses should plan to develop their own training programmes, supported by internal
budgets and human resources similar drawing on the objectives of earlier cadet training
programmes.


4.8.2 Media houses should invest in a strong, competent and confident leadership in the
newsroom to help junior staff in skills development, including research, verification, use
of data, interviewing techniques, and story construction.

4.8.3 Media institutions should take responsibility for ongoing training and mentoring,
whether in-house or supported external courses, and should develop in-house training
policies in this regard.

4.8.4 Media practitioners should take responsibility for their own self-development, and
also support training capacity-building by mentoring others.

4.9 Policy Recommendations
Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services should develop a clear national
policy framework for media and journalism training, working closely with industry.

5 Gender

The inquiry concluded that fair gender portrayal in the media should be a professional
and ethical aspiration, similar to respect for accuracy, fairness and honesty; that this
should be included in the Code of Ethics and in the Media Training Curriculum. Yet,
unbalanced gender portrayal is widespread, and often accepted as the norm.
Women and marginalised groups are far less likely than men to be featured in
news headlines, and to be relied upon as spokespeople or as experts. Certain
categories of women, such as single mothers, older women, or those belonging to ethnic
minorities, are even less visible. Yet women make up 52 percent of the population of
Zimbabwe. Stories of womens achievements are seldom presented, nor are their views
and perspectives often sought by the media, and women are often shown scantily clad in
programmes or advertising. What message is sent to society about women?
The IMPI inquiry investigated the representation, participation, coverage and
portrayal of women, children and marginalised groups in Zimbabwes media between
January 2012 and June 2014, and sought to understand gender mainstreaming, disability
mainstreaming, discrimination, and the ethical coverage of marginalised groups, as well
as stereotypes, the work environment, board requirements, training and the arts, and
various forms of sexual harassment of women in the media, and what to do about it. This
study did not exclude men, as any gender analysis considers the role of both women and
men in the media and information sector.
The report provides a legal framework in the context of the Constitution and the
SADC Protocol on Gender and Development, and the main recommendation is that the
dignity and equal rights of men, women, children and marginalised groups as enshrined
in the Constitution must be upheld in the media and by the media.
A multi-sectoral approach to gender parity is needed, including policy direction.
The need for gender equality and the mainstreaming of marginalised groups is a product

of many factors, including language barriers, education, patriarchy, cultural norms, lack
of income, among others. Therefore, government should adopt a multi-sectoral approach
that will enable women, children and other marginalised groups to enjoy the
opportunities presented by access to information, equal employment opportunities,
freedom to work without fear or intimidation, and the full experience of their rights.
Other recommendations cover mainstreaming, a multi-sectoral approach to equal
rights, the target of 50:50 women representation in decision-making by 2015 agreed by
leaders of the African Union and SADC, of which Zimbabwe is currently the chair; equal
representation on boards and shareholding, gender issues in training and in newsrooms,
mentorship, input to the Code of Ethics, and awareness and enforcement of a legal
framework for sexual harassment.
Properly structured mentorship programmes should be established to enable
transfer of skills and knowledge, and courage; establishment of family-friendly working
environments; loans to facilitate shareholding or ownership in media businesses; and
appropriate infrastructure for women artists to perform freely and safely.

5.1 Equality
The dignity and equal rights of men, women, children and marginalised groups as
enshrined in the Constitution must be upheld in the media and by the media. Therefore, a
multi-sectoral approach to gender parity is needed, including policy direction. The need
for gender equality and the mainstreaming of marginalised groups is a product of many
factors, including language barriers, education, patriarchy, cultural norms, lack of income,
among others. Therefore, government should adopt a multi-sectoral approach that will
enable women, children and other marginalised groups to enjoy the opportunities
presented by access to information, equal employment opportunities, freedom to work
without fear or intimidation, and the full experience of their rights.
5.2 Mainstreaming
Media houses should ensure appropriate editorial policies for mainstreaming gender, as
well as specialisation on reporting gender issues and marginalised groups.

5.3 Equal Representation
Equal representation is a requirement of the new Constitution, and government should
ensure gender parity in management and leadership positions, including public sector
boards. All stakeholders in the public and private sector should increase efforts to reach
the SADC/African Union target for the participation of women and men in decision-
making to reach 50:50 by 2015, including in media institutions and organisations.
5.4 Awareness Training

Awareness training should be provided for all media practitioners, whether journalists,
technicians, advertising professionals or administrators.


5.5 Gender Issues in Code of Ethics
Fair and balanced gender portrayal in the media should be a professional and ethical
aspiration, similar to respect for accuracy, fairness and honesty, and must be included in
the Code of Ethics and in the Media Training Curriculum

5.6 Sexual Harassment
5.6.1 Government must address firmly the practise of sexual harassment at the work place
through enforceable laws that lead to arrest and prosecution of the accused. Internal
policies of media institutions should deal specifically with sexual harassment, and this
must be supported by a legal framework that is readily enforceable.

5.6.2 The commitment of all stakeholders is required.

5.6.3 Employers must establish zero tolerance towards sexual harassment, supported by a)
a strong written company policy that clearly defines and prohibits sexual harassment; b)
clear procedures to tackle grievances and complaints of sexual harassment, including
methods of investigation; c) awareness training for managers and supervisors, and staff
training on sexual harassment policies at regular intervals; and d) ensuring that managers
and staff comply with the policy.
6 Employment

Employment and conditions of service in the media and information sector in Zimbabwe
are fraught with challenges for journalists, musicians, artists and actors seeking to pursue
their profession and earn a livelihood, and yet the media are among the few professional
industries that have failed to take advantage of the provisions of the law on the creation of
a National Employment Council (NEC) for their industry, and this is the main
recommendation of this inquiry.
Consultations to create a NEC for the media industry have not been successful
because the employers have not established a publishers association which would be the
negotiating partner, although the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) initiated the
process to establish a voluntary NEC for the industry in 2006. The only option is to push
for a statutory NEC, which would be the first of its kind.
The local media and information sector has not thrived during the past decade and
a half, party due to polarisation and perceptions but also because the economy was
largely isolated from the world due to economic sanctions and the political impasse with
the international community. The high cost of doing business in Zimbabwe impacts on
the ability of media houses to recruit more staff or improve conditions of service.
The local industry has not been viable, the conditions of service have not
improved, and stable employment levels have remained low. Graduates remain
unemployed, and often work as freelance writers, despite the introduction of new
newspapers and radio stations. The sector has failed to professionalise, leaving media and
information workers with vague or verbal contracts and poor conditions of service, while

engineers, ICT specialists and other supporting staff have professional associations that
held to maintain their working environment.
Stakeholders and practitioners spoke freely about these challenges such as
remuneration and benefits, employment safety, qualifications, business, technology,
language and culture, intellectual property, and sexual harassment, as well as the
promotion of employment through economic empowerment in the culture industry. The
Constitution provides protection for The Right to Work Under Satisfactory Conditions.
Other recommendations cover media laws, an industry code and employment
code, recruitment policy and personal development, prevention of discrimination and
sexual harassment, enabling environment to access information held by public and
private bodies, and keeping pace with new technology, especially digitisation.
Recommendations for the music and culture industries include the enforcement of
the Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Act; sophisticated marketing and distribution
techniques; investment and financing to address employment opportunities through an
Artistes Fund; empowerment of the National Art Gallery; review of royalties and efficient
disbursement to artists; and empowerment of independent producers.
Although inadequate financial resources to match demand for a robust modern
media is the greatest challenge facing the country in both public and private sectors, huge
employment opportunities can be realised if these impediments are addressed in various
ways. The Terms of Reference note that the media and information sector has the
capability to be transformed into a lead services industry capable of rapid, inclusive growth
and employment at least cost, with little entry barriers, and in favour of the youth: that
demographically dominant group hardest hit by unemployment and marginalization. and
capable of enabling the larger economy through increased information efficiencies, while creating a
real voice and massive employment for the country.

6.1 Action Plan for a National Employment Council
It is recommended that a results-based Action Plan be adopted with targets in four stages
and a timeframe of six months for the establishment of a National Employment Council
for media, as follows:
o Pre-engagement meetings with employers by ZUJ, ZINEF, and the Ministry to
reach a consensus on setting up a NEC, within one month;
o Symposium of Media Employers, ZUJ and Ministry to set up a Media Employers
Association, and to draft and adopt a NEC constitution, within two months;
o Register the NEC and nominate representatives as per constitution, one month;
o Establish a NEC secretariat for a functioning NEC, two months.

6.2 Industry Code
There is a strong case for an industry code that could also ensure the mission and values
of individual companies are achieved. This would offer an opportunity for the industry
and its institutions to create a positive public identity that can lead to a more supportive
political and regulatory environment and increase confidence and trust among important
constituencies and stakeholders.

6.3 Employment code
The industry must establish an Employment Code of Conduct that incorporates agreed
employment standards to:
o Protect core rights of employees, and provide minimum standards that can be
varied through bargaining or individual negotiations within considered limits;
o Explain various types of contracts, taking account of diversity of the modern
labour market, and contracts to include an enforceable anti-corruption
commitment;
o Define hours of work to protect the health and safety of employees as well as
meeting social needs of families;
o Ensure job descriptions are available, linked to personal development plans and
salary structures with minimum/maximum pay scales;
o Establish recruitment policies, and a central database of media personnel, with
their skills, qualifications and experience; and
o Establish a mechanism for mediation.

6.4 Gender and other Discrimination
6.4.1 Measures should be taken at policy level to promote equal representation in the
management and decision-making structures of the media. Loans could be made available
through local and international institutions for women to purchase shareholding or set up
media businesses. Appropriate and effective measures must be provided for performing
artists.

6.4.2 Gender mainstreaming needs support from both sexes and throughout the country,
and the media houses should ensure appropriate editorial policies as well as
specialisation on reporting gender issues.

6.4.3 The government of Zimbabwe through journalists unions and workers councils must
establish positive programmes to oppose discrimination against women journalists,
people with disabilities, and people living with HIV and AIDS.

6.5 Digitisation
This sectoral transformation of the broadcasting industry can create jobs for many
professionals, TV specialists, newsreaders, editors, musicians, film directors,
photographers and costume designers. This report contains a section of eight
recommendations on employment for digitisation including upgrading and expansion of
services, workshops with media players, special training and re-training, skills analysis,
review of business models, and the linkage of digitisation to ZimAsset and the
governments indigenisation policy to offer opportunities for local businesses.


7 Information Sector, Arts and Culture

The IMPI inquiry concludes that the performing arts industry is a very bright light at
present, and especially the music industry. Popular music is now big business in
Zimbabwe providing livelihoods to large numbers of people; the vibrancy of the
performing arts in the country, and notably the growth and dynamism of the music
industry, can be recognized, supported and strengthened for national consumption and
export. However, this requires engagement with new technologies, proper infrastructure
for the safety of women performers, and appropriate measures and awareness for the
protection of intellectual property.

The Terms of Reference noted that The legal regime on information has many gaps and
inadequacies, creating a situation where information products from Zimbabwe are freely
exploited without any returns to the economy. The country is ill-equipped to enforce any
intellectual property rights, or develop viable business models and platforms from them.

7.1 Information Centres
Information centres should be revived and used as focal points for receiving and
disseminating information, including electronic access. Country clubs, community halls,
information centres, adequately equipped libraries, and cultural villages should be
rehabilitated or built in the communities, including internet access and access to online
publications. Rural information officers with relevant skills should be recruited to gather
and disseminate information for communities and supply content to public media.

7.2 Transport and Electricity
7.2.1 Road network to be improved to facilitate information distribution and support.
7.2.2 Rural schools must have working computers and power supply.

7.3 Mobile Network
Mobile network and internet access to cover the entire country, and Internet access should
be improved and affordable.

7.4 Film and Theatre
Existing institutions and film media should be used to disseminate information relevant
to rural communities. Theatre is a low cost platform that should be used in disseminating
relevant information to rural communities, as well as incorporating the use of new
technologies.

7.5 Intellectual Property
7.5.1 The Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Acts must be enforced to reduce piracy and
theft of intellectual property, and ensure deterrent penalties. The law needs review.


7.5.2 There is need for extensive training of IP creators, law enforcement agents and the
public to appreciate the importance of intellectual property. Special courts should be
created to deal with copyright/IP issues and deterrent penalties should be prescribed for
offenders. Copyright laws should be amended in line with technology advances, and
literature on copyright and IP issues should be readily available, including awareness
campaigns. Duplication mechanisms should be prevented. Industrial Tribunal should be
established to adjudicate on intellectual property/ copyright.

7.5.3 A meeting or workshop of all stakeholders is needed to plan the way forward.

7.6 Marketing and distribution
Sophisticated marketing and distribution techniques are needed to ensure the profitability
of the music industry, and ideas can be adapted from other countries in this regard.

7.7 Royalties
Disbursement of royalties to musicians by ZIMURA should be done half yearly. All
indigenous authors should receive not less than 15% royalty payment.

7.8 Artists Fund
An Artists Fund should be created to provide loans/grants/scholarships for artistes and
cultural workers and to refurbish performance venues. Corporates who fund this sector
should receive tax rebates.

7.9 National Art Gallery
The National Art Gallery should be empowered to legitimise all exports of visual arts and
crafts, and retain a levy of a percentage on export value. The National Gallery, the
National Arts Council and related organisations are encouraged to decentralise to
communities in order to promote broad-based rural participation.

8 Legal Framework

The commissioning of an Official Inquiry into the State of the Information and Media
Industry was timely as it came at a time when Zimbabwe had ushered in a new
Constitution and government was faced with the need for re-alignment of laws. The new
Constitution was celebrated by the media sector in Zimbabwe in view of the ample
recognition of fundamental rights relevant to the media, such as freedom of expression,
freedom of the media and access to information, etc. This was also a time when the
various courts in the country were inundated with cases related to media freedom and
aspects of freedom of expression.


The Terms of Reference noted that The orientation of laws affecting the information
sector has been one of control, and not one of viewing this sector anew as a growth pole in the
national economy. Legally, the information revolution has thrown up new issues to do with growth
promotion, regulation, standards and protection of society from negative, harmful material.
Media stakeholders were clamouring for urgent movement towards aligning
media laws to the new Constitution, and the parent ministry also made observations that
pointed to the need for reform of some media laws. Particularly notable were comments
made by the Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services on the need for
expunging the criminal defamation laws. It was therefore evident that there was need for
a review of the requisite reforms to the media laws and access to information regime, but
also varied perceptions on what the countrys media legislation should and should not
comprise of. This was a good opportunity to open the process for public and stakeholder
input on how the countrys media laws should be framed.
This inquiry reviewed the legal framework starting with the Constitution of
Zimbabwe Act No. 20 of 2013, particularly Chapter 4, Part 2, Section 61 on Freedom of
Expression and Freedom of the Media and Section 62 on Access to Information, as well as
Chapter 12, Part 5 on the Zimbabwe Media Commission Sections 249-251. The inquiry
also reviewed the status and impact of the current laws on fundamental media freedoms
and on access to information, with a view to producing a perspective informed by the
public and the relevant sectors, including:
This report has presented a summary of findings on access to information,
freedom of expression, media regulation, broadcasting, and protection of intellectual
property, as well as presenting the case for legal reform, including the legal arguments.
Some emerging issues are presented for broadcasting, licensing, freedom of expression,
application of the law, access to information, regulation of the media, and privacy,
freedom of expression and surveillance.
The main recommendation is the need for review of existing media laws in line
with the Constitution, including media regulation, and removal of all penal measures and
criminalisation. Another recommendation proposes co-regulation by the media and the
Zimbabwe Media Commission using an agreed code. Other recommendations address the
broadcasting sector, including convergence, digitisation, transmission, content,
governance, licensing, and community broadcasting. Recommendations on Access to
Information address AIPPA, the Official Secrets Act, Board of Censors, and privacy,
freedom of expression, and the Interception of Communications Act.

8.1.1 A separate media regulation law should be introduced to give effect to the right of
media freedom guaranteed in Section 61(2) of the Constitution, including protection of
journalists rights and sources of information, the functions and operations of the
Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC), as well as general regulatory issues.

8.1.2 Within the scope of the current legal framework, there is room for co-regulation of
the media. It is recommended that the proposed media regulation law should establish a
co-regulation mechanism that combines statutory and voluntary regulation using one
agreed code of ethics.

8.1.3 A legal Code of Ethics formulated by representatives of all relevant stakeholders,
should have a legal framework modelled along the lines of the Legal Practitioners Act.

8.1.4 The law should create a complaints system that is appointed and composed of
representatives of the media, which is a mandatory adjudicative panel of first instance.

8.1.5 Such a law should be devoid of penal measures and criminalisation of freedom of
expression or of the work of the press and instead contain provisions that promote the use
of non-criminal measures to deal with disputes and complaints against the media, such as
use of civil defamation at the courts. All provisions that for criminalisation of freedom of
expression or of statements made or published by the media should be repealed,
including section 31, 33, 95, 96 of the criminal code; and sections 64, 80 of AIPPA.

8.1.6 In the long term, ideally there should be constitutional and legislative shift to allow
self-regulation of the media, in line with regional and international standards.

8.2 Zimbabwe Media Commission
The ZMC would still, in terms of this law, exercise general oversight over the body
mentioned above, as well as take charge of the broader policy issues, in line with the
powers vested in it by Section 248 to 250 of the Constitution, and other roles such as
training, monitoring and capacity-building of the media, as well as initiatives to promote
a sustainable media and information industry, among other key roles. Any law should be
clear on the use of moneys received by ZMC, and involvement of the industry in deciding
how the media development fund is used.

8.3 Broadcasting
8.3.1 Advances in technology have resulted in convergence of the platforms for
communication, and there is need for a converged broadcasting and telecommunications
legal framework, which among other things should establish an independent, converged
regulatory body to govern these sectors. The sectors of Broadcasting, Media and ICT must
be governed by one piece of legislation and the regulatory authorities overseeing these
separate sectors (BAZ, POTRAZ) merged to form just one effective authority.

8.3.2 Provisions of the BSA and ZBC acts should be amended to ensure Board
appointment processes that are consistent with gender parity provided under the
Constitution, and are open and transparent. The ZBC Act needs amendment to insulate
the editorial independence of the ZBC as guaranteed under Section 61.

8.3.3 A law should be introduced to provide for wider and comprehensive media
development measures to promote and sustain local content production, the use and
mainstreaming of all national languages, capacity development within the sector, as well
as the sustainability of the media, including community broadcasters.

8.3.4 The BSA must be amended to specify intervals within which BAZ should publish
and process invitations to ensure the existence of all three categories of broadcasting at all
times, as provided for by the Act that is, public, commercial and community.

8.3.5 There should be no limitation on cross-ownership between a broadcasting licensee
and a signal carrier licensee, particularly in a digital broadcasting environment.

8.3.6 Local broadcasters should, in terms of the law, be able to access local content without
hindrance from foreigners who acquire exclusive rights to local content.

8.3.7 Transmedia should be obliged by law to replace and erect more transmitters to
extend access to national radio and television throughout the country. This is critical for
access to information by providing reception in areas that have no access.

8.4 Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act
8.4.1 AIPPA should be repealed and replaced with a law that specifically provides for
access to information with ample provision for protecting this right, including its
expansion to information held by non-public bodies as envisaged in Section 61 of the
Constitution, while media regulation issues are provided for under a separate law.

8.4.2 There is need for all stakeholders, especially government, to provide an enabling
environment for access information held by public bodies. The state should make every
effort to ensure easy, prompt, effective and practical access to such information, and enact
necessary procedures and legislation.

8.5 Official Secrets Act
Section 4 and 8 of the Official Secrets Act should be amended to ensure clarity in terms of
the offences as the Acts description of offences is wide and vague. The legislature should
clarify and limit its application to matters that are judicially justifiable. The penalty for
contravention of these sections should be reduced, and the scope of defences expanded to
include, among others, public interest, prior publication, and journalistic privilege.

Policy makers should consider repealing this law and replacing it with, for example, a
clearly defined Espionage Act, or a permissive Official Information Act, or a Public
Interest Disclosure Act.

8.6 Board of Censors
The powers vested in the Board of Censors in terms of the Censorship and Entertainment
Controls Act should be clearly defined, and powers to limit freedom of expression,
freedom of the media, and access to information should be reduced to match the
limitations in the Constitution of Zimbabwe (2013).

8.7 Privacy, Surveillance, Freedom of Expression
8.7.1 The national legal framework, especially the Interception of Communications Act,
must be updated to take into account technological developments in the media and
information sector and to provide better protection and balance of citizens right to
privacy and protection of state security and other aims of such a law. In particular, the act
should be amended to ensure that government only has access to technical data rather
than the contents of communication, subject to judicial authorisation. The ICA should also
be amended to require reasonable suspicion to be demonstrated before communications
are intercepted, in line with practice worldwide.

8.7.2 Cyber-security laws should be formulated after wide consultation to ensure that
digital technologies that facilitate social platforms are leveraged for social good, and to
consider vulnerabilities at national and international levels.

8.7.3 There is need for legislation to be enacted which outlines the collection, use and
storage of data obtained through surveillance and other legal means, and which is in line
with the countrys obligations under international law.

8.8 Outdoor Media
ADMA should be strengthened and outdoor companies compelled to adhere to
acceptable industry practices or face stiff penalties. Local authorities should be members
of ADMA. Structures must comply with city bylaws and enhance aesthetics of cities, and
outdoor companies should have to maintain the verges and road islands.

9 Convergence and New Media

The Terms of Reference for this inquiry stated bluntly that Technologically, Zimbabwe is an
information dinosaur. There has been very little capitalsation and technological upgrade in what
subsists as the information industry in Zimbabwe today.
The digitisation revolution in the broadcast subsector is well behind schedule. Even when
it catches up willy-nilly, thanks to the global digital migration deadline of 2015, Zimbabwe will
discover it lacks sufficient investments in the creative industries which should have been a
concomitant of the digitisation investment programme.

Consequently, Zimbabwe may be fated to evolve as an information consumer market, and
not as an information producer market.
This perspective informed the work of the inquiry which reviewed the
convergence of technologies for information delivery, primarily the digital or electronic
convergence and how it is impacting on the information sector in Zimbabwe. The
technological trends were analysed and some key issues identified that are fundamental
to transforming the industry into a formidable force in the media and information sector.
The benefits and drawback of digital convergence are addressed, and suggestions
presented to overcome the challenges, including policy direction to shape Zimbabwes
media and information landscape into the future. This review of technology convergence
graphically illustrates the rapid development of the information technology sector
through a number of stages until the current situation in which the main tool for
information sharing is a tiny mobile phone/platform.
The inquiry concludes that the rate at which the technology has evolved can be a
positive thing for any developing country, as it can skip several stages of old technology
infrastructure development, but this technology revolution can equally be disastrous for
the developing world if not systematically harnessed in a structured way or in an
environment where the regulations are not responding to the needs of the consumer an
undesirable state of affairs for any developing country. After reviewing the emerging
patterns of information consumption in Zimbabwe, including social media, this report
concludes that Zimbabwe is fertile ground for digital convergence,
The effect of what is happening with media convergence is more than just an
ordinary shift in technology. It fundamentally alters the rules of the game and thereby
redefining relationships between industries, the technologies involved, audiences,
ownership structures and markets. Due to the way that content is being consumed on
multiple devices by viewers the world over, this calls for meaningful strategic
partnerships, mergers and acquisitions. Alliances across industries in Zimbabwe have
become more viable as a result of this development and hence the need for further
business exploration in the digital media business.
The conclusions presented in this chapter require that media organisations in
Zimbabwe rethink existing assumptions about the way in which information is being
consumed by the end-user customer, as these affect marketing and programming
decisions at a content level and strategic investment direction at a business level.
A national study of how audience are adopting digital as a platform to consume
media is urgent and critical.
Unified legislation is needed, multi-service licenses should be introduced for
broadcasters, and content producers must prepare their work for multiple outlets,
including internet and mobile. The booming smartphone industry in Zimbabwe must be

supported with the promotion of social media applications, smart ownership structures
adopted and facilitated, triple-play services introduced, and over time, free Wi-Fi
introduced to promote access to information and government e-services.
The main recommendation is that Zimbabwe must introduce a multi-media school
and equip journalists with multiple skills for deeper appreciation of technology
convergence and use of multiple devices, and must introduce the use of electronic gadgets
through e-learning at primary schools and in rural areas.

9.1 New Technology
The media and the information sector have to keep pace with new technology. Internet
and social media have an advantage over traditional newsprint and broadcasting as
information can be spread to a larger audience faster and cheaper. Users can access
information at a time of their choosing using a new media platform on a device that is
easily accessible, that they own. A detailed study with well-informed analysis should be
produced across the media spectrum to indicate the impact of new media on the media
sector in Zimbabwe, and the way forward.

9.2 Media Training
Media training and training capacity must respond to the needs of new technology and
new media platforms, and prepare existing and new practitioners for the expansion of
electronic media, especially through digitization in 2015. Journalism training must keep
up with emerging trends, especially in internet-based digital/new media, while adopting
a multi-media approach to delivering stories.

9.3 Mobile Network Coverage
Mobile network coverage must be strengthened as more people now access information
through their mobile phones.Free Wi-Fi must be introduced in Zimbabwe through the
creation of Public Hot Spots, in order to promote access to information and to government
e-services.

9.4 Digital Content
Content producers must provide digital content that is prepped and formatted for
multiple outlets including Internet and mobile.

9.5 Value for Money
Telecommunication companies must offer value for money services, such as triple-play
services to create appetite for broadband usage.

_________________


APPENDIX TO THE REPORT OF THE
INFORMATION AND MEDIA PANEL OF INQUIRY
__________________________________________
Appendix 1
PROFILES OF IMPI PANELLISTS
Twenty-eight panellists were appointed to sit on the Board of IMPI. Two panellists resigned due to
pressure of commitments elsewhere. Profiles of the remaining 26 panellists, including the
management team, are presented as follows, starting with the Chairperson and Deputy, and
thereafter in alphabetical order.
GEOFFREY NYAROTA. Chairperson of the Information and Media Panel of Inquiry

(IMPI). He also served as a member of the IMPI Thematic Committee on Media
Training, Training Capacity and Ethics. Nyarota is an award-winning investigative
journalist, newspaper editor, and media entrepreneur with a long career in the media
industry. He is the CEO of Buffalo Media, which publishes a motoring journal, and a
news and lifestyle publication is in planning. He has served as the editor of four different
newspapers in Zimbabwe: The Manica Post (1982-1983), The Chronicle (1983-1989), The
Financial Gazette (19901991) and The Daily News, of which he was the founding editor-in-
chief in 1999 and remained until 2003. He was the editor of Africa Information Afrique
(AIA), a regional news agency funded from Germany (1992-1993). In 1994, Nyarota was
appointed project manager with the Nordic-SADC Journalism Centre, a regional
journalism training institution that was based in Maputo, Mozambique. He travelled
throughout southern Africa for three years while training journalists in the region, in
advanced writing skills, media law, ethics of journalism, investigative journalism and
sub-editing.

He holds a BA General degree (with Honours) from the then University of Rhodesia
(1974) and trained as a cadet journalist at the Rhodesian Printing and Publishing
Company in 1978, before joining the companys flagship newspaper, The Herald. He later
trained as a sub-editor on a course organised in Harare by the Thompson Foundation of
Cardiff, Wales. He has launched six newspapers in Zimbabwe: The Chitungwiza
Express,The Eastern Star (Mutare), The Dispatch (Bulawayo), The Mercury (Gweru), The
Tribune (Masvingo) and, finally, The Daily News.

Nyarota was a Distinguished Visiting Journalist at the University of Western Ontario in
Canada in 1989, and was later selected as a Fellow of the Nieman Foundation for
Journalism at Harvard University (2003-2004). In 2005 he was a fellow of the Joan
Shorenstein Centre for the Press, Politics and Public Policy, as well as a research fellow
with the Carr Centre for Human Rights Policy, both at Harvard, prior to accepting an

invitation as Guest Professor in the Department of Media and Communication at the
University of Oslo in Norway. He was appointed a Visiting Professor of Political Studies
and Human Rights at Bard College in upstate New York in the US in 2006. From 2006 to
2010, he published an online daily newspaper thezimbabwetimes.com.

Nyarota was a founding member of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), the
regional media advocacy organisation established in Windhoek, Namibia, in 1992. He was
a member of the committee that drafted the Windhoek Declaration, which became the
centrepiece of International Press Freedom Day celebrated annually since then, on May 3.
He was a founding member of MISA-Zimbabwe of which he later became chairman, and
he was founding chairman of the Zimbabwe National Editors Forum (ZINEF) in 2002. He
has attended the World Association of Newspapers and World Editors Forum congresses
in Cape Town, Belgium and Barbados.

He has won nine international media awards, including the Percy Qoboza Foreign
Journalist Award (twice) from the National Association of Black Journalists in the US.
Other awards include the International Press Freedom Award and the Knight
International Press Fellowship Award, both in the US, and the Freedom of the Press
Award in the UK, the Golden Pen of Freedom from the World Association of
Newspapers, and The Guillermo Cano Press Freedom Award from UNESCO, both in
2002.

Directorships include the Nordic-SADC Journalism Centre in Maputo (1992-1994),
Landmark Publishing in Harare (1997-1998), Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe (1998-
2002), Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at Oxford University in UK (2007-
2011), and is a director of the World Press Freedom Committee, Washington DC since
2002, the Centre for International Media Ethics since 2010, and Buffalo Communication
(Pvt) Ltd since 2011. His publications include Against the Grain: Memoirs of a Zimbabwean
Newsman, published in Cape Town, South Africa in 2006.
~~~
THEMBELIHLE KHUMALO. Deputy Chairperson of the Information and Media Panel of

Inquiry (IMPI). She also served as a member of the IMPI Thematic Committee on
Gender, Advocacy and Marginalised Groups. Thembelihle Khumalo (41) started her
career in the media working at ZBC as a presenter. She later moved to Joy TV where she
was involved in production of television programmes. She worked in the local
advertising industry for Young & Rubicam, Saatchi & Saatchi and FCB before becoming a
director and shareholder in Hash Three (Pvt) Ltd which became affiliated to DDB
Worldwide. After working as a consultant for a number of years she joined Alpha Media
Holdings in 2010 as group brand strategist and was later promoted to General Manager of
its distribution division, Munn Marketing. Thembe holds an LCCI diploma Marketing,
Advertising and PR, a BA in Media Studies from the Zimbabwe Open University and has
graduated from the Wits Business School fast track leadership development programme.

Now serving as the Executive Director of Island Hospice, she continues to be an investor
in media concerns in Malawi and Zambia; and a contributor to a selection of print and
online publications. She is a member of the board of First Mutual Holdings.
~~~

PETER BANGA served as a member of the IMPI Thematic Committee on Information
Platforms and Content of Media Products. Banga (50), a former radio producer and
presenter with the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC), is now Head of Division
with the Harare Polytechnic School of Journalism and Media Studies. He graduated from
the University of Zimbabwe with a BSc degree in Politics and Administrations in 1986,
and was awarded an MSc degree in International Relations from the same University in
1988. He obtained a Diploma in Journalism in Berlin, Germany and another Diploma in
Journalism from the Institute for Advancement of Journalism, in Johannesburg, South
Africa. Banga is a Broadcast Mentor for the Humanitarian Information and Facilitation
Centre (HIFC). He is a member of the Zimbabwe Association for the Physically
Challenged (ZAPC),board member of the Tracey Nyakupinda Albino Foundation as well
as a board member of the Zimbabwe Persons with Learning Disabilities Trust. He
adjudicates annually for the Genderlinks SADC Gender Protocol Summit and Awards
from 2013. He is a Member of the Journalism and Media Trainers Association of
Zimbabwe.
~~~

JACQUELINE CHIKAKANO served as Committee Chairperson for the IMPI Thematic
Committee on Media Law Reform and Access to Information. Chikakano (32) is a legal
practitioner who graduated with an LLB (Hons) degree from the University of Zimbabwe
in 2005. She also holds a certificate qualification in Broadcasting policy and Regulatory
Trends acquired from the University of Witwatersrand. Between 2005 and 2007, she
worked as a Magistrate and later as a Legal Officer for the Zimbabwe Women Lawyers
Association. She has also worked as a Coordinator of the African Platform on Access to
Information, [APAI]. In 2009, she joined the MISA-Zimbabwe Chapter as a Programme
Officer (Legal), a position she still holds.
~~~

CONSTANTINE CHIMAKURE served as a member of the IMPI Thematic Committee on
Polarisation, Perception and Interference. Chimakure (40) is the editor of the recently
launched daily newspaper, The Zimbabwe Mail. He is a former editor of the Zimbabwe
Independent (2010-2012) and NewsDay (2012-2013), both published by Alpha Media
Holdings (AMH). He joined the Zimbabwe Independent as News Editor in 2007 and was
promoted to Editor in 2010. Previously, he worked as a reporter on The Masvingo Mirror,
The Sandawana News in Zvishavane, Kwayedza, The Sunday Mirror, and The Business
Tribune. He has a BA degree in Journalism and a Diploma in Mass Communication. He
also holds a diploma in strategic leadership. He has certificates in media management and
in personnel management.
~~~

CRIS CHINAKA served as a member of the IMPI Thematic Committee on Media Training,
Training Capacity and Ethics. Chinaka (54) is the Harare Bureau Chief of Reuters
International News Agency, since 1995. Previously he had covered southern Africa for
Reuters, was senior reporter for the Zimbabwe Inter-Africa News Agency (ZIANA), and a
publications officer with the Ministry of Informations Zimbabwe Information Service
(ZIS). Chinaka started his journalism career at Mambo Press in Gweru, where he was a
junior reporter for the weekly newspaper, Moto, which later became a monthly magazine.
He earned a Post-Graduate Diploma in Journalism at the Indian Institute of Mass
Communication, New Delhi, in 1983.

Chinaka produced a landmark research study on training titled, Zimbabwe Media -
Study on Training and Capacity Building Needs, which was sponsored by Deutsche
Welle Akademie of Germany in 2011. He is vice chairperson of the Voluntary Media
Council of Zimbabwe (VMCZ), Trustee of the MISA Zimbabwe Chapter, chairperson of
the Board of Trustees of the Zimbabwe Media Centre, and the founding lead trustee and
chairman of the management board of The Source, an independent Zimbabwe financial
and business news agency. Chinaka is a journalism trainer and mentor with a number of
organisations, including Thomson Reuters Foundation, a media relations management
training expert and has participated in media curricula review programmes in the region.
~~~

JACOB CHISESE served as a member of the IMPI Thematic Committee on Media as
Business including New Media. Chisese (56) graduated with a BA Hons Degree in
Business Studies from London University. His work experience started at the University
of Zimbabwe where he was appointed Assistant Registrar (Non-Academic Staff) in 1983.
He joined Zimbabwe Newspapers (1980) (Pvt) Ltd as assistant manager of Harare Branch
in 1990. He became general manager of the companys Typocrafters and Natprint
subsidiaries in quick succession. In 1998 he returned to head office as general manager of
Zimbabwe Newspapers. He left the company in 2003 to join Modus Publications,
publishers of The Financial Gazette, where he was appointed Chief Executive Officer, a
position which he holds to date.
~~~
CHRISTOPHER CHIVHINGE served as Committee Chairperson for the IMPI Thematic

Committee on Gender, Advocacy and Marginalised Groups. Chivinge (45) trained as a
cadet journalist at The Herald in the early 1990s. Most of his practical working experience
over the years has been at the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC), where he has
functioned in various capacities, ranging from Manager ICT, and Online Editor, to Editor-
in-Chief of Newsnet (Pvt) Ltd, and his current position as ZBCs Head of Radio Services.
He was seconded to the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) in 2009 for a period
as an expert to help to improve the quality of their programming. He is a keen sportsman
who has been involved in the Zimbabwe Volleyball Association, among others.
~~~


PIKIRAYI DEKETEKE served as a member of the IMPI Thematic Committee on Media as
Business including New Media. Deketeke (48) is the Group Chief Operating Officer for
Zimbabwe Newspapers (1980) (Pvt) Ltd. He was appointed to head the editorial
operations of this listed company, whose business incorporates 10 newspapers, including
Zimbabwes largest dailies and weeklies, and two magazine titles, commercial printing,
digital media and a radio station. Deketeke graduated with a Diploma in Journalism from
the Harare Polytechnic College. He has served as chairperson of the SADC Media Awards
Committee (National Adjudication) as well as a member of the SADC Media Awards
Committee (Regional Adjudication). He is a member of the World Editors Forum and in
that capacity has participated in World Association of Newspapers congresses in India,
South Korea, Sweden, Portugal, Russia and Greece. He served as the chairperson of the
Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe from 2003 to 2006.
~~~

JUSTICE DOUGLAS DHLIWAYO served as a member of the IMPI Thematic Committee on
Media Training, Training Capacity and Ethics. He is a journalist and an electronic media
trainer who received his training in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, advanced training in television
production in West Germany, and advanced training in radio and television news and
current affairs in Egypt. He launched his career in journalism in Maputo, Mozambique,
where he was one of the producers of The Zimbabwe News. In 1980, he joined the
Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) as a radio and television news reporter and
rose to become head of Television News in 1997.

From year 2000 to 2003, Dhliwayo was Director of ZBC Productions with responsibilities
that included radio and television content generation, commissioning of independently
produced programmes, and directing the production of Outside Broadcast events. For
two years, he worked at the Production Services of the then Department of Information
and Publicity in the Office of the President and Cabinet, where he produced radio and
television programmes, and coordinated galas and other national events. Dhliwayo is
director of Medianet Productions, his multimedia production house that specialises in
events management, media consultancy, and audio-visual productions including
corporate videos, films and dramas. He is also a farmer.
~~~

FOSTER DONGOZI served as Committee Chairperson for the IMPI Thematic Committee
on Employment Opportunities and Conditions of Service. He is secretary-general of the
Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) after 18 years in active journalism spent on The
Chronicle, The Daily News, and The Standard. He graduated from the Harare Polytechnic
College with a National Diploma in Mass Communication and Journalism. He later
obtained a Certificate in Mass Communication in Cairo, Egypt and a Certificate in
Environmental Reporting in Berlin, Germany, as well as a diploma in International
Journalism from the Thompson Foundation in Cardiff, Wales. Dongozi is the immediate
past vice-president of the Federation of African Journalists and former president of the
Southern African Journalists Association (SAJA). He is an executive committee member of

the International Federation of Journalists. Dongozi is a member of the Zimbabwe
Congress of Trade Unions, ZCTU, top decision making body, the General Council.
~~~

STANLEY GAMA served as a member of the IMPI Thematic Committee on Polarisation,
Perception and Interference. Gama (41) holds a Diploma in Mass Communications from
the Harare Polytechnic and a Degree in Political Science from the University of
Zimbabwe. He is currently in the final year of a Masters in International Relations,
University of Zimbabwe. He worked for The Sunday Mail as a reporter and Sports Editor
before joining Daily News on Sunday. After the closure of this paper in 2003 he wrote for
The Sunday Times of South Africa and the Independent Newspapers group of South Africa
which publishes at least 15 newspapers where his articles appeared
~~~

VINCENT TAFADZWA KAHIYA served as Committee Chairperson for the IMPI Thematic
Committee on Polarisation, Perception and Interference. Kahiya (43) is the Editor-in-
Chief at Alpha Media Holdings; publishers of NewsDay, The Zimbabwe Independent, The
Standard and Southern Eye. He holds qualifications in Journalism and Communications,
Public Relations, Media Training and Public Information Management from local and
international institutions. Starting off his journalism career as a sports reporter on the
short-lived Daily Gazette in 1993, Kahiya joined the Zimbabwe Independent in 1997 as a
reporter and was promoted to News Editor in 2000 and then Editor in 2004. He was
elevated to Editor-in-Chief in 2010 when he put together the team that launched NewsDay
in June of that year. He has trained journalists locally and on the African continent and
has presented papers at major international conferences including the World Editors
Forum and the Africa Media Leaders Forum. He leads a team of 80 media practitioners at
AMH.
~~~

TSITSI MABUKUCHA served as a member of the IMPI Thematic Committee on
Employment Opportunities and Conditions of Service. Mabukucha (49) has done
extensive work in drafting and implementing of human resources policies and procedures
that cover industrial relations, training and personnel administration. She
manages Appstart Investments (Pvt) Ltd, a family enterprise that operates three
restaurants Veros Kitchen in Borrowdale Brooke, Country Club in Highlands, and
Veros in Norton. She was previously in charge of human resources for several corporate
organisations in Harare, including Old Mutual, Scotfin, Turnall Fibre, First Banking, and
Post and Telecommunications Corporation (now TelOne). She handled all personnel
issues, including recruitment, training and staff development, as well as employee
welfare and relations. She was a board member of Civil Aviation for three years.
~~~


SUSAN MAKORE served as Committee Chairperson for the IMPI Thematic Committee on
Media Training, Training Capacity and Ethics. Makore (44) is the Group Chief Executive
Officer of AB Communications, the multimedia company that owns ZiFM Stereo and
Mighty Movies. Previously she was managing director of Mighty Movies, a production
house that produces corporate videos and documentaries, news and current affairs
programmes. In 2007-2008 she was a Media and Communication Studies lecturer at the
University of Zimbabwe and before that, she was Head of Zimbabwe Television (Pvt) Ltd,
a subsidiary of then Zimbabwe Broadcasting Holdings. Makore graduated with a
Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Zimbabwe, and then studied for a Post-
Graduate Diploma in Media and Communication Studies (1993) at the same university.
She read for a Master of Arts Degree in Media Studies and Cultural Studies which was
awarded in 1995. She is a board member of the Zimbabwe Aids Prevention and Support
Organisation (ZAPSO) and the Women's University in Africa.
~~~
GIFT MAMBIPIRI served as a member of the IMPI Thematic Committee on Polarisation,
Perception and Interference. Mabipiri ( 32) holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) degree in
English and Communication from Midlands State University (MSU) and a Master of
Science in Development Studies from the National University of Science and Technology
((NUST). Since January 2013 he has been the executive director of Jesuit Communications
Zimbabwe. He is responsible for developing media strategy for the Catholic media in the
country. He is a board member of Community Radio Harare since 2010 and chairperson
of the board of the Zimbabwe Association of Community Radio Stations (ZACRAS) from
2011. He was previously the coordinator of the National Movement of Catholic Students.
~~~
BRIAN MANGWENDE served as a member of the IMPI Thematic Committee on Media
Law Reform and Access to Information. Mangwende (46) holds a Bachelor of Arts
Honours degree in International Journalism obtained from the Russian Peoples
Friendship University in Moscow (1997). His practical work experience in Zimbabwe has
covered both broadcast and print journalism. Mangwende was the Planning Editor for
NewsDay until 2013. He is chairperson of the Zimbabwe National Editors Forum, board
member of the Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe, a member of the African Editors
Forum (TAEF), associate member of the Southern African National Editors Forum
(SANEF), associate member of the South African Editors Forum (SAEF) and a member of
the Media Alliance of Zimbabwe.

From 1997-1999 he worked for The Sunday Mail as an intern before joining ZBC Radio 3 as
a newsreader from 1999-2000. Mangwende then joined The Daily News as a junior reporter
and rose through the ranks to become senior reporter and the Mutare bureau chief. He
was appointed chief reporter on The Financial Gazetteand then assistant editor of The Daily
Mirror. He became news editor of The Financial Gazette in 2010, and then served as
assistant editor for NewsDay before being promoted to deputy editor in 2012 and finally
editor the same year.


Mangwende served as a board member for the MISA Zimbabwe Chapter and chairperson
of the Manicaland branch of MISA Zimbabwe. He was second runner-up for Court
Reporter of the Year in 2003, in the National Journalist Media Awards. He attended the
Institute for the Advancement of Journalism (Zimbabwe Election Coverage Training) in
2005; Investigative Journalism USA in 2006; IMS Safety Training and Conflict Conscious
Reporting Workshop 2009; an Investigative Journalism course in China in 2009; and an
Investigative Journalism course in Germany in 2010. He has also served as Zimbabwe
Union of Journalists secretary-general.
~~~
NYARADZO PRISCILLA MUNANGATI MANONGWA served as a member of the IMPI Thematic
Committee on Media Law Reform and Access to Information. Munangati (46) is a senior
partner with Munangati and Associates Legal Practitioners since 1998. She graduated
with LLBs (Hons) degree from the University of Zimbabwe in 1991 and a Master of Laws
Degree (LLM) from the University of Cape Town in 1996. She is a Legal Advisor for
several companies, providing legal advice on commercial law, international law practices
and general law. She sits on the board of the Zimbabwe Insurance Brokers Limited, and
the Womens Trust. She has been appointed to several government commissions or
committees, including the Media Ethics Committee, Investigation on Health Services
Providers and Medical Aid Societies, and was a consultant for the Zimbabwe
Constitution-making process.
~~~

FUNGISAI ZVAKAVAPANO MASHAVAVE served as a member of the IMPI Thematic
Committee on Gender, Advocacy and Marginalised Groups. Mashavave (33) is a well-
known gospel musician who has recorded a total of 10 music albums. She has performed
at corporate and NGO functions, and has been involved in various campaigns, including
the Global Action Against Poverty Campaign, of which she is an ambassador. She is also
brand ambassador for the National Blood Services of Zimbabwe. In 2012, she set up the
Vulnerable Womens Development Trust, which assists disadvantaged women and
children through capacity-building initiatives. Mashavave graduated from the Womens
University in Africa with a BSc degree in Sociology. She holds an LCCI diploma in
Marketing, and was as a marketing manager with TN Financial Holdings. She is also a
fashion designer with The House of Nasya and a tourism ambassador for the Matendera
National Monument in Zimbabwe. Mashavave has a RATN certificate in HIV and AIDS
Family counselling. She has been a board member of the National Aids Council of
Zimbabwe (NACZ) for six years.
~~~
DR NHAMO ANTHONY MHIRIPIRI served as Committee Chairperson for the IMPI Thematic
Committee on Information Platforms and Content of Media Products. Dr Mhiripiri (46)
is a senior lecturer in the Media and Society Studies Department, Faculty of Social
Sciences, at the Midlands State University in Gweru. He graduated with a BA General
degree from the University of Zimbabwe in 1991. He was awarded a Post-Graduate
Diploma in Media and Communication (1993) and an MA in Media and Communication
Studies in 1999, both from the University of Zimbabwe. Mhiripiri did his student

internship with ZIANA in 1999, a time when he wrote many journalistic articles that
featured in mainstream media. In the 1990s Dr Mhiripiri briefly taught at Zamanyoni
Secondary School in Matebeleland South, Kwayedza in Highfield, Harare, and Seke 3
High School in Chitungwiza, before he spent five years working as a Researcher-Writer in
the ZANU PF Information and Publicity Department then under the late Dr Nathan
Shamuyarira. As Researcher-Writer he originated important party literature including
popular biographies and obituaries of prominent national leaders such as Herbert
Ushewokunze, George Nyandoro and the late Vice President Joshua Nkomo.

Dr Mhiripiri read for his DPhil at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) and
graduated in 2009. In 2009-2010 he was a Post-Doctoral Fellow in Cultural and Media
Studies, also at UKZN. In 2010 he was appointed senior lecturer at the Centre for
Communication and Media Studies at UKZN. He is a Visiting Senior Lecturer at St
Augustines University of Tanzania (SAUT). Dr. Mhiripiri is a prolific writer with
numerous published works. His most recent publication is a book co-edited with Tendai
Chari entitled African Football, Identity Politics and Global Media Narratives: The Legacy of the
2010 Soccer World Cup (2014). He is also a board member in the revived Dambudzo
Marechera Trust. "In 2000 he was a founding Acting Dean of the then Faculty of Arts and
Social Sciences." While serving with IMPI, Dr Mhiripiri was promoted to the position of
Associate Professor.
~~~
CONT MHLANGA served as a member of the IMPI Thematic Committee on Information
Platforms and Content of Media Products. He founded the well-known and widely
respected Amakhosi Theatre just after independence in 1980 in the backyard of his home
in Nguboyenja suburb of Bulawayo. In 1983 he launched the Amakhosi Performing Arts
Workshop, now renamed Amakhosi Arts Academy. The academy trains young people in
theatre, music, and dance, as well as in television and film production, and arts
management. In 1995, he established the Amakhosi Cultural Centre that now houses all
the Amakhosi arts, culture and heritage activities. He has won several local and
international awards.
~~~
DUMISANI MULEYA served as a member of the IMPI Thematic Committee on
Information Platforms and Content of Media Products. Muleya (39) is editor of the
Zimbabwe Independent, a post he has held for two years after rising through the ranks of
the paper. While working for the newspaper since 1997, Muleya has also been a
correspondent for other leading newspapers, including Business Day and its sister paper,
The Financial Times of London, The Financial Mail, The Mail & Guardian, Sunday Times, and
the Sunday Independent, all published in South Africa. He has also done work for SABC
and e-TV (South Africa). Muleya has written for the New Statesman, a British political and
cultural magazine published weekly in London, and has featured on international
television networks and radio stations, including BBC and CNN, mainly dealing with
issues on democracy, human rights, rule of law and press freedom.

Muleya was part of the US State Departments Edward R. Murrow Programme for
Journalists, which takes more than 100 emerging leaders in media from around the world
to the United States each year to examine journalistic practices in that country, an
international exchange process through a public-private partnership of the State
Departments Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and several top US Schools of
Journalism. A graduate of the Harare Polytechnic College, Muleya received further
training at Rhodes University and the Institute for the Advancement of Journalism (both
in South Africa), and the University of Kentucky, USA. Muleya has won several local and
international journalism awards, including the Speaker Abbot Award (UK) in 2005 and
CNN African Journalist of the Year (Free Press Award) in 2006.
~~~
RANGU NYAMURUNDIRA served as a member of the IMPI Thematic Committee on
Employment Opportunities and Conditions of Service. Nyamurundira (34) is the acting
Corporate and Legal Secretary at the National Indigenisation and Economic
Empowerment Board (NIEEB). He has worked as a Public Interest Litigation Manager at
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, before which he was a legal practitioner at the law
firm of Coghlan, Welsh & Guest. He graduated with a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) degree
from the University of Zimbabwe and an LLM International Human Rights Law, Cum
Laude, from the University of Notre Dame Law School, in Notre Dame, Indiana, USA.
~~~
SHARON SAMUSHONGA served as Committee Chairperson for the IMPI Thematic
Committee on Media as Business including New Media. She is the Group Chief
Operating Officer of Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe (Pvt) Ltd, publishers of The
Daily News, The Daily News on Sunday, and The Weekend Post. Previously she worked as
Customer Services Manager for BOC Gases, and for Longmans Zimbabwe as Marketing
and Sales Promotion Manager. She also worked for Barclays Bank of Zimbabwe as a
Public Relations Executive. She graduated from the Institute of Marketing Management,
South Africa with a Diploma in Marketing Management; she holds a Bachelor of
Technology in Marketing from the University of South Africa, and a Masters in Business
Leadership degree from the same University.
~~~
PLAXEDES WENYIKA served as a member of the IMPI Thematic Committee on Gender,
Advocacy and Marginalised Groups. Wenyika (33) is a musician with five recorded
music albums in a career spanning 12 years. She has been twice nominated by the
Zimbabwe Music Awards for the Best Female Musician in 2003 and 2004. She has acted in
two short films. The first was Sharing Day, which was scripted by Tsitsi Dangarembgwa
and sponsored by UNICEF. Wenyika was nominated in 2009 for the National Merit
Award for outstanding actress for her role in this film. In 2009 she acted in Big House,
Small House, a short film about HIV that was shown in 12 southern African countries. In
2003 she worked with the Ministries of Tourism and Information as part of a group called
Ruvhuvhuto Sisters on a song called Come to Victoria Falls in a bid to attract tourists to the
world-famous tourist resort. The holder of a Masters degree in Business Administration
and a BSc Hons degree in Economics, Wenyika has worked as a marketing manager at
Cobra Security and as a part-time radio presenter at ZiFM Stereo.

~~~
BESTER ZAMBUKO served as a member of the IMPI Thematic Committee on Media as
Business including New Media. He is the founder and Group CEO of Adrenalin
Advertising & Design Consultants, a leading and multi-award winning advertising
agency that he founded 16 years ago. Most of his career has been devoted to building this
business, which now boasts a staff of 43, the largest in the industry. Zambuko graduated
from the Harare Polytechnic Art School in 1996 with a National Diploma in Design for
Print. He joined Concepts Advertising the same year as a Graphic Designer, and left after
two years to set up Adrenalin Advertising. Zambuko was awarded the Zimbabwe
National Chamber of Commerce Entrepreneur of the Year 1st Runner-Up prize in 2014.

He is studying for an Executive MBA with the Berlin School of Creative Leadership in
partnership with the Steinbeis University, and has participated in four weeks of
synchronized learning and industry experience in Berlin, giving practical industry
experience in major markets such as Asia (Tokyo and Hong Kong) and USA (Silicon
Valley). He is also the founding chairperson of three subsidiaries of the Adrenalin Group:
Hexagon Sports Management, which publishes Gemazo Soccer and Gemazo Blitz;
Mindspace Communications; and Openedge Media. He is married to Kareen, a co-
founder in Adrenalin, and has won many professional awards since 2004, through
Adrenalin NGOMA Advertising Awards. ____________________


Appendix 2
ACRONYMS/ABBREVIATIONS

ACDEG African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Good Governance
ACHPR African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights
ADMA Advertising Media Association
AIDS Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
AIPPA Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act
AMH Alpha Media Holdings
ANZ Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe
BAZ Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe
BBC British Broadcasting Corporation
BES Business Environment Group
BSA Broadcasting Services Act
CCOSA Christian College of Southern Africa
CECA Censorship and Entertainment Control Act
CLCRA Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act
CPM Convention on the Protection of Migrants
CRC Convention in the Rights of the Child
CSO Civil Society Organisations
DSTV Digital Satellite Television
DTV Deaf TV
EJAT Excellence in Journalism Awards
FAMWZ Federation of African Media Women in Zimbabwe
FES Friedrich Ebert Stiftung
FOI Freedom of Information Bill
GDP Gross National Product
GMPS Gender and Media Progress Study
GZU Great Zimbabwe University
HIFIC Humanitarian Information Facilitation Centre
HIV Human Immunodeficiency Virus
HIVOS Dutch International Development Organisation
ICA Interception of Communications Act
ICCPR International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
ICT Information Communication Technology
IMPI Information and Media Panel of Inquiry
IP Intellectual Property
ISP Internet Service Provider
ITU International Telecommunications Union
JAMTAZ Journalism and Media Trainers Association of Zimbabwe
LTE Long Term Evolution

MAZ Media Alliance of Zimbabwe
MCK Media Council of Kenya
MCT Media Council of Tanzania
MISA Media Institute of Southern Africa
MMPZ Media Monitoring Project Zimbabwe
MOU Memorandum of Understanding
MSU Midlands State University
NAFIB National Film Board
NASCOH National Association of Societies for the Care of the Handicapped
NEC National Employment Council
NGO Non-Governmental Organisation
NIEEB National Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Board
NMG Nation Media Group (Kenya)
NUST National University of Science and Technology
NWICO New World Information and Communication Order
OSA Official Secrets Act
PAYE Pay As You Earn
POSA Public Order and Security Act
POTRAZ Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe
PTC Post and Telecommunications Corporation
RF Rhodesian Front
SAAN Southern African Associated Newspapers
SABC Southern African Broadcasting Corporation
SADC Southern African Development Community
SARDC Southern African Research and Documentation Centre
SDEQA Standard Development and Quality Assurance
SDERU Standards Development and Research Unit
SFN Single Frequency Network
SNG Satellite News Gathering
SOPs Standard Operation Procedures
SWRA Short Wave Radio Africa
TBC Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation
TEVETA Technical Education and Entrepreneurship Training Authority
UDHR Universal Declaration of Human Rights
UKAid United Kingdom Agency for International Development
UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation
UNICEF United Nations Childrens Fund
USAID United States Agency for International Development
VMCZ Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe
VoD Video on Demand
VOP Voice of the People
WSIS World Summit on an Information Society

ZAAPA Zimbabwe Associated of Accredited Practitioners in Advertising
ZACRAS Zimbabwe Association of Community Radios
ZAMCO Zambia Institute of Mass Communication
ZBC Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation
ZBPA Zimbabwe Book Publishers Association
ZCTU Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions
ZDHS Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey
ZIFTESSA Zimbabwe Film and Television School of Southern Africa
ZimAsset Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation
ZIMCHE Zimbabwe Council of Higher Education
Zimdef Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund
ZIMPA Zimbabwe Magazine Publishers Association
ZIMRA Zimbabwe Revenue Authority
ZIMSEC Zimbabwe School Examinations Council
ZIMSTAT Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency
ZIMURA Zimbabwe Music Rights Association
ZINARA Zimbabwe National Roads Administration
ZINEF Zimbabwe National Editors Forum
ZMC Zimbabwe Media Commission
ZNBC Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation
ZNNP Zimbabwe National Network of People living with HIV
ZUJ Zimbabwe Union of Journalists
ZUM Zimbabwe Union of Musicians
ZYC Zimbabwe Youth Council
___________________________


ANNEX
of Submissions
to the
Information and Media Panel
of Inquiry (IMPI)

ANNEX OF STAKEHOLDER SUBMISSIONS
________________________________
1. Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe submission:
Provisions of the Constitution that need to be reviewed.
2. Community Newspapers Association of Zimbabwe presentation:
The ripple effects of Polarisation, Perception and Interference in the media.
3. Deaf Trust Zimbabwe:
Access to Television by the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Zimbabwe
4. Federation of African Media Women Zimbabwe:
4.1 IMPI and Media Civil Society Engagement
4.2 Making the Zimbabwean media work for women and men.
5. Humanitarian Information Facilitation Centre:
Media training capacity building and ethics professionalism
6. Information and Media Panel of Inquiry (IMPI):
Directory of Media Training Institutions
7. Media Alliance of Zimbabwe: Media unusual: Toward democratic, holistic and far
reaching Zimbabwe Media policy Reform.
8. Media Institute of Southern Africa:
8.1 Policy Brief: Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA)
8.2 Policy Brief: Criminal Defamation
8.3 Policy Brief: Broadcasting
8.4 Policy Brief: State Secrets
9.5 Policy Brief: Censorship and Entertainment Controls
9. Media Monitoring Project Zimbabwe position paper:
9.1 Zimbabwes Media Environment: A Case of Arrested Development
9.2 Concerns raised on proposed social media laws
10. National Association of Societies for the Care of the Handicapped:

Annual Reports on activities conducted with the media
11. National Disability Board:
Position on disabled people on media.
12. Silveira House, Zimbabwe National Editors Forum and Zimbabwe Union of
Journalists: An analysis of Zimbabwe media laws that do not promote an enabling
environment for the media, and proposed reforms. Summary Findings.
13. Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe advocacy paper:
Considerations on the Future of Media Regulation in Zimbabwe
14. Women Coalition of Zimbabwe:
Statement on the Coverage of Women in the Media
15. Zimbabwe Association of Community Radio Stations:
The state of community radios in Zimbabwe.
16. Zimbabwe Media Commission letter
17. Zimbabwe Music Rights Association:
Position Paper on the Challenges Faced by the Music Industry in Zimbabwe.
18. Zimbabwe National Editors Forum position paper: The State of the Media in
Zimbabwe and Proposed Considerations for the Way Forward.
19. Zimbabwe Union of Journalists and Federation of African Media Women
Zimbabwe: Who can I tell? What should I do? Sexual Harassment in the Media.

ACRONYMS / ABBREVIATIONS
ACDEG African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Good Governance

ACHPR African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights
ADMA Advertising Media Association
AIDS Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
AIPPA Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act
AMH Alpha Media Holdings
ANZ Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe
BAZ Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe
BES Business Environment Group
BSA Broadcasting Services Act
CBA Collective Bargaining Agreement
CCOSA Christian College of Southern Africa
CECA Censorship and Entertainment Control Act
CLCRA Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act
CPM Convention on the Protection of Migrants
CRC Convention in the Rights of the Child
CSO Civil Society Organisations
DSTV Digital Satellite Television
DTV Deaf TV
EJAT Excellence in Journalism Awards
FAMWZ Federation of African Media Women in Zimbabwe
FES Friedrich Ebert Stiftung
FOI Freedom of Information Bill
GDP Gross National Product
GMPS Gender and Media Progress Study
GZU Great Zimbabwe University
HIFIC Humanitarian Information Facilitation Centre
HIV Human Immunodeficiency Virus
HIVOS Dutch International development Organisation
ICA Interception of Communications Act
ICCPR International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
ICT Information Communication Technology
IMPI Information and Media Panel of Inquiry
ISP Internet Service Provider

IT Information Technology
ITU International Telecommunications Union
JAMTAZ Journalism and Media Trainers Association of Zimbabwe
LTE Long Term Evolution
MAZ Media Alliance of Zimbabwe
MCK Media Council of Kenya
MCT Media Council of Tanzania
MISA Media Institute of Southern Africa
MMPZ Media Monitoring Project Zimbabwe
MSU Midlands State University
NAFIB National Film Board
NASCOH National Association of Societies for the Care of the Handicapped
NC National Certificate
NEC National Employment Council
NGO Non-Governmental Organisation
NIEEB National Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Board
NMG Nation Media Group
NUST National University of Science and Technology
NWICO New World Information and Communication Order
OSA Official Secrets Act
PAYE Pay As You Earn
POSA Public Order and Security Act
POTRAZ Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe
PTC Post and Telecommunications Corporation
SABC South African Broadcasting Corporation
SADC Southern African Development Community
SARDC Southern African Research and Documentation Centre
SDEQA Standard Development and Quality Assurance
SDERU Standards Development and Research Unit
SFN Single Frequency Network
SNG Satellite News Gathering
SPSS Social Sciences Statistical Package
SWOT Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats
SWRA Short Wave Radio Africa
TBC Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation
TEVETA Technical Education and Entrepreneurship Training Authority
UDHR Universal Declaration of Human Rights

UKAid United Kingdom Agency for International Development
UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation
UNICEF United Nations Childrens Fund
USAID United States Agency for International Development
VMCZ Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe
VoD Video on Demand
VOP Voice of the People
WSIS World Summit on an Information Society
ZAAPA Zimbabwe Associated of Accredited Practitioners in Advertising
ZACRAS Zimbabwe Association of Community Radios
ZAMCO Zambia Institute of Mass Communication
ZBC Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation
ZBPA Zimbabwe Book Publishers Association
ZCTU Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions
ZDHS Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey
ZIFTESSA Zimbabwe Film and Television School of Southern Africa
ZimAsset Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation
ZIMCHE Zimbabwe Council of Higher Education
Zimdef Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund
ZIMPA Zimbabwe Magazine Publishers Association
ZIMRA Zimbabwe Revenue Authority
ZIMSEC Zimbabwe School Examinations Council
ZIMSTAT Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency
ZIMURA Zimbabwe Music Rights Association
ZINARA Zimbabwe National Roads Administration
ZINEF Zimbabwe National Editors Forum
ZIVA Zimbabwe Institute of Visual Arts
ZMC Zimbabwe Media Commission
ZNBC Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation
ZNNP+ Zimbabwe National Network of People living with HIV
ZUJ Zimbabwe Union of Journalists
ZUM Zimbabwe Union of Musicians
ZYC Zimbabwe Youth Council

ANNEX 1
Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe submission:

Provisions of the Constitution that need to be reviewed
A. PROVISIONS OF THE CONSTITUTION THAT NEED TO BE REVIEWED

1. Section 61(3)(a)
Broadcasting and other electronic media of communication have freedom of
establishment, subject only to State licensing procedures that are necessary to
regulate the airwaves and other forms of signal distribution.
i. This provision implies the licensing of broadcasting services on the basis of

licensing the platform rather than licensing of the service. The provision needs to be
reviewed to include the licencing of both the platform and the service. This will ensure
that the content of the service that rides on the platform is also regulated for national
security reasons and for other protections in terms of the constitution (respect for the
people of Zimbabwe, fostering of national unity, peace and stability, promotion and
preservation of cultural values, protection of children etc).
ii. The provision does not take into account the fact that one does not have to be
the owner of a platform to provide a broadcasting service. As it stands, any person can
seek the services of a platform provider and freely provide a broadcasting service
without regulation of the content in the context of the provisions of the constitution sited
above.
iii. There is also the need to impose public service obligations to providers of
broadcasting services such as advancing the use of all languages used in Zimbabwe,
including sign language.
2. Section 61(3)(b)
Broadcasting and other electronic media of communication have freedom of
establishment, subject only to State licensing procedures that are independent of
control by government.
This provision needs to be reviewed in light of a provision of the ITU Radio Regulations
which states as follows:

18.1 1 1) No transmitting station may be established or operated by a private person
or by any enterprise without a license issued in an appropriate form and in conformity
with the provisions of these Regulations by or on behalf of the government of the
country to which the station in question is subject.
This provision of the ITU Radio Regulations, which have a treaty status, does not
entirely exclude the government from the process of licensing radio transmitting stations,
which, inherently, make use of the airwaves. In fact, it places the responsibility on
governments to ensure compliance with the regulations.
3. Section 61(4)
All State-owned media of communication must-
(a) .
(b) Be impartial; and
(c) Afford fair opportunity for the presentation of divergent views and
dissenting opinions.
This provision must apply to all media of communication.
B. PROVISIONS THAT NEED TO BE REVIEWED OR ADDED TO THE

BROADCASTING SERVICES ACT
1. Equitable sharing of natural resources
Broadcasting frequencies are a limited national resource which should be shared
equitably (see 3(2)(j) of the Constitution) among those who make use of broadcasting
frequencies to provide broadcasting services. This could be achieved through statutory
limitations to the number of licences that can be issued to the same person.
2. Licencing of government owned institutions

Government owned institutions mandated in terms of an Act of Parliament or in terms of
their memoranda and articles of association to provide broadcasting services should not
be subjected to open processes with the risk that they may fail to secure licences and to
execute their mandate. Section 10 of the Broadcasting Services Act needs to be
amended to provide for this exemption to Government owned institutions.

3. Change of nominee by government in a licence issued to a government-
owned institution
Government should be permitted to change its nominee in a licence without the new
nominee having to be subjected to a fresh application due licences not being
transferable.
4. Classification of licences
Development in technology, the evolution of delivery platforms and the emergence of
new platforms means that the classification of broadcasting services should be service
based rather than platform based. This will eliminate the need to review a platform
based classification every time that there is a new or change in technology.
5. Limitation of cross-ownership between a broadcasting licensee and a

signal carrier licensee
This is necessary particularly in a digital broadcasting environment whereby the
allocation of a frequency to a broadcaster for own signal carriage will result in idle
capacity on the broadcasters transmission network, resulting in wastage of the limited
frequency resource.
6. Payment of royalties by broadcasting licensees

The payment of royalties, for example to musicians, should be made mandatory through
the Act.
7. Rights to local content within Zimbabwe

Local broadcasters should, in terms of the law, be able to access local content without
any hindrance from foreigners who may acquire exclusive rights to local content.
8. Application of the Broadcasting Services Act to the public broadcaster

i. Licence fees
The public broadcaster should not be required to pay licence fees in view of its public
service obligations which do not apply to other broadcasters.
ii. Listeners licence fee
Listeners licence fees should continue to be levied but should be collected by the
Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe into the Broadcasting Fund to finance all the needs
of the broadcasting sector.

iii. Expiry of licence
The licence issued to a public broadcaster should not expire until such time that the law
establishing the public broadcaster is repealed. Section 37(2) of the Broadcasting
Services Act needs to be reviewed with regards to the renewal of the licence issued to a
public broadcaster.
iv. Allocation of frequencies

Any changes in technology should not be such that the public broadcaster is prejudiced
from capacity already allocated to the public broadcaster or capacity generated by the
new technology resulting from such allocation. This should be reflected in Section 38 of
the Broadcasting Services Act.
9. Community Stations
i. The Broadcasting Services Act defines what a Community Broadcasting Service
is but does not prescribe what a Community is. In order to avoid all sorts of
representations in terms of what a Community is, it is necessary to provide for the
definition of Community.
ii. The Broadcasting Services Act allows any person to provide a Community
Broadcasting Service to any community. There is need to give priority to persons
domiciled within the area serviced by the Community Station in order to give a sense of
ownership of the station to the community that it serves. Such a person is also likely to
be conversant of the needs of that community.
iii. In terms of the Broadcasting Services Act, Community Station licences can only
be issued to bodies corporate, which present a challenge for the licensing of Community
Stations in rural areas. This requirement needs to be reviewed to allow only persons
endorsed by a given community to apply for such licences, whether they are a body
corporate or not.
iv. There is also need to prescribe for the governing body of a Community Station to
ensure that there is representation of the key interests within that Community, noting
that only one frequency may be available for the operation of a Community Station in a
given area due to the limitation of frequencies.

ANNEX 2
Community Newspapers Association of Zimbabwe

presentation:
The ripple effects of Polarisation, Perception and Interference in the media.
Presentation by Tawanda Munikwa (Chairperson)

Allow me to pay respect and honour to organisers of this meeting the Media Alliance of
Zimbabwe(MAZ), to honour colleagues and friends here present. Ladies and gentlemen,
standing before you is Tawanda Munikwa the Chairperson of Community Newspapers
Association of Zimbabwe (CNAZ), a group representing privately owned community
papers.
The task before me is to highlight on the ripple effects that the media is subjected to
through the topic POLARIZATION, PERCEPTION AND INTERFERENCE.
Ladies and gentlemen Polarization by definition not in its totality refers to the divergence
of political attitudes to ideological extremes. It can as well refer to such divergence in
public opinion as a whole, or to such divergence within a particular sub-set or group.
It is in the media fraternity alone among all other entities that we have witnessed a total
hijack of our freedom especially by politicians, arms of law and the business community
per se.
Political polarization has turned newsrooms into barracks that are moulding in journalists
half-baked political activists and analyst. This sorry state is being enabled by the
continued massacre of the 4th estate through interference in its business operations and
as a source of information dissemination. Most newsrooms no longer possess an
independent watch dog eye as everything today is being made to be seen through rosy
speculations of politicians who desire to safeguard their political will and lifespan via the
media and by so doing the media becomes crucial in determining POPULAR
POLARIZATION.

Colleagues and friends, popular polarization happens when the public opinion is divided
over particular political issues and policies as a result of TV stations, newspapers or any
other form of media trying to appeal to the public by broadcasting content influenced by
particular political ideologies or interests.
As such, the media has become damning and not so trustworthy a source of information
in Zimbabwe as different news casts sourced from the same venue or event can be so
conflicting to an extent that the public itself becomes confused. Such confusion in
retribution has resulted in media houses being branded names that are however not a
true depiction of the picture at hand. The communities in which we operate have
developed a negative perception such that they no longer accept us as professionals but
as CIOs bent on spying upon them, and as such sourcing information from the
community is viewed with intense suspicion even on genuine grounds.
Political polarisation carries with it intimidation that has forced publishers /newspaper
owners to interfere or become editors themselves as a way of protecting their self and
the business. In this case Editors are told what to write and not to and this even
cascades down to compromise the journalists who gather news that are non-partisan.
Editors / journalists end up glorifying and defending political parties or politicians and or
even policies that subjugate the rights of the ordinary men on the streets or the nation as
a whole.
Draconian media laws such as AIPPA& POSA, have effectively forced journalists into
self-censorship which in turn affects the way in which news are published. As a result
the business community has taken advantage of the circus in the media to determine
the editorial content. Advertisers by default have grown muscles to an extent that even if
they operate outside the confines of the law of Zimbabwe know very well that they can
easily get away with the crime because the media opts out to exposing them for fear of
losing business. And as such instead of correcting the abnormal, we end up enhancing
corruption and fraud not by desire but by default of the need to survive in an
environment that is for us a cul-de-sac.

Ladies and gentlemen, we as community papers are calling therefore for the re-
alignment of media laws to the new constitution in order to wean ourselves from AIPPA
and POSA.
We are calling for the establishment of self-regulatory boards that are manned by
journalists. This we advocate basing on the reservations we have upon the Zimbabwe
Media Commission. We see no reason in the demand for US$500.00 application fee
and US$2 000.00 as registration fees.
Why should the media be subjected to extremes yet Universities and Colleges are
churning out graduates expected to be employed by institutions under siege by policy
makers who continue to preach economic development.
Colleagues and friends, in summation, Dambudzo Marechera in the novel HOUSE OF

HUNGER views alienation as the split between the self and the other where the self
subsequently becomes the other. In line to his view l am reminded of the ethics
committee of the ZMC which is laden with people with little or no background about the
media and as such we journalists as Marechera observes have become the other in an
environment where we are supposed to be the self.
I THANK YOU
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. A holistic market research that will unpack the following questions:-

How many people are accessing the media and which one?
Who are Zimbabwes media audiences?
The survey will help us deal with exact problems on perceptions about polarization.
2. Establish employment standards for journalists, especially editors. This will
curtail the issue of political appointees.
3. A properly laid out regulatory framework that will ensure compliance with the
code of conduct.

ANNEX 3
Deaf Zimbabwe Trust:
Access to Television by the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Zimbabwe
Introduction
Deaf Zimbabwe Trust (DZT) is an organisation that seeks to promote the rights and
interests of the Deaf in Zimbabwe and as such wishes to make the submissions to IMPI
as advertised in The Herald of Monday, 4 August 2014.
These submissions have been prompted by the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation

Televisions lack of sensitivity to the Deafs right to receive and impart information
through the television. In other words, Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation Television
(ZBC TV) is constantly violating the Deafs freedom of expression. DZT is also of the
opinion that the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe has not been doing enough to
force ZBC TV to comply with the provisions of both the Constitution of Zimbabwe and
the Broadcasting Act in promoting the rights of minority groups in Zimbabwe such as the
Deaf regardless of the existing legislation which empowers them to do so.
These submissions address two areas of IMPI terms of reference, namely;
1. To enquire into laws affecting public access to Media
2. To enquire into how gender and marginalised groups are portrayed in the media.
We, therefore, submit as follows:

Background
Deaf Zimbabwe Trust is particularly concerned with the violation of the Deafs freedom
of expression in one or more of the following acts or omissions;
1. Lack of provision of sign language interpretation during prime time news and
other news bulletins. Good Morning Zimbabwe news only provide sign language
interpretation in part. Usually business news does not come with sign language
interpretation, captions or subtitles.
2. Failure to provide captions or subtitles on programmes. ZBC-TV is still providing
analogue broadcasts and in this regard we require open captions whenever there
are no sign language interpreters. In other countries whether or not there are

sign language interpreters they still provide open captions and in developed
countries where they have digital television programming, closed captions.
3. No sign language interpretation or captions on documentaries on the public
broadcasters TV.
4. Lack of programs promoting sign language and Deaf culture on ZBC TV except
the privately produced Action Power programme. This is a violation of both
Section 61 (Freedom of Expression and Freedom of the media) and Section 63
(Protection of Language and Cultural Rights) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe.
Constitutional Background
Freedom of Expression
Section 61 (1) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe provides that every person has the right
to freedom of expression, which includes-
(a) freedom to seek, receive and communicate ideas and other information
(b) freedom of artistic expression, and scientific research and creativity; and
academic freedom.
(c) Academic freedom.
Importance of freedom of expression
In In re Munhumeso and Others1 Gubbay CJ indicated that The importance attaching to
the exercise of the right to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly must never
be under-estimated. They lie at the foundation of a democratic society and are one of
the basic conditions for its progress and for the development of every man.2
The judge further argued that Freedom of expression, one of the most precious of all
the guaranteed freedoms has four (4) broad special purposes to serve;
(i) it helps an individual to obtain self-fulfilment;
(ii) assists in the discovery of truth;
(iii) it strengthens the capacity of the individual to participate in decision making; and
(iv), it provides a mechanism by which it would be possible to establish a reasonable
balance between stability and change.3

1
1994 (1) ZLR 49 (S).
2
Ibid, at p56.
3
2 Ibid, at p57.
4 Ibid, at p56.
3 CCT 53/01.
5 Ibid, at p57.
Ibid, at para21.
6
Report of thehttp://www.democracyis.net/?page_id=8
Pluralism, Official Inquiry into the State of the Information
Accessed onand Media2014.
12 March Industry in Zimbabwe 473

The four broad purposes cited above underline the importance of freedom of expression
to all citizens of this country more so people living with disabilities like the Deaf
Community in Zimbabwe. If the Deaf have no access to both television broadcast media
and information, in a language that they can easily understand, either for purposes of
receiving or imparting information, how then are they going to attain any of the purposes
cited above? How will they know they know the truth about the political governance of
this country? How will they participate in debates addressing questions of the day?
These are very important questions which only access to television broadcast media
either by way of reception or dissemination of information can only answer which the
current public broadcaster, the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation is failing to do for
the Deaf Community in Zimbabwe.
The importance of freedom of expression has also been recognised in jurisdictions such
as South Africa and in the matter of Fred Khumalo and Others v Bantubonke Harrington
Holomisa4, ORegan J remarked that Freedom of expression is integral to a democratic
society for many reasons. It is constitutive of the dignity and autonomy of human beings.
Moreover, without it, the ability of citizens to make responsible political decisions and to
5
participate effectively in public life would be stifled.
Without necessarily over emphasising the importance of freedom of expression it is also

important to indicate that the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with
Disabilities (CRPD) also provides for protection of freedom of expression. Article 21 of
the CRPD reads;
Article 21 - Freedom of expression and opinion, and access to information
States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that persons with disabilities
can exercise the right to freedom of expression and opinion, including the freedom to
seek, receive and impart information and ideas on an equal basis with others and
through all forms of communication of their choice, as defined in article 2 of the present
Convention, including by:

4
CCT 53/01.
5
Ibid, at para21.

a. Providing information intended for the general public to persons with disabilities
in accessible formats and technologies appropriate to different kinds of
disabilities in a timely manner and without additional cost;
b. Accepting and facilitating the use of sign languages, Braille, augmentative and
alternative communication, and all other accessible means, modes and formats
of communication of their choice by persons with disabilities in official
interactions;
c. Urging private entities that provide services to the general public, including
through the Internet, to provide information and services in accessible and
usable formats for persons with disabilities;
d. Encouraging the mass media, including providers of information through the
Internet, to make their services accessible to persons with disabilities;
e. Recognizing and promoting the use of sign languages
In light of this legal background it is our view that broadcasting in general must comply
with constitutional principles, particularly public service broadcasting by ensuring that
minority linguistic and cultural rights are not marginalised at the expense of majority
interests. The effect of ZBC TVs failures through acts or omissions amounts to
marginalisation of sign language and Deaf culture and is cumulatively a subversion of
the Constitutional rights of the Deaf Community in Zimbabwe.
It is important to emphasise at this stage that the natural language of the Deaf and hard
of hearing in Zimbabwe is Sign Language and the Deaf have got their own culture which
is peculiar to them as a Community in Zimbabwe. Both the Sign Language and Deaf
culture are protected under the new Constitution of Zimbabwe as explained below.
Status of Sign Language in Zimbabwe
Sign Language is an officially recognised language under section 6 of the Constitution.

Section 6 (3) (a) and (b) provides that The State and all institutions of
government at every level must-
(a) ensure that all officially recognised languages are treated equitably; and
(b) take into account the language preference of people affected by
governmental measures or communications.

The State also has an important obligation to ensure the development and
advancement of all officially recognised languages under the constitution as
provided for by Section 6 (4) of the Constitution which provides that;
The State must promote and advance the use of all languages used in Zimbabwe,
including sign language and must create conditions for the development of those
languages.
Reference is being made to this constitutional provision especially with regards to ZBC
TV because ZBC TV, being the national public broadcaster is an important State agent
especially for purposes of promoting and developing linguistic rights of minority groups
like the Deaf and to prevent their marginalisation by the Media.
Deaf Culture and the choice of language
Sign Language and Deaf Culture are protected both under the Constitution
(Section 63 (a) and (b) which provides that
Every person has the right-
(a) To use the language of their choice; and
(b) To participate in the cultural life of their choice;
But no person exercising these rights may do so in a way that is inconsistent with this
Chapter.
Linguistic and Cultural Diversity under Zimbabwean Law

It is important to point out that in terms of the Broadcasting Services Act, Sections 3 (2)
(h) it is the responsibility of both Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) and the
public broadcaster, the ZBC TV to ensure that broadcasting recognises the different
linguistic and cultural diversity of the people of Zimbabwe which includes the Deaf
Community. ZBC-TV, as a state agency has a constitutional responsibility of ensuring
that all the official languages as prescribed by the Constitution are promoted and
developed. As noted elsewhere herein above, the language of choice for the Deaf as
protected by section 63 (a) is Sign Language. It is important to point out that one cannot
separate a peoples language from that communitys culture. What gives people dignity
and humanity is respect of their language and culture. This is the essence of the
constitutional protection given in Section 51 of the Constitution pertaining to respect and
protection of human dignity.

The objective of the Broadcasting Services Act as provided for in Broadcasting Services
Act Amendment Act, 2007 is very clear and that is inter alia, for broadcasting to foster
and maintain democratic pluralism in the country. The appropriate provision in the
Broadcasting Services Act is section 2A which provides that;
2A Purpose and objectives of Act
(1) The purpose of this Act is to regulate broadcasting services and provide for
the control of the broadcasting service bands in order to attain the following
objectives
(c) to promote the provision of a wide range of broadcasting services in
Zimbabwe which, taken as a whole, are of high quality and calculated to
appeal to a wide variety of tastes and interests, providing education,
information and entertainment; and
(d) to ensure that the broadcasting services in Zimbabwe, taken as a whole,
provide
(i) regular news services; and
(ii) public debate on political, social and economic issues of public
interest; and
(iii) programmes on matters of local, national, regional and international
interest or significance; so as to foster and maintain a healthy plural
democracy; and
Democratic Pluralism
Pluralism acknowledges diversity of views and cultures. Pluralism is, in the general
sense, the acknowledgment of diversity. In democratic politics pluralism is a guiding
principle which permits the peaceful coexistence of different interests, convictions and
lifestyles6.
One of the earliest arguments for pluralism came from James Madison in The
Federalist Papers. He posits that to avoid factionalism, it is best to allow many
competing factions to prevent any one dominating the political system. Pluralism in this
sense is connected with the hope that this process of conflict and dialogue will lead to a
definition and subsequent realization of the common good that is best for all members of

6
Pluralism, http://www.democracyis.net/?page_id=8 Accessed on 12 March 2014.

society.7 This implies that in a pluralistic framework, the common good is not given a
priori. Instead, the scope and content of the common good can only be found out in and
after the process of negotiation, i.e., a posteriori.
Democratic pluralism as envisaged by section 2A of the Broadcasting Services Act will

never be achieved in Zimbabwe unless minority linguistic rights and cultural diversity are
actively promoted by the public broadcaster and this is what is lacking within our
jurisdiction and yet the spirit of linguistic and cultural diversity is underpinned by Section
63 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe. Moreover, UNESCO states that, In our increasingly
diverse societies, it is essential that persons and groups having plural, varied and
dynamic cultural identities should live together in harmonious interaction and proper
accord. Policies that seek the integration and participation of all citizens are an earnest
of social cohesion, vitality of civil society and peace. Defined in this way, cultural
pluralism is the policy offshoot of cultural diversity.8
Finally, on this point it is important to point out that every person regardless of their
status or condition are supposed to be treated as equal before the law. Therefore,
treating the Deaf differently by denying them suitable accommodations such as the
provision of sign language interpreters or subtitles and/or captions on television
programs amounts to discrimination which is a fundamental violation of Section 53 of the
Constitution.
Legal Mandate of BAZ

The BAZ has the following powers by virtue of the authority vested in them in
accordance with the provisions of the Broadcasting Services Act and of interest is
Section 3 (2) of the Broadcasting Services Act especially the following Paragraphs which
it had not been using to the detriment of the Deaf Community in Zimbabwe;
(e) to advise the Minister on ways of improving and promoting a regulatory environment
that will facilitate the development of a broadcasting industry in Zimbabwe that is
efficient, competitive and responsive to audience needs and the national interest;

7
Ibid
8
Ibid.

(h) to ensure the role of broadcasting services and systems in developing and reflecting
a sense of Zimbabwean identity, character and cultural diversity;
(l) to ensure the provision of means for addressing complaints about broadcasting
services;
(p) generally, to advise the Minister on all matters relating to broadcasting systems and
services;
(3) In the exercise of its functions the Authority shall have regard to the desirability of
securing the following objects
(f) the promotion of the interests of consumers, purchasers and other users in respect of
the quality and variety of broadcasting services provided;
Self- Regulation
Puddephat (2011) defines Self-Regulation in the media as The combination of
standards, setting out the appropriate codes of behaviour for the media that are
necessary to support the freedom of expression and the process how those behaviours
will be monitored or held to account.9
In terms of the current broadcasting regulatory regime, the protection of minority

linguistic and cultural rights appears to have been left to the moral disposition of a
broadcast licensee. However, as argued elsewhere herein, the promotion and protection
of minority linguistic and cultural rights is so critical a responsibility that it should not be
left to the moral disposition of individual entities. The general neglect and little sensitivity
as exhibited by ZBC TV towards the needs of the Deaf for access to Television as noted
above confirms the views expressed above regarding leaving important matters such as
protection of linguistic and cultural rights to self-regulation.
One of the major criticism of the self-regulation model is that is allows the media to avoid
ethical and legal responsibilities10 which is exactly what is happening in the case of ZBC
TV. It is thus, our position that self-regulation in connection with minority interests may
not work. There are no regulatory obligations pertaining to issues of language content
and the need for captions or subtitles or the provision of sign language interpreters with

9
Puddephatt, A. (2011). The Importance of Self-Regulation of the Media Upholding Freedom of Expression. CI
Debates Series N.9 (ISSN 2176-3224) (p. 7). Brazil: UNESCO
10
http://www.fesmedia-africa.org/uploads/media/Self_regulation_and_the_media_01.pdf

respect to the licence conditions of the public service broadcaster ZBC TV and as such it
becomes a moral obligation which is very undesirable. There is, therefore, need for BAZ
to begin to look at reviewing broadcasting regulations to begin to take into account these
fundamental rights of the Deaf in Zimbabwe. Presumably, a combination of carrot and
stick (Statutory and Self-Regulation) regulation will work and where it concerns the
fundamental constitutional rights of the citizens, statutes must be used to regulate the
media houses obligation.
Statutory regulation is The imposition of rules by a government backed by the use of

penalties and the authority of the state, that are meant to change the behaviour of
individuals or groups or broadly as Any technique or approach designed to control,
alter or influence behaviour.11 This would mean a government putting in place any form
of law or rules designed to control, alter or influence media behaviour. Proponents of
statutory media regulation argue that the governments power to impose penalties keeps
the media in line12.
Comparative Jurisdictions
For the reason that self-regulation is not always the best option in protecting minority
linguistic rights in broadcast media. The situation of the Deaf is even made worse by the
fact that their language is more visual and therefore effective communication can only
made in writing through captions and or subtitles as well as the use of signs either
through a sign language interpreter or the Deaf themselves communicating via sign
language. In the case where the Deaf will be signing then the use of either voice overs,
subtitles or captions will also make the receivers follow the dialogue in the programme.
Other jurisdictions such as the United States Federal Communications Commission

(FCC) and the United Kingdoms Ofcom have put in place rules and guideline in respect
of captioning and subtitling of videos produced by broadcasters and film makers.
Reference to some of the guidelines and rules are given below but before we address
the issue of guideline and rules on captioning, it is important to point out the benefits of
captioning to the Deaf.

11
Nielsen, E. (2004, May 17). ISO
12
Anthony Osae- Brown The Argument for Self-Regulation in the Mediahttp://www.fesmedia-
africa.org/uploads/media/Self_regulation_and_the_media_01.pdf Accessed on 26 March 2014.

Benefits of Captions and Subtitles
Closed captioning allows persons with hearing disabilities to have access to
television programming by displaying the audio portion of a television program as
text on the television screen.
Closed captioning provides a critical link to news, entertainment and information
for individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing.
For individuals whose native language is not English, English language captions
improve comprehension and fluency. Captions also help improve literacy skills.
You can turn on closed captions through your remote control or on-screen menu.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Rules13

On February 20, 2014, the FCC set new, improved rules for TV closed captioning to
ensure that viewers who are deaf and hard of hearing have full access to programming,
resolving concerns on captioning quality and providing much-needed guidance to video
programming distributors and programmers.
The new rules apply to all television programming with captions, addressing quality
standards for accuracy, synchronicity (timing), program completeness, and placement of
closed captions, including the requirement that captions be:
Accurate: Captions must match the spoken words in the dialogue and convey
background noises and other sounds to the fullest extent possible.
Synchronous: Captions must coincide with their corresponding spoken words
and sounds to the greatest extent possible and must be displayed on the screen
at a speed that can be read by viewers.
Complete: Captions must run from the beginning to the end of the program to the
fullest extent possible.
Properly placed: Captions should not block other important visual content on the
screen, overlap one another, run off the edge of the video screen, or be blocked
by other information.

13
http://www.fcc.gov/guides/closed-captioning Accessed on 17 March 2014.

The rules distinguish between pre-recorded, live, and near-live programming and
explains how the new standards apply to each type of programming, recognizing the
greater hurdles involved with captioning live and near-live programming.
Best practices for video programmers and captioning vendors are included in the rules,
which promise to improve captioning quality for viewers. For example, video
programmers can provide high-quality program audio signals to promote accurate
captioning transcriptions.
They can also provide captioning vendors with advance access to show scripts, proper
names and song lyrics, making it easier to caption live programs. Similarly, captioning
vendors can ensure the proper screening, training and supervision of their captioners
and take measures to ensure that their technical systems are functional, to prevent
service interruptions.
The Commission also adopted measures to ensure that people who are deaf and hard
of hearing will have greater access to news programming in their local communities. The
measures include requiring broadcasters who are permitted under the Commissions
rules to convert teleprompter script into captions to pre-script more of their news
programming, including sports, weather, and most late-breaking stories. The pre-
scripting requirement will result in captioning for some news programming that
previously aired uncaptioned. In addition, the new rules require that crawls and other
visual information be used to provide visual access to certain news segments that cant
be pre-scripted.
The Office of Communications (Ofcom) United Kingdom

Ofcom provides guidelines which are meant to deal with the provision of captions,
subtitles and sign language interpretation for the heterogeneous classes of people
requiring these listed services and accommodations in order for them to have Television
Access. A link to the guidelines is provided hereunder
http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/broadcasting/guidance/other-
guidance/tv_access_serv/guidelines/

DZTs Proposed Interim Measures/ Relief
DZT and ZDMT make the following proposal for immediate implementation by ZBC TV
in order to improve access to television by the Deaf in Zimbabwe;
All news bulletins should be accompanied by either captions/subtitles or the use
of Sign Language Interpreters.
All documentaries, local drama and other locally produced videos shown on ZBC
must have captions/subtitles.
The public television broadcaster must ensure that all Presidential Speeches
and/or Parliamentary Debates are translated into sign language if the events are
happening live and or should have subtitles/captions.
These initiatives must be implemented pending the appropriate promulgation of
television access guidelines addressing the needs of the Deaf and other people
living with disabilities in Zimbabwe.
Way forward
We also need a meeting with ZBC Management, Representatives of Deaf
Interests, Ministry Information and BAZ in order to engage and agree on ways
that can promote the development of sign language and preservation of deaf
culture through the television by way of content and language quotas in
Zimbabwe.
To discuss how the Broadcast Fund, which is basically a universal services fund
can be used to promote minority languages and culture including the setting up
of a community television station intended to promote the same. In South Africa,
they have Deaf Television (Dtv) which is run by the Deaf under the auspices of
the South African Broadcasting Co-operation. This initiative is intended to
promote access to television broadcast media in South Africa and it is therefore
an important issue which may require consideration at both policy and
operational level.
We also humbly request the BAZ to issue a directive to ensure the
implementation of the interim measure that we are seeking below.
That BAZ as the regulator and licensing authority should chair all the meeting
that the parties will hold in future including facilitation of workshops to sensitize

broadcasting companies on the need to promote disability rights issues in their
news and other programming content whether on radio or television.
We hope you find these inputs in order and we are prepared to meet you to clarify any
other issues arising from this paper.
Yours faithfully, Mr Lyndon T. Nkomo, Deaf Zimbabwe Trust
Chairman of Board of Trustees, Associate Member of the World Federation of the Deaf
Copies to: The President,
World Federation of the Deaf
Finland

ANNEX 4
Federation of African Media Women:

4.1 IMPI and Media Civil Society Engagement
By: Abigail Gamanya
FAMWZ National Coordinator
WHAT AND WHO IS FAMWZ
The Federation of African Media Women is a registered Trust that primarily

focuses on empowerment of women in and through the media.
Formed in 1985
Its a membership based organisation
Mission and Vision
VISION:
A gender sensitive and inclusive media that promotes women's empowerment, equality
and diversity
MISSION:
Advance the cause of female media practitioners in order to promote gender equality
through:
Advocacy
Training and Capacity Building
Policy Research
Gender mainstreaming and monitoring.
THE NICHE: KEY AREAS FOR FAMWZ
Help advance and empower women journalists
Advocate around gender policies in the newsrooms and the national gender
policies (help media houses to develop gender and media policy frameworks).

Continued dialogue around key gender issues in the media
FAMWZ also seeks to be a resource around gender media reporting.
The state of Gender and Media in Zimbabwe Key findings
Firstly, the medias vital role in promoting gender issues has long been
acknowledged .Gender mainstreaming in the media continues to be championed
by many journalists and civic society groups and FAMWZ has been an important
player in this process.
The media still remains a male domain. Men still comprise the majority of the
media owners, managers and media professionals in newsrooms (men in the
media outnumber women at a ratio of 4:1). The media in Zimbabwe continues to
marginalize women as news practitioners, news sources and news subjects and
this has been reflected in various research studies on gender and the media.
Women substantially outnumber men in journalism training and enter the

profession in slightly greater numbers but silently disappear from the media
radar.
There are more women radio reporters (24%) and fewer in print reporting (11%)
when compared to regional figures of 30% and 25% respectively.
Relatively few women are rising to senior jobs as women are barely 13% of
those in senior management.
Only 17% females work in editorial departments, well below the regional average
of 42% and 11% of newsrooms are manned by women journalists
Womens salaries were generally found to be lower than mens particularly in the
higher company ranks.
Male journalists get better working deals -82% are more likely than women (18%)
to be employed in full time with open ended contracts
Women journalists remain too relegated to the soft news beat and not hard news
and subsequently mens voices also dominate the hard news. Women are far
less likely to be seen on the front page.
A recent survey shows that the proportion of women sources of news is 11%
compared to men.
Media exposure remains low in Zimbabwe with only 8% of females and 17% of
males having access to media, such as newspapers,television and radio

Qualified women who possess the skills and experience for advancement are
blocked in their upward mobility by institutional prejudices (proportion of women
in leadership is 13% out of the 87% of males)
Gender blind news content: stereotyping in media is compounded by

commercial advertising and the entertainment industry
Unfriendly working environment - how men and women relate to each other in
the workplace
Lack of gender and media policies in newsrooms
Lack of gender mainstreaming in journalism training (entry and midcareer levels)
Passive participation in industry issues
FAMWZS GENDER PERSPECTIVE
Gender is not another word for Women. Instead it is the socially constructed
differences between men and women which determine how we are perceived
and how we are expected to behave as men and women.
Why gender should be an issue for the media
Gender should be an issue for the media because it is a question of natural

justice to give voices to both men and women and to be fair.
The media play an important role in society. We report on current events, provide
frameworks for interpretation, mobilise citizens with regard to various issues,
reproduce predominant culture and society, and entertain.
Therefore, the media is essential in the promotion of gender equality, both within
the working environment and in the representation of women and men in terms
of fair gender portrayal and the use of neutral and non-gender-specific language.
MOVING FORWARD
Issue/Challenge What can be done
Gender based points of view in Appoint more women managers,

newsrooms editors, mentors. Women are
estimated toonly make up 13% if
top management and 10% of those
in senior management.
Unequal working conditions Ensure that gender training is

attended by both men and women

Educate all staff about national
laws relating to gender, behaviour
in the workplace, media and human
rights
Gender blind news values Gender sensitivity training for

sub-editors and news editors
Stifling male newsroom culture Acknowledge that diversity is

crucial to ensure quality reporting.
Sensitise on the use of gender
responsive language

Expansion of Sources Create a contact list/Source book of
women who are willing and
accessible to speak to the media.
Behaviour in the workplace Regular gender audit , review or

drafting of media policies
Gender policies Integrate gender into the entire

course so that its not looked upon
as a topic dealt with for a specific
time and then forgotten and teach
/refresh lecturers on how to do it
Gender mainstreaming in media Review existing gender curricula

organisations and training and identify how gender can be
institutions incorporated.
Conclusion
Where are the women?
Women are increasingly learning to use the media to tell their own story
New media, social media, citizen journalism, blogs and digital platforms opened
up new spaces where womens voices may be heard.
THE END!
THANK YOU

Federation of African Media Women submission:
4.2 Making the Zimbabwean media work for women and men

Title of Making the Zimbabwean Media Work for Women and Men
paper
Executive Federation of African Media Women Zimbabwe Women and Media
summary Zimbabwe Network (1985)
Gender and media organisation
Research and advocacy
Media and publicity
Training and capacity building
Policy advocacy
Monitoring of gender mainstreaming within media and other sectors
Context The Constitution of Zimbabwe in Preamble and Founding Provisions upholds
and Gender Equality. In Chapter 2, Section 17 of the National Objectives, obligates
the State to attain gender balance as follows:
importance (1) The State must promote full gender balance in Zimbabwean society, and in
of the particular -
problem (a) The State must promote the full participation of women in all spheres of
Zimbabwean society on the basis of equality with men;
(b) The State must take all measures, including legislative measures, needed to
ensure that -
(i) Both genders are equally represented in all institutions and agencies of
government at every level; and
(ii) Women constitute at least half the membership of all Commissions and other
elective and appointed governmental bodies established by or under this
Constitution or any Act of Parliament;
also applies to private bodies and individuals; and
(c) The State and all institutions and agencies of government at every level
must take practical measures to ensure that women have access to resources
on the basis of equality with men
(2) The State must take positive measures to rectify gender discrimination and
imbalances resulting from past practices and policies specific to the media,
freedom of expression and access, states that every person has the right to
freedom to practice and give expression to their thoughts, opinion, religion or
belief; every person has the right to freedom of expression which includes
freedom to seek, receive and communicate ideas and other information; all
state owned media of communication must be impartial and afford fair
opportunity for the presentation of divergent views and dissenting opinions; and
every person has the right of access to any information held by any person,
including the State, in so far as the information is required for the exercise or

protection of a right. The constitution guarantees in Section 17 that 56 (2) that
women and men have the right to equal treatment, including the right to equal
opportunities in the political, economic, cultural and social spheres. The same
section states that everyone has the right not to be treated in an unfairly
discriminatory manner on such grounds as culture, sex, gender, marital status,
among others. This paper acknowledges that there have been enough changes
in socio-cultural, economic and political dimensions in Zimbabwe to justify a
revisiting of gender and power relations among women and men at all levels.
The media, as a microcosm of society has been rather lagging behind in
progress. This applies in terms of structural issues within the media institutions
and how these affect the positions and conditions of the women and men
working within them. Content issues in media coverage are another area of
concern based on evidence collected through monitoring that reveals
inadequate balance or at the worst outright bias in favour of men. The other
area of concern is the unequal access to the media of women and men as
sources. Finally on gender equality the constitution notes that discrimination is
when a group of people are either subjected directly or indirectly to a condition
that others are not or if other people are accorded directly or indirectly a
privilege or advantage which they are not. Zimbabwe has prioritized gender
equality and womens empowerment in social, economic and political spheres14.
This follows acknowledgement that Zimbabwean society has unfortunately been
informed by patriarchal values, driven by belief in supremacy of men, at the
expense of women. This paper urges the Government of Zimbabwe to make the
constitution and other legal instruments work for women and men in the media
through gender equality and women empowerment within the sector. This
should be for both media practitioners and also for the people of Zimbabwe in
terms of the media content. As the media sector posits alternative policy
positions, it is hoped that these will encompass a gender dimension.
Problem History
A recent research by FAMWZ and ZUJ and primary interviews with key media
stakeholders done in a VMCZ research revealed the following perceptions:
Gender discrimination is highlighted as a problem so deeply entrenched and
widespread within newsrooms that it is almost epidemic in proportion. Secondly,
gender discrimination is institutionalised as it has become part of the daily lives
of media workers. Thirdly, gender discrimination in the countrys newsrooms is
about power as those in positions of authority are usually the perpetrators
against those in the lower echelons who are the victims. Finally, mechanisms
for dealing with gender discrimination in the countrys newsrooms are seen by
media workers as ineffective and inappropriately targeted. This requires
comprehensive strategies that go beyond single-focus solutions to long-term
shifts in institutional culture. It also requires mechanisms that are not only seen

14
Zimbabwe 2012 Millennium Development Goals Report

to address gender discrimination but also address this debilitating problem.
This report therefore serves as a baseline upon which methods of intervention

can be devised and measures can be put in place to deal with gender
discrimination in Zimbabwean newsrooms, leading to the creation of an
enabling environment.
Problem Definition
A 2012 FAMWZ study on sexual harassment in the newsrooms proposed
further research into the nature of gender discrimination in the countrys
newsrooms. The need to raise the level of awareness around issues of
harassment and discrimination, and more crucially to helping victims with
information, legal assistance and emotional support has also been noted.
Consultations with female and male journalists reveal that gender
discrimination, and in particular sexual harassment, is institutionalised within
Zimbabwes media organisations and remains under-reported against the
absence of specific legislation that deals with sexual harassment. In addition,
media organisations do not have policies on gender discrimination, while codes
of ethics on sexual harassment are not enforced. Most survivors thus remain
silent and/or leave their jobs when it becomes intolerable. The non-reporting of
sexual harassment gives rise to the general impression that workplace sexual
harassment is not common or serious. Yet, it is a significant problem that
continues to remain largely invisible, shrouded in secrecy, stigma, shame and
fear of retaliation. It is a vicious cycle that ought to be continuously addressed.
Critique of This paper contends that legal instruments, which in theory justify the need for
policy the media to project womens voices equally among those of others, should be
seen to be working in practice. Unfortunately, interpretation and understanding
option(s)
of impartiality and divergence of views by the media is not always broadened
beyond politics when it should also apply in terms of gender equality and equal
treatment of womens issues.
Alternative Solutions/Policies
Gender and Media, Information and Communication Technology(adapted from
draft National Gender Policy): One of the spectacular landscape changes in the
region has been the opening up of the print and electronic media sectors. In
Zimbabwe, media, information and communication are considered important
mechanisms to deliver the social and economic needs of development.
Zimbabwe therefore strives to ensure universal access by both men and women
to media and ICTs. Zimbabwe has developed gender sensitive ICT and Media
policies that are buttressed by the provisions in the Constitution which provides
for media freedom.
Engendering media and ICTs planning is a critical commitment as revealed in

the international, regional and national frameworks on ICTs. The SADC
Protocol on Gender and Development Article 31 encourages State parties to put

in place gender sensitive ICT policies and laws in order to ensure womens and
girls access to information and communication technology. The protocol also
aims to promote equal representation of men and women in ownership and in
decision making structures of media, in accordance with Article 12.1 that
provides for equal representation of women in decision making positions by
2015.
Despite efforts to engender policies and ensure universal access and equity in
ownership and decision making in media and ICTs, gender parity is yet to be
attained. Statistics from Gender Links 2010 Southern African Gender and Media
Progress Study (GMPS) and the Media Monitoring Project Zimbabwe (2011)
reveal that:
Proportion of women in leadership 13% of
The proportion of women sources of news is 11%
Media coverage on issues related to gender is only 0.4% of content and
women politicians voices in media comprised a mere 5%.
There are more women radio reporters (24%) and fewer print reporters
(11%) when compared to regional figures of 30% and 25% respectively.
Male journalists get better working deals - 82% are more likely than
women (18%) to be employed in full-time with open-ended contracts.
Only 17% females work in editorial departments, well below the regional
average of 42% and 11% of newsrooms are manned by women
managers.
Media exposure remains low in Zimbabwe with only 8% of females and
17% of males having access to media, such as newspapers, television
and radio.
Whilst women population is 70% of the total rural population, internet
access is a mere 0.07%. This shows the level of access to internet for
women in rural areas. This is despite the increase in internet penetration
rate from 15% in 2011 to 20% in 2012 according to POTRAZ.
Language barriers, sexual harassment, patriarchy, cultural norms, and lack of
income, education and poverty among women prevent women from positively
and optimally utilising media and ICT as a development tool.
Media provisions (Adapted from SADC Gender Protocol)
Ensure gender is mainstreamed in all information, communication and media
policies, programmes, laws and training in accordance with the Constitution of
Zimbabwe.
Encourage the media and media-related bodies to mainstream gender in their
codes of conduct, policies and procedures, and adopt and implement gender-
aware ethical principles, codes of practice and policies in accordance with the
Protocol on Culture, Information and Sport.
Take measures to promote the equal representation women in the ownership
and decision-making structures of the media, in accordance with Article 12.1

that provides for equal representation of women in decision-making positions by
2015.
Take measures to discourage the media from:

Promoting pornography and violence against all persons, especially
women and children;
Depicting women as helpless victims of violence and abuse;
Degrading or exploiting women, especially in the area of entertainment
and advertising, and undermining their role and position in society; and
Reinforcing gender oppression and stereotypes.
Encourage the media to give equal voice to women and men in all areas of
coverage, including increasing the number of programmes for, by and about
women on gender-specific topics that challenge gender stereotypes.
Take appropriate measures to encourage the media to play a constructive role
in the eradication of gender-based violence by adopting guidelines which
ensure gender- sensitive coverage.
Policy FAMWZ requests the government and Parliament to interrogate as part of
recommen oversight role the following:
dations
Against research recommendations for a multi-sectoral response to the issue of
gender discrimination in the newsrooms, there is need to make the constitution
work for women, men, girls and boys including in the media by enforcing
provisions, realigning relevant laws and policies but more importantly ensuring
your oversight interrogates integration of gender equality in media practice e.g.
equal representation on media decision making bodies; outlawing of gender
discrimination; ensuring objective media coverage reflecting the countrys
diversity in voices, opportunities (entry, training and promotion and
remuneration) and control.
There is also need for all stakeholders to tackle pervasive sexual harassment,
starting by focusing on media owners, editors and journalists and others to
understand the many ways in which sexual harassment manifests in the
workplace and to facilitate an environment that redresses the problem.
Media advocacy organisations should incorporate gender concerns among their
key policy issues while working with newsrooms, womens organisations,
government and other stakeholders to build capacity on dealing with gender.
Media training institutions should incorporate a robust gender-reporting module
in their curricula.
The media should take leadership for societal transformation gender equality
and womens empowerment based on prevailing context.
As the media sector demands accountability from government and other
stakeholders, so too should it reflect that same commitment in its own
structures, content and processes.

ANNEX 5
Humanitarian Information Facilitation Centre:

Media training capacity building and ethics professionalism
Virginia Muwanigwa, Humanitarian Information Facilitation Centre, 14 July 2014
ABOUT HIFC
Streamline flow of information from the humanitarian sector to the public domain
and decision makers using the media
Linking of the media and NGOs in the provision of information
Media Development & NGO Development
HIFIC OBJECTIVES
Media component - Improve the quality and quantity of reports on humanitarian
issues in the Zimbabwean and other media
Enhance knowledge of humanitarian issues and basic reporting skills of
journalists in Zimbabwe
HUNGO component - Enhance the capacity of humanitarian organisations to
produce, package and disseminate their knowledge of humanitarian issues to the
public through the media and other communication platforms
Improve the media relations skills of humanitarian NGOs
HIFC ACTIVITIES
Mentoring in general features and investigative reporting
Media training --- Knowledge briefs --- Field visits
Media literacy and communication strategies
Consultative stakeholder meetings
Policy dialogue -- Media Resource Centre -- Research
Context of Media Professionalism
Internal and external barriers
Internal Lack of adequate skills (Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices); bribes;
self censorship; insufficient respect for accuracy, detail and verification of facts;
laziness; fear; editorial interference; inadequate time management;
External - Low salaries; lack of modern equipment; lack of on-the-job training;
political situation of the country is played out in the media; ATI government
departments have 30 days to respond to enquiries and this compromises

journalists access to information and also affects deadlines; corruption; sexual
harassment (both in the newsroom and in the field); conflict of interest editorial
versus advertising; lack of financial resources; media laws; suing as a deterrent
measure; bureaucracy; uncooperative sources unreliable in that some are
driven by the need to score personal scores; unavailability of supporting
documentation; lack of resources; pressure when working on stories that involve
powerful people; editorial influence and time balancing everyday work versus
long term projects e.g. features and investigative stories.
Professionalism described
Balance (gender sensitive) Accuracy Analytical Critical Focused Timely
Thorough Relevance In-depth Fair Revealing Well-researched Impact
Way Forward
To address internal barriers, government (including NGO partners) should promote,
support and advance:
Improved Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of media by providing relevant,
purposeful and sustainable training
Facilitate conducive environment for organisations seeking to work with media
houses to provide on the job training
Provide incentives and recognition of professional journalism e.g. awards
Proposal to redress external barriers
Celebrate the recent judgement that outlawed criminal defamation
Government should promote, support and advance:
Entrenchment of freedom of the media and related rights in media laws;
Strengthen ATI especially from government departments
Decent salaries and conducive working conditions including access by media
owners to concessionary tariffs for importation of equipment and supplies;
Outlaw sexual harassment (both in the newsroom and in the field);
Investment in high standard of training in general and within newsrooms, on-the-
job training including a conducive environment for contribution by media
organisations;
Tailor-make training to produce professional journalists
Unequivocally stamp out corruption;
Continue to learn from best practices from other countries, SADC, AU. _______

ANNEX 6
INFORMATION AND MEDIA PANEL OF INQUIRY (IMPI)

Directory of Media Training Institutions

The following list, by no means exhaustive, is of profiles of training institutions in

Zimbabwes information and media and information sector.
UNIVERSITIES
MIDLANDS STATE UNIVERSITY (MSU)

Address: P. Bag 9055
Gweru
Telephone: 263-054 260331/260450/260497
Facebook: Midlands State University
Twitter: @Midlands State
www.msu.ac.zw
Minimum Entry requirements: At least 5 O level including English Language and two
A level pass in English and any other two A level passes. In addition under special
entry, the Department accepts holders of a diploma in mass communication, public
relations or any other media discipline and have at least five years of hands-on
experience, or a person who has successfully done part of communication, media
studies, public relations and any other appropriate degree program and subsequently
passed some modules acceptable to the department.
No of Staff: 15
No of students: 800
Fees: 800 dollars per semester
Course Outline: MSUs Department of Media and Society Studies (MSS), offers a four
year BSc Honors in Media and Society Studies degree and a Post Graduate Diploma in
Media Studies. The Department says its program is structured to meet media and
communication needs of Zimbabwe, the SADC region and beyond. It intends to equip
students with both academic and practical skills that enable them to enter the media
industry as well as carry out research. Panelists were told that MSS training focused in
theories of communication and the media, the production, distribution, and reception of
media products in concrete communities, nation/social and international contexts with
respect to basic appropriate research methodologies.
Appropriate social, cultural, political and economic theories that take cognizance of the
concepts of democracy, development and social change and the role of the new
information technologies enabling the creation of democratic and equitable societies.A
critical and informed understanding of communication and media systems at national,
regional and international levels.

The ability to conduct research informed by clearly articulated communication and media
theories that promote people-centered development of community, national and
international levels while respecting the cultural integrity of peoples as well as their basic
inalienable human rights.
The ability to learn communication and media skills within existing media organization
and to judge and asses their theoretical and research skills in concrete industrial
environments.
Skills that enable them to realize that communication and media are multidisciplinary
fields whose operations are empowered by a diversity of social realities.
Career prospects for graduates of the program exists in a wide range of industries that
include: media consultancy, advocacy officers, academia, journalism, public Relations,
advertising, broadcast, research.
NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (NUST)

Address: P.O. Box AC 939, Ascot, Bulawayo
Telephone: +263 09 282842
The Faculty of Communication and Information Science offers a Bachelor of Science

Honors Degree in Journalism and Media Studies. The faculty also offers the following
information related degrees:
Bachelor of Science Honors Degree in Library and Information Science
Bachelor of Science Honors Degree in Information and Communications
Technology
Bachelor of Science Honors Degree Records and Archives Management
Bachelor of Science Honors Degree Records and Archives Management
MSc Journalism and Media Studies
BSc Honors in Publishing
BSc Honors in Library and Information Science
MSc Library and Information Science
BSc Honors in Records and Archives
Post Graduate diploma in Public Relations.
The Department of Journalism and Media Studies:

No of Staff: 15
Minimum Entry Qualifications: Five O level subjects (or its equivalent), subjects must
include English and Mathematics, with at least a C grade and at least two subjects at the
Advanced level.
Enrolment: 70
Course Outline
Year 1: First Semester: Communication and Media theory, Media and Society, Media in
Zimbabwe, Foundation Skills in Journalism, Introduction to Information Technology 1

and Language and Practical Skills for Journalists. Second Semester: Media law, Media
Ethics, Media economics and Management, Investigative Journalism and News Writing,
Broadcast Journalism 1 and Information Technology 2
Year 2: First semester: Comparative Global Media Institutions, Gender, Class, Race
and the Media, Print Media: Practical project, Broadcast Journalism 2, Newspaper
design and Layout, and Communication for Development .Second semester: Media,
Human Rights and Democracy, Applied Media Research Methods, Public Relations,
Fundamentals of film and video Production, Media Texts and Reception and online
Journalism.
Year 3: Industrial Attachment
Year 4: First Semester: Final Year Project, Media in Africa, Critical Media Theory,
Entrepreneurship, and Health Communication. Electives are Feature Writing, Market
Communication, Television or Film Project and Publishing Management: Advanced
Theory and [practice.
Second Semester: Final Year project, Popular Culture: theories and Perspectives,
Advanced Radio and Television Production Techniques, Business and Financial
Reporting and Politics and the Media. Electives are New Media: Practical Project,
Photojournalism, Advertising and the Media and Foreign Languages.
Fees:
GREAT ZIMBABWE UNIVERSITY

Address: Box 1235, Masvingo
Telephone: 263 39253507
Www: gzu.ac.zw
Email: admission@gzu.ac.zw
Under the Faculty of Arts, the Department of Media and Cultural Studies offers a four-
year Bachelor of Art degree in Media and Cultural Studies.
Minimum Entry Qualifications: At least 5 O level passes at Grade C or better,

including English Language.
Enrolment: 120, 60 per cent female. Two intakes per year -- March and August-- of at
least 20 students each.
Staff: (10) six with Masters Communication Studies or Media and Society, plus 4
teaching assistants
Resources: These are meager due to lack of government grants for recurrent and
capital expenses. One lab, two cameras.
Tuition fee: 535 dollars per semester.
Target market: print, electronic, public relations (PR), information advocacy, own
employment, external market.
ZIMBABWE OPEN UNIVERSITY (ZOU)

Address: 9th Floor, Chiedza House, Corner First Street/Kwame Nkrumah, Harare
Box MP 1119 Mount Pleasant, Harare
Telephone: +263 (4) 764595/9, 764598
Email: Information@zou.ac.zw
www.zou.ac.zw

No of staff: N/A
Under the Faculty of Arts and Education, ZOU offers a Bachelor of Arts Special Honors
in Communication and Media Studies (BASHCMS).
Duration of programme: A minimum period of one year (two semesters) and a
maximum of two years (four semesters).
Entry Requirements: Applicants must have a recognized Bachelor of Arts degree or
any other relevant degree in which the communication or media component is strongly
represented.
Programme Structure: The student is expected to accumulate a total of 36 credit points
to meet the requirements of the programme: Part 1: 16 credits, Part 2: 20 credits.
Course outline: Semester 1 (three compulsory courses plus one elective) Aspects of
media history, organizational communication, research methods, dissertation,
communication, Media and development, Journalism and Ethics.
Semester 2: (three compulsory courses plus one elective) Popular Culture and
Communication, Communication in International Relations, Dissertation, Investigative
Journalism, Media Relations.
Career Prospects: language teaching/lecturing, working as a communication officer in
non-governmental organizations, serving as media analysts, interpreters, journalists,
lexicographers, film directors, producers and diplomats.
Mode of course delivery: The distance education mode. Specially prepared learning
materials in modular form.
CHINHOYI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY (CUT)

Mailing Address: Bag 7724, Chinhoyi
Tel: 263 067 29453/22203 5/ 22036.
www.cut.ac.zw
School of Art offers two undergraduate degrees relevant to the information and media
industry
These are a four year Bachelor of Science Honors in creative art and design and a four
year Bachelor of Science Honors in Fine Arts.
Entry Qualifications: two A level passes. One of which should be art and design. A
national diploma in art and design or a recognized teaching qualification with
specialization in art and design
Career prospects for both degree holders: retail centers, leisure centers, education,
media communication, product design and development, market industries, graphic
designers, printing experts and publishing experts.
Bachelor of Science ICT and Electronic Engineering
AFRICA UNIVERSITY
Address: Africa University, Fairview Rd (Off- Nyanga Rd)
Old Mutare, Mutare
P. O Box 1320
Mutare, Zimbabwe
Email: deanfhs@africau.edu
Telephone: 02061611/60075/66968/60299

No of staff:
Chairperson:
Senior Lecturers
Course Outline
B. Sc in Computer Information Systems
B. Sc in Computer Information Systems (Honors)
UNIVERSITY OF LUPANE
Address: Head Office
10th Floor Pioneer House, Corner Fife Street/8th Avenue
Telephone: +263 9 73770-1, 63546, 64458

Fax: +263 9 62436
Email: pr.lupane@gmail.com
Information and Communication Technology
Information and Public Relations
No of staff: 5
Chairperson:
Senior Lecturers
HARARE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Address: Ganges Road, Belvedere, Harare
Telephone: + 263 4 741 42 236
+ 263 4 741 406
Email: communications@hit.ac.zw
Address:
Telephone:
No of staff: 15
The Faculty Information Science and Technology

Department of Information Technology
Department of Computer Science
Department of Software Engineering
Department of security Technology
Chairperson: Miriam Chawuruva, Director: ICTS
Senior Lecturers
Course Outline:
BULAWAYO POLYTECHIC
Address: BOX 1392
Bulawayo
Zimbabwe
www.bulawayopoly.ac.zw
TEL:09-233182/3 FAX: 251165
P.O. Box 3092 Bulawayo
OR Visit us at: 115 G. Silundika Street

Corner 12th Avenue
CONTACT: The Head of Department

CELL numbers: 077 2 361 882
077 2 727 720
077 2 729 309
077 2 350 679
Land line: 09 885745
All Correspondence to apply:
The Principal
Att: The H.O.D
Applied Art & Design Department
APPLIED ART& DESIGN
CARRER OPPORTUNITIES
The aim of the Department is to train talented people in the skills required by the design
in a developing country. This the department has done over some thirty years.
Graduating students find employment in Advertising Studios, Display Studios,
Origination Studios, Television, Art Departments, Commercial Printing, Textile and
Clothing Industries. Some students generate their own companies providing
employment for others. The Department enjoys a rapport with industry and commerce,
with a number of companies sponsoring competitions during the year. The Department
encourages, in the student, cultural awareness, professionalism, self-respect and
respect for others. The Artists and Designers will leave the Department are a very
important link in influencing the purchasing orientation of an increasingly consumer
aware public at home, while promoting Zimbabwean products and attractions in foreign
markets. Some of the students go on a further education outside Zimbabwe where their
skills are not found wanting. Others find employment in distant places, thus broadening
their experience.
Foundation Courses
National Certificate Level
Entry Requirements:
1). 5 O Levels at C or better including Mathematics and English Languageand also
fashion and fabrics clothing.
2). A comprehensive Portfolio of the applicants own work showing ability
In the drawing, painting, designing, imagination, creativity and composition.
National Certificate in:

Applied Art and Design
SUBJECTS: 1 History of Art
2 Portfolio Basic Design
3 Portfolio General Drawing
4 Lettering
5 Ornamental Design
6 Painting
7 -3 Dimensional Design
8 Print Making
9 National & Strategic Studies
10 Entrepreneurship Skills Development
11 Introduction to Computers

National Certificate in:
FASHION DESIGN
SUBJECTS: 1 History of Costume
2 Textile Studies
3 Clothing Factory Practice
4 -Portfolio Creative Design
5 -Pattern Making & Garment Portfolio
6 Art of Drawing Portfolio
7 Design Theory
9 Entrepreneurship Skills Development
10 National and Strategic Studies
12 Communication
MUTARE POLYTECHNIC
Address: P.O Box 640, Mutare

Cnr Josiah Tongogara / Vincent Ave
Tel: 263 20 63141 / 63153
Fax: 263 20 66912
Cell: 0772 136 932(5) / 0714 900 169(7) /
0735 054 661(2)
Email: principalmutarepolytechnic@gmail.com
Website: www.mutarepolytechnic.ac.zw
Information Management Division

Information & Communication Technology Department
Information & Communication Technology

Library & Information Science
Records and Information Management
Entry Requirements.
Prospective Students must be in possession of English, Mathematics and any
other 3 O Level passes or relevant National Foundation Certificate.
Mutare Polytechnic has two intakes in a year: JANUARY and MAY INTAKES.
Submit hand written application letter together with certified copies of Academic
qualifications, National Identity Card and Birth Certificate to: Mutare Polytechnic /
CnrTongogara and Vincent Avenue / P.O. Box 640 Mutare
HIT HARARE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Address: HIT Harare Institute of Technology
P.O. Box BE 277
Belvedere
Harare
Zimbabwe

Physical Address:
HIT Campus
Ganges Road
Belvedere
Harare
Zimbabwe
Phone: +263 4 741 422 -36

Fax: +263 4 741 406
Email: Isa@hit.ac.zw
Web: www.hit.ac.zw
Entry Requirements:
At least 2 A Level passes including Mathematics or Computer Science and any
other relevant science subject or
National Diploma in Information Technology with at least 2 years work
experience
5 O level passes including Mathematics and English.
JOSHUA MQABUKO NKOMO POLYTECHNIC

GWANDA
Tel: 0284-22315 /22390 /22594
Fax: 0284- 22203
E-mail: jmnkomopoly@jmnpoly.co.zw
Courses Currently On Offer

One Year National Certificate Level
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
*RECORDS AND INFORMATION SCIENCE MANAGEMENT $215, 00
SECRETARIAL STUDIES
Three Year National Diploma Level

*INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
*RECORDS AND INFORMATION SCIENCE MANAGEMENT $265
One And Half Year Higher National Diploma Level

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
*RECORDS AND INFORMATION SCIENCE MANAGEMENT
Tuition: $315
SOLUSI UNIVERSITY
The Assistant Registrar- Admissions
P. O. Solusi Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Tel +263 09 63345, 09- 885457
Cell: 0712 634 779, 0712 361 184,
Email: admissions@solusi.ac.zw

Entry Requirements:
5 O Levels including English Language plus 2 A Levels in relevant art subjects or a
relevant National Diploma. International students are admitted if they hold University
status in their own country. Those without A Level will be expected to complete pre-
University requirements before being admitted for a degree.
BA English and Communication
KUSHINGA PHIKELELA POLYTECHNIC

Marondera
Telephone: (0279 24484/ 5/6
Email: kushingaphikelela@gmail.com
Department Of Information and Technology

a) National Certificate in Information Technology
(One- Year Course)
Entry Qualifications
5 O level passes at Grade C or better including Mathematics and English Language
b) National Diploma in Information Technology

(Three- Year Course inclusive of one year industrial attachment)
Entry Qualifications
National Certificate in Information Technology
c) Higher National Diploma in Information Technology Studies (One- Year Course)
Information Technology
IT Manager Systems Analysts
Computer Technician Systems Administrator
Computer Operator
WOMENS UNIVERSITY IN AFRICA

Address: Education Services Centre
P. O. Box MPI22
Mount Pleasant Harare, Zimbabwe
Tel: (263) -4- 334506, 334158, 333139
Fax: (263) -4- 333154
Email: info@wua.ac.zw. Website: www.wua.ac.zw
BSc. Information Systems (3 Years)

Entry Requirements:
-5 Level passes including English Language and Mathematics, with grade C or better.
-2 A Level passes in relevant subjects, or at least 2 years relevant work experience and
relevant National Diplomas (ND) in Computer Science/Computer Studies/Information
Technology.

Year One: First Semester Courses
Computer Hardware Architectures
Internet Fundamentals; Systems Analysis and Design; General
Management Principles
Communication Skills
Year One: Second Semester Courses
Introduction to Database Systems
Programming with Visual Basic
Programming using C
Introduction to Gender Studies
Computer Networks and Telecoms, Work Related Learning
Year Two: First Semester Courses
Management Information Systems
Computer Quantitative Methods
Software Engineering
Advanced Database Systems
Business Economics, Work Related Learning
Year Two: Second Semester Courses
Visual C+ +
Concepts of Java
Web Graphics Design and Java
Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management, Work related
Learning
Year Three: First Semester Courses
Enterprise Information Systems; Research Methods
Quality Management
Artificial Intelligence and Expert Systems
Advanced Visual Basic; Research Project
Year Three: Second Semester Courses
Decision Support Systems
Computer Auditing
Project Management in Computers
Accounting and Finance
Research Project
OTHER TRAINING CENTERS
CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF SOUTHERN AFRICA (CCOSA)

Address:
Telephone:
Staff: Head: Petros Masakara. 20 lecturers. The majority of the lecturers have first
degrees in media studies, three have Mas, while the other three who have Diplomas are
studying for first degrees. The lecture to student ratio is one to 13 students. Some of
our lecturers are hands-on people who are in the field. Every Friday 12-14 hours there is
a press club where we invite senior people in the media to address students.
Entry Qualifications: Five (5) O level subjects, including a B or better in English plus
two A level passes, preferably in the Arts.

Course Outline: The Journalism and Communication Department of CCOSA offers
theoretical and practical training in journalism for 18 months after which students go for
6-months internship, leading to a two (2) year National Diploma in Journalism and
Communication.
Enrollment: 75 students per intake, three intakes per year: January, May and
September.
Gender: Slightly over half of the students are female.
Tuition: Day students pay USD 360 per semester, but the payment plan is such that
they pay 90 dollars per month. Evening students pay 400 dollar per semester but can
pay 100 dollars per month.
Equipment and other training facilities: Resources are inadequate. While we have
state of the art equipment in the radio studio, it cannot assist so many students. More or
better cameras are need in TV studio. It is partly true that tertiary institutions are
churning out half-baked products for employment in the market. If the problem of
inadequate training equipment is addressed, better journalists can be produced. But
here at CCOSA our mission is to develop competent graduates who are responsive to
the needs and challenges of society.
On digital/multimedia skills training: Each class has two hours every week dedicated
to digital/multi-media training. We have digitalized equipment for training radio
broadcasters and a couple of television cameras for practicals.
Industrial Attachments: Students returning from industrial attachments write a 6,000

word report on their experience.
On the relevance of CCOSA training to the requirements of the market: Quite

relevant. More than half of the practicing journalists print and media in Zimbabweare
from this institution. There are several institutions that are training journalists for the
same market making the absorption of all our graduates in the market a major
challenge.
Any other Submission: If more radio and TV station are introduced, the young
journalists we are training can easily be absorbed. More channels would give listeners
and viewers a diversity of programs. With more stations, there will be stiff competition
among broadcasting houses and the quality of programs will certainly improve.
CCOSA also offers under its ICT Department

One year National Certificate in Information Technology
Three year National Diploma in Information Technology
One Year Higher National Diploma in Information Technology
The above three courses are supervised by HEXCO.
Under supervision of ABMA, the ICT Department at CCOSA offers:

18 month Computer Engineering Diploma
18 month Computing Information Systems Diploma
Entry Qualifications (i.e. ICT Courses): Five O level subjects, including English and
Mathematics

Enrolment: Five to 10 students per intake, HEXCO has two intakes per year, while
ABMA has four intakes per year.
Gender: males 8 to 10, females 2-3
Staff: Seven lecturers with a minimum of HND in Information Technology. Lecturer to
students ratio: 1:8
Equipment: We have two computer labs with 10 computers in each lab.

On practical hands on training: Hexco has clear guidelines on handling practicals i.e. at
least one practical assignment per course or subject per term. ABMA courses are up to
date with current technologies, whilst HEXCO seems to take longer to do curriculum
review. Sixty percent of our training in core courses is practical hands-on training. We
have field visits to various institutions. Our students also go for industrial attachments.
Most students are enthusiastic to take on new technological challenges. Tertiary
examination boards may be taking too long to review curricula.
On the relevance of CCOSA training to the requirements of the market: Right now
industry a bit suppressed but there is a general drive for technology in the economy and
this creates opportunities.
Tuition fees: 300 dollars per semester for HEXCO courses and 240 dollars per
semester for ABMA courses.
BUSINESS ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES (BES) GROUP OF COLLEGES

Address: 4th Floor
Beverley Building
Corner Fife & 10th Ave
CBD, Bulawayo
Postal: P.O. Box 1301, Bulawayo
Telephone:
BES offers a two year (maximum four years) Diploma in Mass Communications.
Staff: Eight (8) degree holders and equivalent and We do engage external experts in
our training. Most lecturers are employed in the media industry. Lecturer to student
radio: One to 10
Equipment: Computers are available. Additional donations of broadcasting equipment,
cameras, computers, projectors etc. would be appreciated. Due to limiting factors, effort
is being made to source digital equipment to train students. Your assistance would be
appreciated.
Fees: Fees per year is 900 dollars, total course for the course is 1,800 dollars (fees)
plus examination fee of 3 times 125 dollars =375 dollars plus attachment fee of 100
dollars.
Enrolment: Minimum of ten students per intakes. We have two to four intakes per year.
Gender: Student population is about fifty fifty males, females.
Entry Qualifications: Five O levels

Course Outline
The syllabus aims to:

Equip students with skills of enquiry and research
Equip students with skills of accurate composition and oral expression for in
students the appropriate ethics and standard appropriate for the practice of
journalism
Nurture in students the appropriate public relations skills necessary for cultivating
interpersonal relationships in the course of duty
Cultivate in students the requisite skills for handling mass audiences
Familiarize students with relevant working environments for the effective
discharge o duties.
Skills objectives:
By the end of the course students should be able to demonstrate:
Competence in radio and television presentation
Competence in writing news, feature and special articles
Relevant entrepreneurship skills and innovativeness where necessary
Relevant investigative, analysis and research skills
Competence in composition and oral expression skills.
Year 1:
1. Communication Theory
Nature and Purpose of Communication
The Flow of Information in an Organization
Barriers to Effective Communication
Effective Listening Skills
Models of Communication
Written Communication
Oral Communication
The Importance of Nonverbal Communication
Feedback and Interference
Handling Grievances and Complaints
2. News Reporting/ Print Media

The History of the Newspaper
Types of Newspapers (Tabloids and Broadsheet)
Work Opportunities at Newspaper
Reporting for a Newspaper
The news Story
Feature writing
Special articles
Preparing Articles for the Internet
News Agents and Wholesalers
Copy Editing and Proofreading
Principles of Newspaper Page Design and Layout
Editing Pictures
Writing Captions.

3. Television Production
Introduction to Television
History of Television
Television as a medium
Television Broadcasting Systems
Public service Model
Free market/commercial model
Production personnel in television: Director/Producer/Camera person, Sound
Engineer/Editor/ Floor Manager/Set Designer/Script writer
Production Techniques: Lightning, Purpose of Lighting, Technique Sound,
Special Effects, Scripting for Television: Types of Scripts, Persuasion,
Information Education and Entertainment
News casting: Time and speech rates, pronunciation and enunciation,
personality, awareness of audience, feedback from viewers
Continuity Presentation
4. Radio Production
Introduction to radio
Characteristic of radio
Comparison of radio to other mediums
Background to radio in Zimbabwe --the colonial period, independence and recent
Developments
Challenges to radio --limited frequency spectrum and legislative barriers (case
study of
The Broadcasting Act of Zimbabwe 2002)
Types of radio stations -- commercial, community and public service
The radio station -- production roles and radio equipment
Scripting for radio --broadcast style(persuasion, information, education and
Entertainment)
Radio formats --music programs, news and current affairs ,talk shows and
discussions, magazines and documentary.
5. Features and Creative Writing
Introduction to the feature-the human interest angle
Structure of the feature
Differences with the news story
Special articles-book reviews, film reviews, comment and opinion ,food and
hospitality,
Travel and tourism, sports reviews, political analysis
Developments in political analysis
Fiction writing
Qualities of a writer
Hints on writing-the short story, the novel ,poetry and plays
Preparation of the manuscript
Proofreading and semantics
Publishing agreements and contracts
Serial rights and copyright
Copyright and Neighboring Acts in Zimbabwe (2001)
Translation techniques
Marketing creative works

YEAR 2
6. Public Relations and Advertising
The nature of public relations
The major functions of the PRO
Internal and external publics
Difference between public relations and marketing
Crisis and issues management
Event management
Customer relations
Social/corporate responsibility
Lobbying and investor relations
Publicity and press agency
Advertising
Nature and purposes
Ethics in advertising
Benefits and demerits of advertising
Language issues in advertising
Gender and advertising
7. Media Law and Ethics

Introduction to media law and ethics
Freedom of press expression (Article 19 of the UNDHR 1948)
Zimbabwes constitution and provision for freedom of press and expression
Media ethics
Differences between media law and ethics
Defamation
What is defamation?
Defenses of defamation
Media laws in Zimbabwe
Historical background
Official Secrets Act
Law and Order Maintenance Act
AIPPA (2002), POSA (2002)
Ethical Considerations:
Faithfulness, accuracy, objectivity, protecting sources and right to privacy
Reporting courts and children
Codes of conduct:
ZUJ
IJAZ
ZIMPAPERS
8. International Relations
Definition of politics
Democracy, good governance and rule of law
Constitutionalism
Separation of powers
s i.e. the executive, legislature and judiciary
The media as Fourth Estate of governance

The political landscape in Zimbabwe
Role of the media in politics
Publics Sphere Theory
Agenda Setting Theory
Public Watchdog Theory
Other roles
The relationship between journalists and politicians
Exchange model
Advisory model
9. Management and Entrepreneurship

Leadership and management
Management theories
Project writing
Project evaluation
10. Research Theory
Quantitative methodology
Qualitative methodology
Primary sources
Secondary sources
Structure of the research project
UMAA INSTITUTE
Address: Head Office

44 Selous Ave
Harare
Telephone: 263 4 446261
Mobile: 0712752118
0772676273
0774065284
0774065278
No of staff: 1
Proprietor: CleopasKundiwona
Course Outline:
UMMA Institute offers a 12-month diploma in journalism and media studies at its
Marondera Campus. The Institute opened in 1995 and has since trained students from
as far afield as Zambia, Uganda, Kenya, Namibia, Swaziland and Botswana over the
years in addition to Zimbabweans.
Entry qualifications: Five level O passes including English, Mathematics, History,
Geography and any other subject. Trainees with A level passes in subjects including
accounts, business and commerce, become specialist reporters in those areas upon
graduating.

Enrolment: The college head and founder says annual intake is 20 students. Gender:
Institute strives to achieve equal enrollment for women and men and last year (2013) it
had enrolled 10 boys and 6 girls. Current enrolment had 10 boys and 10 girls.
Staff: There is one instructor who is occasionally assisted by external resource persons
(a locally based ZBC reporter, editor of weekly community newspaper, Chaminuka,
and the principal himself, covering newspaper reporting, subediting, freelance writing.
Institute is affiliated to the UK-based Institute of Commercial Management (ICM) whose

modules are used for:
Broadcast Journalism
Newspaper Reporting
Sub editing
Freelance and Feature Writing
Media Law and Ethics
Advertising
Public Relations
Marketing
Tuition fees: 895 USD per term.
Industrial attachment: Before graduating all the trainees do industrial attachments.

None of the graduates from Institute were unemployed, attributed to the strong bias in
practical training throughout the course and strong links with market.
SPECISS COLLEGE
Address:Chitepo Campus
Herbert Chitepo Ave/3rd Street
P.O. box 2713
Harare
Telephone: 263 4 7088494/794825
ww.specisscollege.com
Mobile: 0733708353
Staff: Chairperson: John Chinzvende, Director of Studies Business School. Six (6)
teach the Journalism programme; one has a Masters degree in Media Studies; four (4)
have BA Degree in Media Studies and Diploma in Journalism and one ( I) has BA
degree in Media Studies. Our teaching staff are all part time and some of them are
working in the media and use their practical experience during teaching. Student per
lecturer ratio: Maximum 1:15
Entry Qualifications: There are two entry points: Level 4 requires 5 O Levels with
passes in English Language and Mathematics; Level 5 requires 2 A Levels and 5 O
Levels, including English Language and Mathematics

Enrolment: Our average enrolment is 30 students per year, two intakes per year in
January and June. Gender: We do not have a quarter system when enrolling but on
average we have 80% male and 20% female.
Fees: $750 per semester (semester per year). Students are allowed to pay in monthly
instalments of $125.
Course Outline: Speciss College offers an 18-month Diploma in Journalism and Media
Studies examined by the Association of Business Management and Administrators
(ABMA) The curriculum has the following subjects: Level 4 Diploma (Constructing a
Story in Journalism: Interviewing and Research in Journalism: Broadcasting: Internet
Broadcasting: Public Relations for Journalists) Level 5 Diploma (Print and outline
Journalism; Journalism and the Law;
Convergent Journalism; Notation and Transcription for Journalists; Editing Roles in
Journalism) Level 6 Diploma (Principles and the Role of Journalism: Specialized
Reporting in the Media: Investigative Journalism: Freedom of information and Media
Law; Standards and Ethics in Journalism.
Resources for training/ equipment: We do not have specialized training equipment.

Our training programme is theory based.
Is practical training incorporated in your curriculum? We do not provide practical

training; our students are exposed to the practical aspects of journalism by visiting
media houses for familiarization purposes. We do not have a formal attachment
programme. However, we have a formal system for students to evaluate the
effectiveness of the teaching in the classroom.
On observations that tertiary institution are churning out held baked products for
employment in the market: Currently the measure of achievement of the skills and
outcome of the training programme is the passing of the formal examination. We
strongly believe that graduates of the programme enter the market with the basic skills
needed to perform specified functions of particular jobs. The observation of the half
baked products is often made by experienced practitioners who want a new graduate to
hit the ground running. It should be noted that the acquisition of skills and knowledge is
not a phase, but a continuous process. Employers must also take responsibility in
continuous professional development of new graduates entering the market. The
training equips the students with the necessary skills for a career in journalism and
media.
What is your assessment of the attitude of your students towards their course
choice?
Students chose courses due to a number of reasons, such as influence form family
members, following the footsteps of their role model, upgrading skills after finding
themselves in a related type of work.
Is there scope for absorption of all your graduates in the market? That would be
the ideal. Any training institution would derive satisfaction if all its graduates are
employed in the relevant employment sector of the course offered.

It is alleged that your enrolment is influenced mostly by commercial
considerations.
What is your response? We feel that this is a wrong perception. The courses that we
offer are aimed at producing graduates with the skills required on the market for the
economic and social development of the nation. This ensures that we carefully select
the course that we offer in order to strike a balance between meeting the skills needs of
the nation and running a viable business. Our students must meet the minimum
enrolment entry requirements. More often we reject a number of students wanting to
study without the minimum entry requirements, which defeats the perceived perception
that we are influenced mostly by commercial considerations.
Digital/multi-media skill training has become central in training modern day

mediapractitioners. What ratio, to your overall training, is dedicated to these new
and essential skills? Currently about 20%: through subjects, such as Internet
Broadcasting, Print and online Journalism.
ZIMBABWE FILM & TELEVISION SCHOOL OF SOUTHERN AFRICA (ZIFTESSA)
Address: P. Bag CY 7741, 57Mazowe Street, Harare

Telephone: 263 4 796522
ZIFTESSA offers a two-and-half year fulltime National Diploma in film and television.
Entry Qualifications: Five O level passes. A level and a degree qualification an added
advantage. Applications in September. Enrolment in January
Enrolment: 20 to 25 students per intake, one intake per year. For 2014 there are 11
females and 13 males.
Course Outline:
Filmmaking- script writing, producing, editing, cinematography, production design
Animation, Cinematography, Directing, Editing, Production Design, Production and
Production Management, Script Writing and Special Effects.
The business of the film school is to train and educate high caliber personnel able to
create entertaining, educational, informative cultural films and TV programs whose
production values can compete with any audio visual products from any part of the
world.
No of Staff: Eight (8) academic members of staff one with a PhD, four with BA, and
three with National Diploma.
Resources: Not enough need more cameras, more computers, projectors, studio and
studio equipment.
ZIMBABWE INSTITUTE OF VIGITAL ARTS (ZIVA)

ZIVA is Zimbabwes first graphic design and new media school
Address:
Telephone: +263 4 253130
No of staff: 12 staff members.
Enrolment: 18 new students each year, its maximum student base always 36.
Fees: USD1,000 per term

Course outline: ZIVA is committed first and foremost to providing a high quality Design
education and teaching New Media skills. It is the first college of its kind in the country
and different from other training facilities in that it emphasizes Design; it is not enough to
be proficient with the digital tools, because that is exactly all they are: tools. Whether
one wants to study print or new media, an understanding of typography, visual
hierarchy, communication, and inter-face and information design is crucial, it is the
foundation.
The two year full time programme in graphic design serves the following aims:
1. To provide the graphic design profession in Zimbabwe with suitably trained personnel.
2. To develop students problem solving abilities and critical thinking skills.
3. To enable, advise and assist students to develop their creative potential within the
subject.
4. To develop skills appropriate to the realization of work in a visual form.
5. To develop communication skills both visual and verbal
First Year
TERM One: Graphic Design 1, Foundation Studio, Digital Studio 1,Visual Communication
(Photography)
TERM Two: Graphic Design 1, Foundation Studio, Digital Studio 2, Visual Communication
(Photography)
TERM Three: Graphic Design 1, Foundation Studio, Digital Studio 3, Visual
Communication 3 (Photography, Digital Video)
Aims and Objectives
1. To introduce the students to a range of working methods through projects and
exercises
2. To place emphasis on creative problem solving alongside the development of technical
skills in the realization of work
3. To encourage discussion on design issues and expand on students visual awareness
through lectures, research projects and field visits
4 .To introduce the students to the digital working environment and to the different
applications used at the college
Learning Outcomes
a) An understanding of typographic terminology, typefaces, letterform structure, and the
expressive quality of letterforms
b) A basic knowledge of the history of typography and graphic design up to the Bauhaus
c) An ability to identify a design problem, apply various approaches and critically examine
the work
d) An understanding of the need for neatness, accuracy, presentation, and time
management
e) Be able to successfully realize a visual idea or representation on paper
f) A basic understanding of formal design principals-shape, color, texture, focal points,
balance etc.
g) Be familiar with a range of different materials and design problems
h) Gain computer keyboard skills and understand the terminology and function of the
computer and the different software packages

Second Year
TERM Four
Graphic Design 2
Advertising Design
Digital Studio 3 (New Media - Macromedia Dreamweaver & Flash)
Visual Effects (3D Modelling, DV, Motion Graphics)
TERM Five
Graphic Design 2
Advertising Design
Digital Studio 4 (New Media - Macromedia Director)
TERM Six
Graphic Design 2
Advertising Design
Digital Studio 4 (New Media - Macromedia Director)
Thesis project
Aims and Objectives
1. Students become familiar with new media technology and appropriate skills through
project based study
2. Students are given the opportunity to become conversant with the processes (creative
and technical) that are needed to implement their ideas successfully for print and new
media
3. Students are presented with design projects to promote the development of time
management skills
4. An awareness of professional opportunities and working realities is encouraged through
visits by design professionals, group discussion, project work in conjunction with the
industry and work attachments (term 5)
Learning Outcomes
a) An understanding of typographic hierarchies and appropriateness of typefaces
b) Be able to lay out a multiple page document using a grid
c) Have an understanding of the power of image and type to communicate various
messages
d) Gain confidence in print, web and digital video editing software and be able to work
across program to realize a project
e) Have a basic understanding of HTML, the design process and technology involved in
designing a web site
f) Gain an understanding of the power of moving images, narrative and production
techniques in relation to digital video
g) Be able to produce and edit digital video
h) Have a strong understanding of the function and practice of graphic design with an
emphasis on branding, corporate identity and packaging

I) Be able to prepare a complex document for print production and understand the basics
of origination and printing
j) Become familiar with the history of graphic design from the Bauhaus to post-modernism
k) Have a general understanding of the principles and practice of the advertising industry
k) Have a general understanding of the principles and practice of the advertising industry
l) Be able to articulate design concepts and critically examine work
CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAMME
Digital Imaging for Print and Multimedia (Photoshop)
Once a term, 6 weeks, evenings twice a week
Web Design (Macromedia Dreamweaver)

Once a term, 6 weeks, evenings twice a week
HARARE POLYTECHNIC SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MEDIA STUDIES

Address:
Telephone:
The Harare Poly offers:
One year National Certificate in Mass Communication

Two-year (2) year Diploma in Print Journalism and
Two (2) year Diploma in Broadcast Journalism.
Staff:
Chairperson:
Senior Lecturers
Course Outline:
Life Long Education College
Address: 89 Rotten Row

Harare
Mobile: 077 3 552, 0734291 545, 077 3 306 912
Email: lifelongcollege@webmail.co.za
No of staff:
Principal: E. Chirema
Staff:
The college offers a two-year
Course Outline:
Higher Education Examination Council (HEXCO) syllabus
Minimum Entry Qualifications: Five O level subjects, including English, preferably B
or better.
Enrolment: 20, one intake per year, almost half half male female ratio
Lecture per Student radio: 1:5.

Staff: 8 lectures, the least qualified has a Bachelors degree.
Resources> Computers focus on print journalism, with practical hands-on emphasis.
One to one student to computer ratio Press club weekly.
Tuition: 300 dollars per term
TRUST ACADEMY
Address:
Telephone:
No of staff: 15
Chairperson:
Senior Lecturers
The leading educational institution in the provision of quality academic, professional and
continuous development courses. Trust Academy...Training for Excellence!!!
Address: Jubilee 2000 Centre
40 Livingstone Avenue
CBD Harare
Harare
Zimbabwe
Telephone: +263 (4) 790984 Fax: +263 (4) 790996
Email: trust@trustacademy.co.zw
Postal: P.O. Box CY2201. Causeway, Harare
Contact: Herbert.T.Mbindi
Address: 2nd Floor 1 Raleigh St
Harare
Postal: P O Box CY 2201
Harare
Tel: 790996 / 790988-4 Fax: 790996
Email: mbindi@trustacademy.co.zw
Trust Academy has unveiled a state of the art ICT Corporate Training Centre, a move
that is aimed at promoting the integration of technological expertise amongst
Zimbabwean workforce. The fully equipped centre, situated at 182 Samora Machel
Avenue corner 8th Street, is geared up to deliver computer certifications for the following
courses Certified Ethical Hacker, Computer Hacking Forensic Investigation, CISCO,
COMPTIA, ICDL and Microsoft .The launch of the new facility has been driven by the
desire to provide a serene learning environment for corporates and individuals.
The main campus continues to offer its regular ICT courses like Pastel, AutoCAD,
Graphic Design, Web Design & online marketing, diploma and a higher diploma (IMIS).
It also offers a diploma and a Bachelor of management information system in
collaboration with MSU (Honors degree). Trust remains a certification centre for
Pearson, Prometric, Kryterion, E-C council and ACCA computer based exams.

The three schools namely Business School, ICT and High Schools will put a raft of
measures to number of measures to support our commitment. Business School will
engage various exam boards in providing students with vital exam tips and will as usual
offer revision classes for selected subjects. It will also conduct sit-ins that is in class
personal assessment of the competence of the lecturer which will give a room for on
spot advice.
The ICT Department will ensure sustainability of five-star results and improved students
pass rates through setting performance targets for each module, the department will
ensure all efforts are directed towards surpassing the targets. This will call for hard work,
commitment and dedication from both students and lectures.
The High School will ensure the improving of exam pass rates through conducting
intensive revisions during holidays and before the commencement of national
examinations. These programs provide intensive induction to all subjects and practice
from past exam papers.
Through the Customer services department, the college will ensure superior customer
satisfaction that will translate to superior examinations results. The college remains
committed in ensuring that it continuously offers services that fulfill your needs and
concerns in totality. We acknowledge that your needs and expectations always change
and our mission is to ensure we continue to match your ever rising expectations.
Through class visits, the college will empower students to open up on shortcomings
and inadequacies they are facing so that they will be swiftly addressed. The department
will engage sectional heads on a regular base to ensure that issues raised by students
are actively resolved to their satisfactory.
Through your feedback and comments, we will be able to continuously improve on our
systems, processes and controls. I strongly emphasis that such a feedback is critical to
us as it always challenge us to do better. Hence dont hesitate to contact key personnel
if you face challenges regarding our systems, processes and controls.
Ensuring a well-resourced library

This semester we are going to acquire more prescribed textbooks for various courses
and I am urging students who fail to find key textbooks in the library to always inform the
librarian so that we can acquire them. The college through the customer services
department will liaise with three schools that is Business School, ICT and High school in
identifying subjects where attention will be prioritized.
Work Related Learning programme

Through the Internship unit, the institution will ensure that there is the creation of more
attachment opportunities for students studying various disciplines through the creation of

strategic linkages with industry and commerce. I am therefore urging you to fully utilize
the section for your career development.
Enhancing Computer literacy

Students urged to acquire computer skills so that they will remain competitive in the job
market in this digital world.
CIVIC MEDIA ORGANISATIONS
Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe (VMCZ)

34 Colen brander Avenue
Milton Park
Harare
Box CY 862
Causeway
Harare
Zimbabwe
Tel: +263 (0)4 708035, OR (0)772-125658/9
Tel 263 4 778096/ 0772 125658/9
Email info@vmcz.co..zw
VMCZ is a professional media self-regulatory body set up in 2007 by Zimbabwean
journalists and other stakeholders in civil society who subscribe to the principles of
media freedom, accountability, independence, and ethical journalism. VMCZ's mission is
to promote a strong and ethical media with the ability to contribute to building a more
democratic and just society within policy and legal environments that facilitate growth
and development of independent, pluralistic, and free media. Specific objectives include:
To safeguard the independence and integrity of the media profession by ensuring
effective and professional self-regulation in the print and broadcasting media;
To promote high ethical and professional journalistic standards;
To serve as a medium of understanding and education between the public and the
media; and
To monitor media trends, course content, and ethics in media training institutions and
to consult and offer advice and support to such institutions.
Communication Strategies
VMCZ's work is based on the 1991 Windhoek Declaration on Promoting an Independent
and Pluralistic African Press, which says that an "independent, pluralistic and free Press
is essential to the development and maintenance of democracy in a nation and for
economic development", as well as on the 2002 Declaration of Principles on Freedom of
Expression in Africa, adopted by the African Commission on Human and People's
Rights, which proclaims in Article IX (3) that "effective self-regulation is the best system
of promoting high standards in the media."
The VMCZ receives, mediates, and adjudicates complaints by individuals and

organisations against the media. VMCZ seeks to form a buffer between the public and

the media and to serve as a medium of understanding between the two.
VMCZ offers hands-on training in journalism with the ambition to support balanced,
accurate, and impartial reporting. The VMCZ conducts in-house training at several
media houses as well as conduct training workshops for the media and the public.
Objectives
To safeguard the independence and integrity of the media profession by ensuring
effective and professional self-regulation in the print and broadcasting media;
To promote the highest ethical and professional journalistic standards;
To serve as a medium of understanding and education between the public and the
media;
To monitor media trends, course content and ethics in media training institutions and
to consult and offer advice and support to such institutions in furtherance of the aims
and objectives.
Outside its main mandate of dealing with complaints against the media, the Voluntary
Media Council of Zimbabwe (VMCZ) plans to continue with training journalists in both
ethical and professional media practice and hopes to partner local and international
organizations in this.
Preferred training methodology: workshops, seminars, in-house training and Exchange

programs with international media trainers. Profile of trainers: highly qualified,
experienced and respected journalists and media trainers with practical experience.
Media Institute of Southern Africa- Zimbabwe (MISA-Zimbabwe)

Address: 84 McChlery Avenue
Eastlea, Harare
Telephone: +263- (0)4 776165, 746838
Contact: Nhlanhla Ngwenya
Email: nhlanhla@misazim.co.zw
Email: misa@misazim.co.zw
MISA-Zimbabwe is one of the regional chapters of the Media Institute of Southern Africa
which has national chapters in 11 Southern African Development Community (SADC)
countries.
MISA-Zimbabwe's primary focus is to promote free, independent and diverse pluralistic

media, as envisaged in the 1991 Windhoek Declaration on Promoting Free and
Independent Press.
MISA-Zimbabwe conducts short courses on specific subjects and on mentoring, and in
the medium-term, into boosting training in colleges.
Preferred training methodology: workshops, seminars, in-house training and mentoring.
Profile of trainers: highly qualified, experienced and respected journalists and media
trainers with practical experience.

Media Monitoring Project of Zimbabwe (MMPZ)
9 Knight Bruce Road
Milton Park, Harare
Contact: Andy Moyse
Email: andy@mmpz.org.zw monitors@mmpz.org.zw
Tel: +263-(0)4-778115, 741816
Tel: +263-(0)4-776165, 746838
The Media Monitoring Project (Zimbabwe) is an independent Trust that works to

promote freedom of expression and responsible journalism in Zimbabwe. It aims to
achieve this through monitoring and analysis of the news and current affairs output on
domestic radio and television, and in the print media. Its findings are made public
through the publication of weekly media reviews and other regular reports.
MMPZ started its operations in 1999 and became an independent Trust in its own right
in March the following year. In addition to its weekly reports, MMPZ produces various
reports on media coverage of current issues, especially elections. The Project monitors
all news and current affairs output of the publicly owned media the national
broadcaster, ZBC, and the Zimbabwe Newspapers (1980) Ltd group, as well as the
privately owned media. However, the publicly funded media remain the main focus of
MMPZs attention since they are obliged to reflect all shades of opinion in Zimbabwe in
addition to reporting issues fairly and accurately.
MMPZ is a member of a number of local civic organizations and collaborates with these
and other human rights activist groups in lobbying regional and international bodies.
MMPZ works with the Media Alliance of Zimbabwe (MAZ) - which brings together the
Project, MISA-Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ), among other
media-related groups to counter the continuing harassment by the state of advocates
for free expression and the independent media in a coordinated campaign to bring an
end to these anti-democratic practices and open up Zimbabwes media environment as
envisaged by the Global Political Agreement signed by the countries three main political
parties in September 2008.
MMPZ has established a Public Information Rights Forum (PIRF) outreach network
comprising members of local community-based groups as part of its local advocacy
campaign to promote civil liberties, particularly those relating to free expression and
public information rights. MMPZ is a member of the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO
Forum a coalition of local human rights defenders, the Zimbabwe Election Support
Network that seeks to promote a culture of holding credible, democratic elections, and
the Media Alliance. The Projects collaboration with these and many other human rights
groups extends to lobbying local policy-making institutions for laws and policies that
protect and uphold the ideals of a true democratic culture, including a free and diverse
media protected by a constitutional guarantee of their right to exist.
MMPZ coordinator Andy Moyse, argues Zimbabwean journalists should go into

investigative reporting in a big way to uncover growing corruption and abuse of power
around the country. The MMPZs media monitoring work had, besides investigative
reporting, also established great need for regular training courses for working journalists
in news writing and editing. This training should be a combination of workshops, in-
house training, coaching and mentoring.

Preferred training methodology: workshops, seminars, in-house training and
mentoring.
Humanitarian Information Facilitation Centre (HIFC)

38 Harvey Brown Avenue
Milton Park, Harare
Tel 04 250638 707959
Project coordinator
The Humanitarian Information Facilitation Centre (HIFC) is a non-profit media

development organization. It was established in early 2009 to address an urgent need to
streamline the flow of information from the humanitarian sector to the general public and
decision makers.The organization is built on the belief that knowledge forms the basis
for all change and seeks to achieve this through an innovative cooperation between the
organization's two components; The Media and Humanitarian NGOs (HUNGO)
department
HIFC has run several workshops on reporting on humanitarian issues, from health
epidemics to forced migration. The training is a key part of a coaching and mentoring
programme for over 20 mostly freelance journalists who have signed up to work on
humanitarian stories.
HIFC plans to run more workshops on media training in covering broad humanitarian
issues, including food security, droughts and famine, floods and election violence and
how to mainstream gender issues in general reporting.
Preferred training methodology: workshops, seminars, in-house training, coachingand

mentoring.
Profile of trainers: highly qualified, experienced and respected journalists and

mediatrainers with practical experience.
Friedrich-Ebert Stiftung (FES)

Zimbabwe Office
P.O. Box 4720
No.6 Ross Avenue
ZW Belgravia, Harare
Email:info@fes-zimbabwe.org
Telephone: 00263 4705657
HIVOS
Regional office
20 Philips Avenue
Belgravia
P.O. Box 227 Harare
Tel 263 4 706 125
Email rosaf@hivos.co.zw

Culture Fund
The Media Centre

2nd floor, Bothwell house
Corner First Street and Jason Moyo
Harare
Contact: Earnest Mudzengi
Email:mudzengie@gmail.com
Tel: +263-(0)772-146234, (0)773 019888
The Media Centre was established in Harare in 2010 to act as one-stop facility offering
room for training workshops, discussion forums, press conferences and workstations for
freelance journalists. The center provides technical training support for the media centre
staff, they plan to organize workshops, including on covering elections, political
communication and self-management and survival skills for journalists.
Preferred training methodology: workshops, seminars and focus group discussions.
Profile of trainers: highly qualified, experienced journalists and media trainers with a
proven track record.
Centre for Public Accountability

84 McChlery rd.
Eastlea, Harare
The Centre for Public Accountability (CPA) has been running since 2009 sponsoring
investigative reporting to promote public accountability.
The centre includes a training and mentoring programme for a dozen journalists. The
CPA plans has run and plans more workshop on investigative journalism.
Preferred training methodology: workshops, seminars, in-house training, coaching

and mentoring.
Community Publishing
The African Community Publishing and Development Trust (ACPD) needs training for its
outreach officers and rural coordinators in ICTs so that they can use new forms of
electronic media to spread key messages from its books and posters. The field officers
also need training in photography and video production. The ACPD prefers in-house
training, followed by mentoring.
The trust is also looking for training in citizen journalism in all of Zimbabwes 60 rural
districts, and is considering partnering the Association of Rural District Councils in
reviving their newsletter. In districts where the trust is deeply involved in peace-building
in every ward, training in community radio and newsletter production would be useful. It

would also help to expand this training to children, who constitute half the countrys
population and are the most vulnerable and deprived sector.
Preferred training methodology: workshops, in-house training and mentoring. Profile

of trainers: highly skilled and experienced trainers in the diverse uses of new electronic
media.
Federation of African Media Women Zimbabwe (FAMWZ)
34 c Colenbrander
Milton Park
Tel 263 4 778076/778006
Email famwzimbabwe@gmail.com
Zimbabwe Association of Community Radio Stations (ZACRAS)

10 Hilary drive
Ashbrite, Harare
Tel 263 4 307340 772 982134, 0 775-093384
Email info@ zacraszim.orgviviennem@zacraszim.org
Radio Dialogue
9th floor
Pioneer house
Corner 8th Avenue/Fife Street
Bulawayo
Po box fm100
Famona, Bulawayo
Tel 263 9 881009,881020
Email radio@radiodialogue.co.zw
Production Manager Zenzele Ndebele
Voice of People
John Masuku, Executive Director
Po box 5750 Harare
voxpopzim@yahoo.co.uk voxpop@ecoweb.co.zw
MEDIA PROFESSIONAL BODIES
Zimbabwe Union of Journalists

52 Edmonds Avenue
Belvedere, Harare
Po Box CY 2199
Causeway
Harare
Tel: +263-(0)4-783532, 756367, 783518
Contact Person: Foster Dongozi
fosterdongozi@yahoo.com
admin@zuj.org.zw

Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) has been working over the years in lobbying
national and international organizations to support training initiatives in the country and
has on its part sponsored many workshops, including on election reporting and safety of
journalists in a hostile environment.
(ZUJ) Secretary General, Foster Dongozi says both journalists and employers agree
that a lot of improvement is required in training and co-ordination, and this can only be
done through a common platform where stakeholders can agree on priorities and
standards.
Dongozi says training on specific journalism subjects was important, the media industry
and international cooperating partners should maintain support on risk awareness
training for journalists, editors and owners as advocated in a national media strategy
agreed on in 2009.
The Zimbabwe Union of Journalists 2014 training programme includes .
The union is also fundraising for training broadcasters, a workshop for photojournalists
and sub-editors on conflicts, sensitive pictures and headlines as well as training around
conflict issues and election reporting for Zimbabwes community newspapers.
In the medium-term, the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists would also like to see resources
being put into public media literacy programs and media discussion forums to promote a
culture of accountability by looking at the medias performance, media ethics and issues
of fairness and balance.
Preferred training methodology: workshops and round table discussion.
Profile of trainers: highly experienced and respected journalists and qualified media
Zimbabwe National Editors Forum (ZINEF)

Zimbabwe National Editors Forum
Contact: Patience Shawarira
Email:zinef.zimbabwe@gmail.com
Tel: 0773283772
ZINEF chairman Brian Mangwende said emphasis, especially for newspaper journalists,
should go into back-to-basics news writing skills. He said many young journalists coming
into newsrooms were struggling to construct a simple straightforward intro for a story.
ZINEF Training for the period September 2014- February 2015:

Social Media Training: Editors will be trained on how to incorporate online media
platforms into their newsroom structures. The training will focus on the use of
Facebook and tweeter in newsroom structures. Participants will also be trained
on how to market their content using Facebook and tweeter. The training will also
cover internet research, internet security, video, social media, and new ways for
print, social media as a newspaper tool, updated story telling tools and using
data and analytics to assess audience trends.

Leadership training: The training will seek to equip editors with management
skills to effectively lead newsrooms. The leadership training will also cover
strategy development. The training will seek to equip editors with skills to
develop a business strategy and ensure the marketability of their publications.
Change management training: The training will seek to equip editors with skills to
best deal with change within their newsrooms and within the external
environment.
Human resource management training: The training will seek to equip editors
with human resource management skills to effectively manage people within their
organizations.
Financial management training: The training will seek to equip editors with skills
to effectively deal with the business aspect of the newspaper. Editors also need
to understand the business side of running a newspaper so that they ensure the
viability of their business.
Preferred training method: In-house.
Journalism and Media Trainers Association of Zimbabwe (JAMTAZ)

Contact: Peter Mandava
Email: petermandava@yahoo.com
Tel: 0774891142
Peter Mandava, chairman of the Journalism and Media Trainers Association of

Zimbabwe (JAMTAZ), said a serious shortage of teaching equipment is adversely
affecting training in the media sector.
Mandava says almost all training institutions have varying degrees of shortages, and
badly need help in securing:
- radio and television broadcasting training units;
- cameras, and photojournalism equipment
- computers, and desktop publishing units for college newspapers
- journalism and media books
- subscriptions for reputable journals, local newspapers and magazines
- funding for special training in areas, including rural reporting
JAMTAZ membership includes trainers from the Midlands State University

(MSU), University of Zimbabwe, National University of Science and Technology (NUST),
Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU), Harare Polytechnic, CCOSA, BES and UMAA.
A critical area needing immediate assistance is staff development. Mandava says

JAMTAZ needs help in both the short- and medium-term in staff development areas,
including:
- Scholarships and staff exchange programs
- Special summer and winter school programs
- Trainer-of trainer workshops
- Funding for research, and media journal to publish research papers
- Workshops and seminars to present research findings

Public Affairs Section, US Embassy
The Public Affairs Section manages the American Embassy's media, cultural and
educational programs. Their mission is to "tell America's story to the world" by sharing
information, experiences and ideas.
Press inquiries to any section of the Embassy should be directed to the

Media Specialist at the Public Affairs Section. Our head office in Washington produces a
news summary, called the Washington File, every working day. This is received at our
office and made available to members of the press and local government officials.
The Public Affairs Section administers a variety of educational exchange programs,

including the Fulbright program. Although opportunities for scholarships are scarce,
large numbers of students come to the U.S. each year to take advantage of our highly
advanced and specialized educational programs. The Public Affairs Section's education
advisor provides valuable information to individuals who have their own or institutional
means to study in the U.S., and need information on finding an appropriate university,
applying for admission, and preparing for student life in America. This office also makes
available the required examinations for entry into college and graduate programs.
As the world becomes more tightly interconnected, the English language becomes
increasingly a global possession. Whether for tourism, business, or access to the latest
research in many fields, English is essential. The Public Affairs Section invites English
language teachers to inspect the list of EFL books produced by our head office in
Washington. These books can be ordered at good prices.
In all of these areas, information is the essence. In keeping with the electronic
information revolution, our old paper-copy libraries have been replaced by Information
Centers (IRC). Although our IRC does still maintain a collection of books and
periodicals, we rely increasingly on on-line or CD-ROM databases. Our librarians are
trained to help you make use of these technologies, and are happy to respond to
inquiries about our collection.
1. Combined Harare Residents Association

Contact: Mfundo Mlilo
Email: mfundomlili@gmail.com
Tel: +263-(0)4-776285, 776268, (0)772-127397, (0)772-345304, (0)773-042981
2. NGO Forum
Contact: Abel Chikomo
Email: Abel.chikomo@gmail.com
Tel: 250511/250486/772860
3. Zimbabwe Association of Editors (ZAE)

Tel: 0778858084

4. Reuters
Contact: Cris Chinaka
Email:chinakacris@gmail.com
Tel: 0712600488
5. Crisis Coalition
Contact: Mao
Email: info@crisiszimbabwe.org
Tel: +263-(0)4-704418/798038, (0)772-471668/69, (0)772-127398
6. NANGO
Contact: Cephas Zinhumwe
Email: zinhumwec@gmail.com
Tel: +263-(0)4-708761, 732612
7. ZimRights
Contact: Okay Machisa
Email: okaymachisa@gmail.com
Tel: 707278/705898
8. Silveira House
Contact: Father Munyoro
Email: director@silveirahouse.org
Tel: +263-(0)4-2935844-5, (0)772-147788
9. Jesuit Communications Zimbabwe

Contact: Father Nigel Johnson
Email: projects@jesuitszimbabwe.co.zw
10. Mass Public Opinion Institute

Prof Eldred Masunungure
info@mpoi.org.zw
11. SAPES Trust

Contact: Dr. Ibbo Mandaza
Email: ibbo@sapes.org.zw
Tel: +263-(0)4-252965, 704921
12. Elections Resources Network

Contact: TawandaChimhini
Email: tawandachimhini@gmail.com
Tel: 0776347629

13. Bulawayo Agenda
byagenda@gmail.com
+263-(0)86-44067984, (0)777-728363
14. Zimbabwe Election Support Network

Rindai Chipfunde Vava
rindai@zesn.org.zw
791443/798193
15. Elections Resources Network

Contact: Tawanda Chimhini
Email: tawandachimhini@gmail.com
Tel: 0776347629
16. Artists for Democracy Zimbabwe

info@adzt-zim.org
17. Centre for Disability Development

Contact: Masimba Kuchera
Email: masimba_zw2001@hotmail.com
Tel: 0772525758
REGULATORY AUTHORITIES
Zimbabwe Council for Higher Education (ZIMCHE), register of higher education

institutions, their associates and programs offered.
Dr. Lazarus Nembaware, Director: Registration and Accreditation
Address: 21 Airport Road
Postal: Bag CY 7785, Causeway, Harare
Telephone: 263 4 571163/5, 551994
Standards Development & Research Unit (SDERU),Ministry of Higher and

Tertiary Education, register and monitor of vocational training colleges/ institutions
assessment and accreditation of foreign and local programs.
Mr. Mutisi
Address: MTB Complex
128 Mutare Road, Msasa
Postal: Bag. 7711, Causeway, Harare
Telephone: 263 4 4467677/9
Email: info@sderu.org.zw wwwsderu.org.zw
Higher Education Examinations Council (HEXCO)
Association of Business Management and Administrators (ABMA)
Institute of Commercial Management (ICM)

ANNEX 7
The Media Alliance of Zimbabwe (MAZ): Media unusual: Toward

democratic holistic and far reaching Zimbabwe Media Policy Reform

1. Introduction and Context

Debate and considerations on the future of the media in Zimbabwe, as an initial and
urgent departure point in 2014, must take into account the full import of the fact that
Zimbabwe has a new constitution. Both in its holistic realignment and reconfirmation of
the values and democratic principles of the Republic as well as with regards to the role
that the media is envisioned to play in ensuring the realization of the same ideals.
1.1 It is the new constitutional dispensation that forms the base of any potential media
reform in Zimbabwe. The superstructure should then be developed by way of attendant
enabling legislation and democratic media practices that seek to enhance media
freedom, freedom of expression and access to information as outlined in the new Bill of
Rights.
1.2 In light of the above, it is the intention of this MAZ initial media policy review
advocacy paper to outline the following:
a) The specific clauses that affect the media in the constitution and their import on
media laws as the currently exist.
b) The existential framework of the current media environment and the challenges
and opportunities that emerge from it within the context of the new Constitution.
c) The placement of the media as an industrial sector in Zimbabwes national
economy. Specifically in relation to central governments stated intentions, the
market demand for media products and the placement of the democratic role of
the media as the fourth estate as balanced with the pursuit of profit.
d) Media Alliance of Zimbabwe established strategic considerations on media
reform in Zimbabwe
e) Establishing common ground on the way forward: Principles and Mechanisms.
2. The Constitutional Premise of Media Policy Reform.
2.1 Zimbabwes new constitution is a definitive new national framework for

considerations on the way forward. This is in direct relation to its holistic implications on
the national character of the Republic as well as specific sections that relate to the
media.
Where the constitution is analysed through the lenses of the media, it is important that
emphasis be placed on the legal fact that a constitution is not read in isolated parts.
Each part is inherently linked and, until the Constitutional Court or a two thirds majority

vote in the House of Assembly deem otherwise, all sections of the Constitution are
essentially meant to complement each other.
2.2 For the purposes of the media, it is important that due consideration be given to the
initial sections of the constitution that address issues of values and objectives of the
Republic of Zimbabwe.
2.3 Namely Section 3 which states, inter alia,

(1) Zimbabwe is founded on respect for the following values and principles
a) Supremacy of the constitution
b) The rule of law
c) Fundamental human rights and freedoms
d) The nations diverse cultural, religious and traditional values
e) Recognition of inherent dignity and worth of each human being
f) Recognition of the equality of all human beings
g) Gender equality
h) Good governance; and
i) Recognition of and respect for the liberation struggle.
2.4 Chapter 2 (Sections 8-34) also outline the National Objectives, to guide the state
and all institutions and agencies of government at every level in formulating and
implementing laws and policy decisions that will lead to the establishment ,
enhancement and promotion of a sustainable, just, free and democratic society in which
people enjoy prosperous, happy and fulfilling lives.
2.4.1 Subsection 8 (2) also specifically makes it clear that Regards must be had to the
objectives set out in this Chapter when interpreting the States obligations under this
Constitution and any other law
Given the constitutional fact that Zimbabwe is a democratic Republic, the above cited
sections are therefore to be considered in the most democratic interpretation of their
meaning.
It is however the same principles and objectives that should generally inform discourse
about the meaning of other sections of the constitution.
3. Specific Constitutional Clauses that Directly Affect the Media.
3.1 The new Constitution, differs from the old in directly recognizing media freedom as a
key component of the right to freedom of expression. This is found in Section 61of the
Constitution which states;
(1) every person has the right to freedom of expression, which includes-
a) Freedom to seek, receive and communicate ideas and other information,
b) freedom of artistic expression and scientific research and creativity; and,
c) academic freedom

(2) Every person is entitled to freedom of the media, which freedom includes the
protection of the confidentiality of journalists sources of information

establishment, subject only to state licensing procedures that-
a) are necessary to regulate the airwaves and other forms of signal
distribution; and,
b) are independent of control by government or by political or commercial
interests.
(4) All State owned media of communication must-
a) be free to determine independently the editorial content of their
broadcasts or other communications
b) be impartial, and,
c) afford fair opportunity for the presentation of divergent and dissenting
opinions
(5) Freedom of expression and freedom of the media exclude-
a) incitement to violence
b) advocacy of hatred or hate speech
c) malicious injury to a persons reputation or dignity; or,
d) malicious or unwarranted breach of a persons right to privacy
3.2 The follow up Section 62 of the Bill of Rights also accords the media and ordinary
citizens the right to access information as follows:
(1) Every Zimbabwean citizen or permanent resident, including juristic persons and
the Zimbabwean media has the right of access to any information held by the
State or by any institutions or agency of government at every level, in so far as
the information is required in the interests of public accountability.
(2) Every person, including the Zimbabwean media, has the right of access to any
information held by any person, including the State, in so far as the information is
required for the exercise or protection of a right.
(3) Every person has a right to the correction of information, or the deletion of untrue,
erroneous or misleading information which is held by the State or any institution
or agency of the government at any level, and which relates to that person.
(4) Legislation must be enacted to give effect to this right but may restrict access to
information in the interests of defence, public security or professional
confidentiality to the extent that the restriction is fair, reasonable, necessary and
justifiable in a democratic society based on openness, justice, human dignity,
equality and freedom.
3.3 These two sections in the Bill of Rights should however not be read without due
consideration given to Sections 248-250 which establish the Zimbabwe Media
Commission as follows:

3.3.1 The Zimbabwe Media Commission
Section 248: Establishment and Composition of Zimbabwe Media Commission
(1) There is a commission to be known as the Zimbabwe Media Commission
consisting of-
a) A chairperson appointed by the President after consultation with the
Committee on Standing Rules and Orders; and,
b) 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.
(2) Members of the Zimbabwe Media Commission must be chosen for their
integrity and their competence in administration and their knowledge and understanding
of human rights issues and the best practices in media matters.
3.3.2 Section 249 Functions of Zimbabwe Media Commission

(1) The Zimbabwe Media Commission has the following functions-
a) To uphold, promote and develop freedom of the media
b) To promote and enforce good practices and ethics in the media
c) To monitor broadcasting in the public interest and, in particular, to ensure
fairness and diversity of views broadly representing Zimbabwean society;
d) To encourage the formulation of codes of conduct for persons employed in
the media and, where no such code exists, to formulate and enforce one
e) To receive and consider complaints from the public and where appropriate, to
broadcasting who are found to have breached any law or any code of
conduct applicable to them
f) To ensure that the people of Zimbabwe have fair and wide access to
information
g) To encourage the sue and development of all the officially recognized
languages of Zimbabwe;
h) To encourage the adoption of new technology in the media and in the
dissemination of information
i) To promote fair completion and diversity in the media and;
j) To conduct research into issues relating to freedom of the press and of
expression, and in that regard promote reforms in the law.
3.3.3 Section 249

Subsection (2): An Act of Parliament may confer power on the Zimbabwe Media
Commission to-
a) Conduct investigations and inquiries into-
i. Any conduct or circumstance that appears to threaten the freedom
of the media; and
ii. The conduct of the media ; and

b) Take or recommend disciplinary action against media practitioners are
found to have breached any law or any code of conduct applicable to them
(3) An Act of Parliament may provide for the regulation of the media
3.3.4 Section 250: Reports of Zimbabwe Media Commission
In addition to the report it is required to submit in terms of section 323, the Zimbabwe
Media Commission may, through the appropriate Minister, submit reports to Parliament
on particular matters relating to the media which in the Commissions opinion, should be
brought before Parliament.
3.4 Lack of Exceptionalism for Freedom of Expression, Access to Information and Media
Freedom.
In terms of Section 86 of the bill of rights, neither the right to freedom of expression nor
that of access to information as outlined in sections 61 and 62 are exempt from
limitations.
4. Juxtaposing Enabling Acts of Parliament and Contemporary Media Policy with the
New Constitutional Dispensation.
4.1 Since the period of the promulgation of the new constitution in April 2013, there has
been general debate as to the need to realign Acts of Parliament and attendant
Statutory Instruments with the new supreme law of the land.
In the case of the media, the new constitutional clauses that deal with the rights to
freedom of expression, access to information and media freedom indicate that a review
of all existent media laws is of the utmost necessity and urgency. This must be done for
the following two reasons:
4.2 New Specification of Media Freedom as a Right in the Constitution
4.2.1 Because Section 61, unlike its predecessor, Section 20 of the old Lancaster House
constitution, makes specific reference to media freedom, broadcast media as well as
editorial independence of all media, the Constitution essentially envisions freedom of
expression as directly linked to media freedom.
In this direct link, consideration to both broadcast and general media outlined in Section
61 indicates that there is the possibility of the promulgation of new media laws that
enable the enjoyment and implementation of the right to freedom of expression as
outlined in Section 61.
Where analysis of existent media regulation laws such as the Access to information and
Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) as well as the Broadcasting Services Act (BSA) , this
new constitutional pretext and understanding of freedom of expression, access to
information and media freedom is inadequately addressed. Primarily because it did not
exist in the same format in Section 20 of the out of date Lancaster House Constitution.

4.2.2 Opportunity to Revisit, Review and Repeal Existent Media Legislation
As a result the new media related constitutional clauses, when juxtaposed with existent
media laws, offers an opportunity to not only revisit the existent legal and enabling
framework of media regulation but to do so with the active intention of changing it
wholesale. Specifically in line with not only the broader national objectives of the
supreme law of the land but also with the expanded provisions in Section 61 that set
parameters as to how the media must function.
4.3 Expanded Role of the ZMC
4.3.1 In section 248, the role and scope of the ZMC has been generally expanded to
include not just print media but also specifically broadcast media. Further to this,
additions to issues relating to the promotion of ICTs means that there is a multi media or
convergence dimensions to the expected role of the ZMC.
4.3.2 In order for there to be proper contextualization of the constitutional role of the
ZMC there is need for a much more specific enabling Act of Parliament that addresses
specifically issues to do with ZMC as a stand alone institution in similar fashion to Acts
of Parliament that enable other commission such as the Human Rights Commission or
the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption to undertake their constitutional responsibilities in the
spirit and letter of the new Constitution.
4.4 Access to Information as separate from media regulation.
4.4.1 Section 62 of the Bill of Rights distinctly outlines access to information as a

separate right from freedom of expression. Even though this right is evidently linked to
the media, the probable intention of the drafters of the constitution was to make it
apparent that access to information is a right that also extends to ordinary citizens.
Within the current legal framework, access to information works in tandem with
regulation of the media under the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act
(AIPPA). The democratic necessity of the combination of access to information and
media regulation is not in keeping with the intentions of Sections 61 and 62 of the new
Constitution.
4.4.2 It would therefore be necessary and urgent that consideration be given to a

separate Freedom of Information Bill, that would address and enable Section 62 of the
Constitution and creating a platform for interaction between public/state officials and
members of the public in the fulfillment of the right of all Zimbabweans to access
information.
4.5 Decriminalisation of Journalism

4.5.1 The specific sections that deal with freedom of expression and the media in the
new Constitution reflect a greater intention that the media must be permitted to function
as freely as possible. This would include removing legislation that seeks to criminalise
the journalistic profession through existent Acts of Parliament that permit the state to
arrest and prefer criminal charges against journalists that are deemed to have
undermined either the authority of the Office of the President, the Security Services or
Cabinet. Examples of where such latitude for the state exist can be found in Sections of
the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act, the Public Order and Security Act and the
Official Secrets Act.
4.5.2 The alternative framework in the advent of decriminalization of journalism, would

relate largely to clauses that relate to a media code of conduct that is expected to be
established by the ZMC in terms of Section 249 of the Constitution.
4.6 Technological Convergence of the Media and Access to Information
4.6.1 In the new constitution, reference that is made to ICTs particularly in Section 249
(g) to the functions of the media, there is the added and constitutional unprecedented
mention of ICTs as an area that the ZMC must focus on. The opportunity resides in the
integration of ICTs, multimedia and mainstream media in receiving and imparting
information.
Such a new technological framework cannot be met by the multiple regulatory

frameworks of the media. There is therefore evident need to seek a more integrated
approach to media development that takes into account global developments of media
technologies and their increasingly direct impact on the mainstream media content and
professionalism.
4.6.2 This would entail a review of the enabling Acts that affect telecommunications such
as the Postal and Telecommunications Act, the Interception of Communications Act and
the Broadcasting Services Act, in tandem with AIPPA. This would enable the State and
media stakeholders to find mechanisms of ensuring that they are in keeping with the
spirit and letter of the new constitution while taking into account global best practices as
to how information communications technologies can be best utilized to promote
freedom of expression and access to information.
4.7 New Placement of Broadcast Media in the Constitution.
4.7.1 Whereas the previous constitution made no specific mention of the broadcast
media in its provisions, the new one outlines both the importance as well as functions of
the broadcast media. This points to a much more direct co relation of freedom of
expression and broadcast media.

4.7.2 As such there is evident need for a review of the Zimbabwe Broadcasting
Corporation Act, the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (Commercialization) Act, and
the broadcasting Services Act in order to ensure that they are in keeping with the
intentions and requirements of Section 61 of the Bill of Rights.
5. Establishing the Media Sector as an Industry

5.1 In the aftermath of the appointment of Cabinet Ministers of the newly elected
government in 2013, the new Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Professor
Jonathan Moyo, indicated at a media stakeholders briefing organized by his ministry that
government intends to make the media sector a viable industry that contributes to the
overall national political economy.
5.2 This entails a holistic view of the media. In so doing, the media is then not
considered in singular isolation from the contemporary mechanisms of the construction
of the national cultural character of Zimbabwe.
5.3 These cultural production mechanisms that relate to the media and media
technology are utilitarian and profitable as an industry in so far as they impact on how
the contribute to the following aspects of Zimbabwean societys expectations of the
media:
a) Allowing ordinary citizens to express themselves and access information as
envisioned in the constitution
b) Producing public interest information/ news
c) Making public officials/government regularly accountable for their actions through
fair, balanced accurate reporting
d) Providing entertainment (sport, music, drama, film) and news on
entertainment/sport
e) Being a platform for the expression of popular national culture
f) Being a platform for minority cultural platforms identities
g) Promoting and facilitating knowledge production
5.4 In addition to these generally expected roles of a media industry, the latter still has
to conform to Sections 8-34 of the constitution which outline the national objectives of
the Republic.
5.4.1 The definitive elements that would technically provide the skeletal framework for a
media industry can be considered to be the following:
a) Sections 3, 8-34, 61, 62 and 248 of the Constitution
b) Democratic and converged integrated Enabling Legislation
c) Mainstream Media: Public Service Broadcasting (National and Community)
d) Mainstream Media: Print
e) Mainstream Media: Private Electronic Broadcast Media (radio and television)
f) New Media: Internet based media
g) New Media: Social Media and Mobile Telephony

h) Entertainment Media: Film
i) Entertainment Media: Drama
j) Entertainment Media: Sport
k) Cultural Practice Media: Music, Dance
l) Mainstream Media Support: Content Production/ Independent Production
m) Mainstream Media Support: Advertising
n) Knowledge Production Media: Publishing of Books (academic or factual),
Documentaries, Feature films (history, social/human interest)
o) Media knowledge/Expertise Production: Media Training Institutions
5.4.2It would be fair to consider the above cited elements as key components of what
would potentially be key characteristics of a Zimbabwean Media Industry.
5.4.3 In order to give it the proverbial kickstart, there must be a review of the following
policy frameworks in which it currently operates:
a) A review of all media related legislation as cited in Section D. In addition however,
there would be need to review enabling acts such as the Censorship and
Entertainment Control Act, the National Arts Council Act, the ZBC contractual
arrangements with independent producers, internal editorial policies of private and
state controlled print/electronic media houses, internet service providers, mobile
telephony service providers and national arts associations . All in aid of ensuring
there is adequate understanding of the contextual placement of all media as an
industry going forward.
b) Cutting out the regulatory red tape: For the media industry to flourish, there is even
greater need to cut through the multiple regulatory bodies that determine media
content. The cross regulation of media houses via the Zimbabwe Media commission,
the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe, The Postal and Telecommunications
Regulatory Authority, the Zimbabwe Republic Police, the National Arts Council and
the Censorship and entertainment control board means that most media houses
have to have multiple licenses or alternatively are under multiple regulatory regimes
by state related institutions.
c) Strengthening Capacity Development in all Media: Zimbabwes media has generally
been on the back-foot in relation to technology, trends, new media products and
media training regimes to meet both news demand and technological advances in
broadcasting and or multimedia. It is therefore imperative that there be a
realignment of media training regimes in relation to both professionalism of
journalists, media business strategies, film and television production, music and
drama as well as new media utilization in further enhancing the development of a
diverse and democratic media industry in Zimbabwe.
d) Strengthening Gender and Media Integration into Media Editorial and Institutional
Frameworks: In order for the media industry to flourish it must understand its
potential market demographics both quantitatively and qualitatively. This is with
reference to the fact that women make up a greater percentage of our national
population and therefore gender issues will loom large on any successful medias
landscape in relation to the way forward.

6. The Media Alliance of Zimbabwes Standing Strategies on Media Policy Reform for a
Democratic, Diverse and National Development Oriented Media Sector in Zimbabwe.
6.1 The Media Alliance of Zimbabwe (MAZ) has viewed the challenges faced by
Zimbabwes media as solvable by engaging all media stakeholders, the State and
ordinary members of the public on specifically five key issues. These are:
a) Media Law Reform: This relates to the repealing of all repressive laws that affect the
media and impinge on the right of all citizens of Zimbabwe to receive and impart
information and media freedom. Either through criminalization of the journalism
profession, statutory regulation,
b) Enhancement of Media Professionalism, Journalists Safety and Working Conditions:
This is with reference to independent media self-regulation and establishment of a
media code of conduct implemented by both the journalism profession and members
of the public. Furthermore, this specific strategy has sought to review all media
training and capacity development to ensure that the media is equipped with not only
relevant and contextual professional training but operates within optimum working
conditions, gender equality and with adequate remuneration and safety mechanisms
for journalists.
c) Promotion/Advocacy for Broadcasting Reform and Diversity: This is with reference to
the fact that Zimbabwes television and radio sector remains comparatively with
SADC countries, severely underdeveloped and lacking in diversity. Such a strategy
has consistently sought the reform of existent broadcasting laws to ensure the
creation of a democratic and independent three tier broadcasting sector, namely,
Commercial broadcasting, Public Service Broadcasting and Community
Broadcasting.
d) Utilization of New Media and Information Communication Technologies in Media
Development: MAZ has sought to engage the government on the democratic
significance of new media and ICTs in the development and enhancement of media
freedom, freedom of expression and access to information of all of our countrys
citizens. This has included the active promotion of citizens journalism and the
development of multi-media platforms to better tell the Zimbabwean story.
7. Collectively Navigating the new Constitutional Media Policy Reform Context and
Opportunities.
7.1 In order for all media stakeholders, and in particular the Government through the
Ministry of Media, Information and Broadcasting Services, the Media Panel of Inquiry,
the Zimbabwe Media Commission and the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe in
tandem with the membership of MAZ , the Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe and
the Zimbabwe Association of Community Radio Stations (ZACRAS) to utilize the specific
constitutional context and opportunity availed by the new constitution to enhance
democratic, holistic and far reaching media reforms.

7.2 As a departure point it would be useful if common intentions were established by all
media stakeholders. These common intentions would be guided by initially the
Constitution of Zimbabwe, specifically Sections 3, 8-34, 61, 62, 248-250 and would
include but not be limited to the following:
a) Enabling the realization of the spirit and letter of media related provisions of the
new Constitution of Zimbabwe through collectively reviewing all media related
legislation and amending or repealing it where there is consensus that it is ultra-
vires the supreme law of the land
b) Working toward the decriminalization of journalism and freedom of expression
c) Working toward greater access to information
d) Establishing a holistic framework of the development of an efficient media
industry that takes into account professionalism, technology, sustainability,
diversity and cultural factors.
e) Developing Media Professionalism and Training
f) Establishing frameworks for Safer, Gender Equal and Better Working Conditions
for Journalists
g) Enhancing and Democratizing our broadcast media in the field of Public Service,
Commercial and Community broadcasting.
h) Embracing New Media, ICTs and Mobile Telephony as part of new multi-media
platforms that can contribute to the greater enjoyment of freedom of expression,
access to information and media freedom for not only media stakeholders but
also all citizens of the Republic.
Ends//

ANNEX 8
Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA)
8.1Policy Brief: Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act
(AIPPA)

Introduction
Information is a cornerstone of a functional democracy. Our democracy cannot properly
function without access to information from government, from public bodies, and from
other relevant institutions. It was in recognition of the centrality of information to
democratic governance that the notion of access to information was developed. 'Access
to information', sometimes also referred to as 'freedom of information' or the 'right to
information', is the concept that the public should easily obtain state-held information, for
the purpose of being informed about the activities of government and of public bodies, or
for other reasons. In some countries, the concept has been extended to the accessibility
of private entity information. The first access to information legislation was enacted in
Sweden in 1766, as the Swedish Freedom of the Press Act. Since then, over ninety (90)
countries around the world, Zimbabwe included, have enacted freedom of information
laws. The statutes are named differently; 'Freedom of Information Act' of Nigeria' (FOI),
Ethiopia's 'Law on Mass Media and Freedom of Information,' or South Africa's
'Promotion of Access to Information Act' (PAIA). Despite varying names, these laws
have the same objective; that is giving legal and practical effect to access to information.
International and Regional Norms

Access to Information is an extension of an internationally and regionally recognized
fundamental right of Freedom of Speech and Expression. At international level, Article
19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 19 of the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights provides for this right. At continental level, Article
9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights as well as Articles I (2) and II (1)
of the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression in Africa also entrench
the importance of Access to Information as part of the enjoyment of Freedom of
Expression. Zimbabwe is a party to these treaties.
Domestic Context
On 15 March 2002 Zimbabwe's Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act
[Chapter 10:27] (AIPPA) was promulgated. The intention of AIPPA is regulating access
to information held by public bodies such as government departments and agencies,
and statutory bodies; as well as to regulate the practice of journalism principally through
the Zimbabwe Media Commission
(ZMC) and the Media Council of Zimbabwe (MCZ). The repealed Lancaster Constitution
(1979) did not specifically provide for access to information, as does the 2013 regulate

the practice of journalism principally through the Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC)
and the Media Council of Zimbabwe (MCZ). The repealed Lancaster Constitution (1979)
did not specifically provide for access to information, as does the 2013 Constitution.
Therefore some sections of AIPPA are potentially inconsistent with the current
Constitution of Zimbabwe (2013). Section 62 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe (2013)
provides for 'access to information' as a constitutional and fundamental right.
Unfortunately, while Zimbabwe has a constitutional provision and a statute on access to

information, a number of sections under AIPPA interfere with the rights to seek, receive
and impart information and ideas via various media platforms. Numerous sections of
AIPPA are objectionable in particular: Section 5 - Right to information, Section 64 -
Abuse of freedom of expression, and Section 78 Rights of a journalist, and Section
80 - Abuse of journalistic privilege.
Section 5 of AIPPA
Section 5 of AIPPA commences on a positive note, reflecting section 62 of the
Constitution in establishing the right of access to information, however with unnecessary
limitations. Section 5 (1) of AIPPA states that: every person shall have a right of access
to any record. On face value the section is progressive, but on interpretation, it is
unnecessarily exclusionary and narrow. The information to be accessed under the
statute is qualified and limited only to a record that is in the custody or under the control
of a public body. The provision excludes unrecorded information and confining to
information only resident with a public body.
Also, best international practices extend the right beyond information held by public
bodies. Several countries already have access to information legislation that extends to
both government bodies and private bodies. These include, Angola South Africa,
Trinidad and Tobago, Armenia, the Czech Republic, the Dominican Republic, Estonia,
Finland, and Turkey, among others. Parliament has thus, has an opportunity to expand
this provision as part of re-alignment of laws with Zimbabwe's Constitution.
Further exclusionary provisions of AIPPA go beyond persons. In respect of the content

of information to be accessed, sections 4, 5 (1) and First Schedule of AIPPA, stipulate
that the constitutional right of access to information shall not extend to excluded
information, that is to say:
A personal note, communication or draft decision of a person who is acting in a
judicial or quasi-judicial capacity;
any record that is protected in terms of the Privileges, Immunities and Powers of
Parliament Act [Chapter 2:08];
a record that is created by or for, or is in the custody or control of a person in
terms of the Children's Act [Chapter 5:06] and relates to the exercise of that
person's functions under that Act;

a record containing teaching materials or research information of employees of a
post-secondary educational body
material placed in the National Archives or the archives of a public body by or for
a person or agency other than a public body.
The list of excluded information under sections 4 and 5 of AIPPA is excessively long
and wide, thereby eroding the right of access to information. While documents pertaining
to welfare and integrity of a child under the Children's Act could justifiably be
confidential, the protection of a personal note or of teaching materials under this
statute constitutes irrational limitations that are neither justifiable nor reasonable in a
democratic society. Excluded information even consists of any record or information
relating to any matter or issue referred to in section 31K of the Constitution, and any
matter or issue relating to the exercise of the functions and powers of the President.
Firstly, the Constitution of Zimbabwe does (2013) not carry a section 31K, which
relates to access to information. Secondly, to ban access to information on any matter
or issue relating to the exercise of the functions and powers of the President is
unjustifiable in a democratic state.
Regional and international norms on freedom of expression and access to information

have rightly declared that in democratic societies, the activities of public officials must
be open to public scrutiny. The protection of a public official such as the President
under Section 5 of AIPPA is inconsistent with the democratic values and principles listed
under Section 3 of the Constitution. The said protection under AIPPA also violates
Sections 61 and 62 of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of expression and
freedom of the media; and access to information, respectively.
Section 5 (3) (a) (b) and (c) of AIPPA also excludes a significantly large category of
persons from enjoyment of the right. The persons excluded from the scope of the right,
under this section include: Non-citizens and non-permanent residents, and people
without temporary employment or study permits, and unregistered mass media services,
and unlicensed broadcasters, and any foreign state or foreign state agency. These
limitations make the statute unnecessarily restrictive.
Unfortunately, section 62 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe (2013) is equally exclusionary

and narrow in the context of international standards and law. Article 9 of the African
Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights provides that Every individual shall have the
right to receive information, as does numerous other international instruments that
Zimbabwe has ratified. The protection at international level is not just for citizens,
permanent residents, or persons with work and study permits as is the case in
Zimbabwe.

Sections 64 and 80 of AIPPA
Section 64 and 80 of AIPPA criminalize false news', defamation, fabrication, and
recklessness; and link these 'crimes' to interests of defence, public safety, public
order, the economic interests of the State, public morality or public health. Yet it
is now settled law that criminalizing falsity, defamation, fabrication and
recklessness is unreasonable and unconstitutional in a democratic society. The
Constitutional Court of Zimbabwe, made it clear that laws which criminalize
falsehoods or other forms of communication or expression, are unconstitutional.
In the Chimakure, Kahiya and ZimInd Publishers v The Attorney General case,
Deputy Chief Justice Luke Malaba emphasized that: a strong Constitutional
protection of freedom of expression cannot tolerate the imposition of self-
censorship on free speech and the press through fear of lengthy sentences of
imprisonment for offences of publishing or communicating false news.
The findings of our Constitutional Court are consistent with international standards and
practices. The United Nations Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression in a Report
to the United Nations Human Rights Council declared that any attempt to criminalize
freedom of expression as a means of limiting or censuring that freedom must be
resisted. The United Nations Rapporteur went on to recommend that states should
make civil liability proceedings the sole form of redress for complaints of damage to
reputation; that is to say, defamation or 'false news' proceedings must be de-
criminalized.
Section 78 of AIPPA
Section 78 of AIPPA relates to privileges of accredited journalists including: access to
Parliament and Public Bodies, and privileged access to certain public records, and
access to national events, and access to relevant public events, and permission to make
recordings with the use of audio-video equipment and photography. These journalistic
privileges exclude important entitlements that are specifically listed in the Constitution
and relevant regional and international human rights instruments. Notably the protection
of the confidentiality of journalists' sources of information, freedom of establishment for
prospective broadcasters, and editorial independence should be included in the statute.
Recommendations
MISA-Zimbabwe recommends that there be enacted a separate and standalone
access to information statute that will enable the effective and practical
implementation of access to information rights. Such a statute would be
permissible under section 62 (4) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe (2013), which
requires the legislature to pass a law to give effect to this constitutional right.
Such an act should draw on key principles such as the African Platform on
Access to Information [APAI] among others, while all issues to do with regulation
of the media should be contained in a separate law, in line with the provisions of
section 61 of the constitution.

If AIPPA is however retained in its present form, then the legislature must prioritise the
following reforms among others:
A repeal of section 5(1) and its replacement with a provision which among other
things, ensures that the act provides for access to information and not just to
records held by public bodies as is the current case. Further, the new provision
should also see the right to access information extended to non-public bodies as
is the case with the African Union Model Law on Access to information and with
South Africa's Promotion of Access to Information Act, which extends the right to
information held by private bodies. This should go a long way in widening the
scope of information that can be accessed in terms of this law.
Factoring in provisions that ensure easy access to information for all classes of
persons with disabilities in line with Section 83 of the Constitution on 'Rights of
Persons with Disabilities.'
And amendment to sections 4, 5 and the First Schedule, to substantially narrow
down the compass of excluded information, and to make references to the new
Constitution.
A repeal to sections 64 and 80 to de-criminalize false news offences created in
these Sections. Such decriminalization would entail the amendment of the
subject sections so as to regulate the relevant areas via civil means.
An expansion to section 78, to include the rights enshrined in section 61 of the
constitution such as the right to protection of sources, editorial independence,
and all other traditionally established journalistic rights in line with the current
constitution.
It is MISA Zimbabwe's considered view that such amendments to Zimbabwe's access to

information law (AIPPA) would considerably align it with the Constitution, court decisions
and relevant international standards and practice.
Conclusion
With a new Constitution in place, and considering the content of relevant regional and
international instruments relating to access to information, time has come for the
legislature to seriously consider the need for a new access to information statute
consistent with the provisions of the Constitution, and with regional and international
best practice and law. MISA Zimbabwe exhorts policy makers to speedily address these
irregularities and inconsistencies in our media laws.
i Joint Statement of Special Rapporteurs on Freedom of Expression for the Organization

of American States
(OAS) and for the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR) 2005
ii SC 14/2013
ii Report of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to
freedom of opinion and expression, A/HRC/14/23, para 83, 20 April 2010

8.2 Policy Brief: Criminal Defamation
Introduction
The offence of criminal defamation is one offence that in essence is a criminalization of
freedom of expression as well as freedom of the media. Its existence in section 96 of the
Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act [Chapter 9:23] has seen its continued use
particularly in the arrest of journalists and media houses over stories that they have
written and published respectively. This offence is defined in section 96 as any
communication written or spoken deemed by a complainant or by the authorities to be
intentionally false, to be harmful to a person's reputation; or considered as decreasing
the respect, regard, or confidence in which a person is held; or as inducing disparaging,
hostile, or disagreeable opinions or feelings against a person.
International and Regional Norms on Freedom of Expression

Criminal defamation contradicts international and regional human rights standards.
Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights provides that everyone has the
right to freedom of opinion and expression, this right includes freedom to hold opinions
without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any
media and regardless of frontiers. Zimbabwe ratified the International Covenant on Civil
and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights that
guarantee freedom of expression and related rights. Resolutions from human rights
treaty bodies have denounced the criminalization of 'false news,' in unambiguous terms.
Several countries have embraced these provisions and domesticated them into national
laws:
Ghana, 2001: Parliament unanimously repealed the Criminal Libel and Seditious
Laws, used to arrest, and prosecute media practitioners.
Congo (Brazzaville), 2001, many press offenses are now punishable only by
way fines rather than imprisonment, including libel and publishing "false news.
Ivory Coast, 2004, Parliament scrapped criminal libel and other punitive laws for
press offenses.
United Kingdom, 2010 abolished the criminal offense of defamatory libel,
seditious and obscene libel in England, Wales and Northern Ireland
Domestic Context
This offence was originally introduced into law through a Westminster statute known as
De Scandalis Magnatum (Scandalum Magnatum) in 1275. The statute was then
designed to protect the King , or the Great Men of the Realm. Post-independence,
Zimbabwe went on to inherit this law from the erstwhile colonizers. The Zimbabwe's
courts however, have recently increasingly acknowledged the harsh and undesirable
effects of criminalization of expression through 'false news,' and criminal defamation. In

the case of Chimakure, Kahiya and ZimInd Publishers v The Attorney General, the court
observed that a threat of criminal prosecution, conviction and punishment for publishing
or communicating falsehoods must inevitably have an inhibiting effect on the exercise of
the freedom of expression. It also made a number of observations to the effect that;
People may be inhibited from saying what they desire to say or publish for fear
that if they are caught, prosecuted and fail to prove what they said or wrote they
may be convicted and sentenced to long terms of imprisonment. The chilling
effect of the disproportionate threat of the maximum penalty of imprisonment to
which a person convicted of the offence is liable, harms the operations of a free
media.
The higher the level of the maximum penalty of imprisonment the greater the
chilling effect on freedom of expression.
False news laws are not necessary in a democratic society as they unduly limit
the exercise of freedom of opinion and expression and that a strong
constitutional protection of freedom of expression cannot tolerate imposition of
self- censorship on free speech and press through fear of lengthy sentences of
imprisonment for offences of communicating or publishing false news.
In June 2014, the constitutional court further ruled in the case of Nevanji Madanhire &
Nqaba Matshazithat criminal defamation is harmful to the exercise of the right to
freedom of expression. In particular, the court noted among other things that:
Criminalising Defamation results in harmful consequences such as the chilling
possibility of arrest, detention as well as imprisonment and that these are
excessive in effect.
Criminalising defamation is a disproportionate remedy to the objective of
protection reputations and rights and freedoms of other persons
Criminal defamation stifles and silences free-flow of information in the public
domain resulting in an uninformed citizenry on matters of public significance.
It is unnecessary to criminalise defamatory statements.
The country's civil remedies for defamation afford ample compensatory redress
for injury to one's reputation or dignity.
These decisions and others are consistent with contemporary international trends
regarding freedom of expression.
Consequences of Criminalizing Defamation

Generally, under a democratic governance system, criminal law is considered
inappropriate for regulation of speech and opinion. Criminal defamation turns critics and
outspoken citizens into criminals. Criminal law is a social mechanism that is used to
coerce members of society, through threat of pain and suffering, to abstain from conduct
that is harmful to various interests of society. Criminal defamation therefore causes:

Self-Censorship: the media cannot fully utilize its media freedom as guaranteed
by section 61 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe.
Curtailing citizen's right to information: media self-censorship affects the
quality and amount of information received by citizens,
Chilling effect: speech of others particularly those working on similar issues
suffer from a chilling effect.
Selectivity and misuse: these laws are used as retaliation tools rather than
redress for genuine injury.
Recommendations
Criminal defamation and other 'false news' criminal laws severely restrict freedom of
expression and freedom of the media, the free flow of information or access to
information and the freedom of citizens in general, a fact that has also been
acknowledged by the country's highest court. These criminal law provisions are
unconstitutional and unjustified in a free and democratic society.
MISA Zimbabwe therefore recommends a total repeal of section 96 of the

criminal law Codification and reform Act to align it with section 61 and 62 of the
constitution of Zimbabwe. Further, MISA-Zimbabwe recommends that the
government should also look to repeal other provisions whose import is to
criminalise freedom of expression such as section, 31, 33 and 95 of the same act
as well as sections, 64 and 80 of the access to information and protection of
Privacy Act (AIPPA). This move would ensure that Zimbabwe's statutes are
compliant not only with the Constitution, the court's findings, but also with
international and regional human rights treaties coupled as well as with
recommendations of United Nations and the African Union.
MISA-Zimbabwe also urges the government to while encouraging the use of civil
remedies in cases of harm to persons' reputation and dignity, also put in place
mechanisms that guard against disproportionate claims for civil suits which have
the potential of equally threatening media freedom and freedom of expression.
Conclusion
Zimbabwe's 2013 Constitution under sections 61 and 62 provides for freedom of
expression and freedom of the media; and for the right of access to Information
respectively. Unfortunately, the Executive and Legislature, have neglected repealing all
'false news' statutes, particularly section 96 of the Criminal Code. The Judiciary has
already made its pronouncements clear on the impact of such laws on freedom of
expression. The undesirability of criminal defamation should now hold true in our
country, cognizant of constitutional obligations and judicial findings on the inconsistency
of such laws to freedom of expression, access to information and free practice of the
media profession.
i African Commission on Human and People's Rights 48th Ordinary Session 10 24
November 2010 Banjul, The Gambia, Resolution 169

ii Olivia Anku-Tsede, The Media and the Offence of Criminal Libel in Ghana: Sankofa
Journal of Law, Policy and Globalization ISSN 2224-3259 (Online)
iii SC 14/2013 page 77-78
ivJudgement No. CCZ 2/14
v Principles of Criminal Law, Jonathan Burchell and John Milton, Juta 2000

8.3 Policy Brief: Broadcasting
Introduction
With global advancements in technology, Broadcasting has turned out to be extremely
important for the development of society. A majority of people get their information,
education and entertainment primarily from radio, and television. However there exists a
litany of challenges affecting the diversity, quality and nature of broadcasts to citizens.
Notwithstanding the vital importance of Broadcasting in the enjoyment of access to
information rights and of freedom of expression, in most of Africa and Zimbabwe
included, broadcasting has been the most controlled category of the mass media, for
both technical and political reasons. Broadcasting's ability to reach the majority of
citizens in a country has obvious political implications. The colonial administration
introduced broadcasting to Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia) in 1960, coupled with stringent
control measures and exploiting it largely for political and propaganda purposes.
Unfortunately, Zimbabwe's independent government inherited a policy of control and
monopoly in broadcasting.
International and Regional Norms and Standards

The 'liberalization of the airwaves' across Africa has been the result of a recognition by
political leaders and legislators that broadcasting is an integral mechanism for the
promotion of freedom of expression, freedom of the media, and access to information by
the public. That is why most African countries agreed through the African Charter on
Broadcasting (2001) that: The legal framework for broadcasting should include a clear
statement of the principles underpinning broadcast regulation, including promoting
respect for freedom of expression, diversity, and the free flow of information and ideas
as well as a three tier system for broadcasting: public service, commercial and
community. The African Charter on Broadcasting while not a binding human rights
instruments, it has regional acceptance and has informed the drafting of model laws on
broadcasting and on access to information in Africa. Article 9 of the African Charter on
Human and People's Rights declares that Everyone shall have the right to receive
information Every individual shall have the right to express and disseminate his/her
opinions within the law. The African Charter is consistent with Article 19 of the Universal
Declaration on Human Rights which clearly provides that, Everyone has the right to
freedom of opinion and expression: this right includes freedom to hold opinions without

interference and to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media
and regardless of frontiers.
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) resolved in August 2001,

through Article 2 (b) of the SADC Declaration on Information and Communications
Technology (ICT) that they would: endeavour to develop a national information and
communication infrastructure, which aims at facilitating efficient communication and
information exchange within nations, between Member States, SADC Secretariat and
the rest of the world: special consideration should be given to rural and remote areas,
under privileged urban areas, institutions of learning health, women's organizations,
community media groups and other key stakeholders. This was part of SADC
leadership's commitment to ensure free flow of information into communities.
Domestic Context
At independence in 1980, Zimbabwe took the positive step of including freedom of
expression as a fundamental right under section 20 of the Lancaster House Constitution.
Our basic law recorded noticeable improvements with the adoption of the Constitution of
Zimbabwe (2013) which provides under section 61, not only for Freedom of Expression,
but also for freedom of the media; and for the right of access to information under
section 62.
Despite enshrining these important rights in its old and new Constitutions, Zimbabwe still
has a near state monopoly in the broadcasting sector. For instance, while television (TV)
was introduced to South Africa only in 1976, sixteen (16) years after the introduction of
same in Zimbabwe (Rhodesia then), the former now boasts of eleven (11) TV stations (5
of them community TV stations), and four (4) direct-to-home satellite broadcasters. On
the radio scene, South Africa has well over thirty (30) National / Multi-provincial
(Commercial Stations) and dozens of community radio stations across various
provinces.
Zimbabwe's broadcasting industry has not recorded major expansion since

independence. The Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) today continues to
monopolize the airwaves, as did the colonial regime's Rhodesian Broadcasting
Corporation (RBC). In the TV sub-sector, a few private players, Munhumutapa
Broadcasting Corporation broadcasting as Joy TV, and LDM TV were allowed to use the
second free-to-air TV broadcasting frequency briefly in the late 1990's. Only in 2011 Star
FM and ZiFM were awarded commercial broadcasting licences. This furthers the
argument that broadcasting in Zimbabwe remains substantially closed and state
monopolized.
The current broadcasting configuration in Zimbabwe contrasts negatively with the global
prevailing situation where significant changes and 'liberalization of the airwaves,' have
been witnessed since the 1990s. Liberalization of the airwaves refers to the relaxation of

broadcasting laws and governmental policies, leading to the emergence of private
broadcasters, and in some countries, the formation of 'community' broadcasters. As a
result of those developments, the broadcasting industry has grown and developed to
become a major employer in the progressive and liberalized countries. Liberalization of
the airwaves has also played a critical role in those countries, in developing artistic talent
and showcasing the respective nations' cultures and traditions to the world.
Despite Zimbabwe's commitment to the above standards and principles on freedom of

expression and the centrality of broadcasting to the enjoyment of these rights, there
remains a number of issues hampering the full liberalization of the airwaves in
Zimbabwe. Almost a decade ago, the Judiciary raised concerns with the state monopoly
and the regulatory framework, including striking off some sections of the then
Broadcasting Act predecessor of the Broadcasting Services Act in the celebrated Capitol
Radio case. However despite some measures taken in response to this ruling, the
statute remains largely unfavorable especially as regards the full promotion of the three-
tier broadcasting system: public, commercial and community. Since 1980, community
broadcasting has stagnated. Community broadcasting is important for the fulfillment of
freedom of expression and access to information rights as radio and TV signals do not
reach all parts of the country, and also in the context of government's discomfort with the
domination of foreign-based radio and TV stations in various outlying communities. Also,
there have been no changes towards transforming the current sole public broadcaster
ZBC, into being a truly public media operation.
Overall, the Executive and the Legislature have not demonstrated clear and unequivocal
steps towards amending and or repealing of the Broadcasting Services Act and other
media laws, for their modernization and alignment with the Constitution of Zimbabwe
(2013), as well as with international and regional instruments. A number of provisions
under the Broadcasting Services Act are inconsistent with the declaration of Rights of
the Constitution of Zimbabwe (2013) and the widely accepted standards set in other
relevant international instruments for example section 4 and 10 as follows:
Sections 4 and 10 of the Broadcasting Services Act

Section 4 of the Broadcasting Services Act provides for the establishment and
composition of the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe Board (BAZ). However, the
gender proportions stipulated under this section are inconsistent with section 17 of
Constitution of Zimbabwe (2013), which requires that both genders are equally
represented in all institutions and agencies of government at every level, and women
constitute at least half the membership of all Commissions and other elective and
appointed governmental bodies established by or under the Constitution or any Act of
Parliament. The current composition and manner of appointment of the BAZ Board
undermines best practices and requirement that State licensing authority and
procedures should be independent of control by government or by political or
commercial interests. The appointment procedures and processes under the

Broadcasting Services Act are not sufficiently transparent to guarantee the
independence of BAZ Board and its decisions.
The independence and operations of BAZ are further compromised by powers granted
to the Minister of Media, Information and Broadcasting Services. The minister is
empowered under section 4B to give the Board such general directionsas the
Minister considers necessary in the national interest. The Act further states that the
BAZ shall take all necessary steps to comply with any direction given to it. This provision
does not instill confidence in the BAZ operations. Decisions rendered are already tainted
with the minister's over bearing statutory powers and presence. This tacitly supports the
view of an existence of a politicized broadcasting sector and ineffective licensing
authority.
Section 10 of the Broadcasting Service Act empowers BAZ to decide when to publish
invitations for prospective broadcasters to apply for licences. The invitations are to be
made subject only to the availability of band spectrum and after carrying out its
functions in terms of the First Schedule,. Unfortunately, there is no provision on
intervals within which invitations must or not be made. There is also no stipulation under
the statute as to the timeframes within which BAZ should examine or process
applications for licences. The wide discretion granted to BAZ by this section 10, is
subject to administrative and political abuse, which seems to have been the case as to
date, there has been no call for other classes of licenses such as community
broadcasting.
Recommendations
For sections of the Broadcasting Services Act and in particular sections 4 and 10 to be
consistent with the provisions of the Constitution of Zimbabwe (2013), and of relevant
regional, international and international instruments, these sections would require
immediate amendments.
Immediate amendments.
The appointment of members to the BAZ board should be consistent with the
parity provided under the Constitution to ensure that women constitute at least
half of the BAZ membership.
There is also need to depoliticize the appointment procedure, making it
democratic and transparent, so as to guarantee the independence of BAZ.
Further to enhance the independence of BAZ, the powers of the Minister in terms
of this act as well as in terms of other acts such as the ZBC Commercialisation
Act, should be reviewed with a view to make them as minimal as possible as this
is key in promoting the independence of both BAZ and ZBC as a state
broadcaster, in line with section 61(3)(b) and 61 (4)(a) of the Constitution of
Zimbabwe (2013) respectively.

Also in establishing the BAZ, the Broadcasting Services Act should use the
phrase 'independent licensing authority'. This will be the first step in exhibiting
the political and legislative will to grant requisite autonomy to BAZ; then specific
legislative and administrative measures would need to be put in place and
implemented, to ensure its independence consistent with the provisions of the
Constitution of Zimbabwe (2013) and related regional and international
instruments.
MISA-Zimbabwe also recommends that complementary to changes towards
strengthening the independence of BAZ in the BSA, it is desirable that a new and
independent broadcasting regulator be put in place. This will among other things,
instill media and other stakeholder belief in the regulator.
Further, the act itself should be amended to impose specific intervals within
which BAZ would be compelled to publish and process invitations and to specify
that BAZ should always take into recognition the need for all three categories of
broadcasting (public, commercial, and community) to be in existence at all times
as provided for by the act.
Further, the act itself should be amended to impose specific intervals within
which BAZ would be compelled to publish and process invitations and to specify
that BAZ should always take into recognition the need for all three categories of
broadcasting (public, commercial, and community) to be in existence at all times
as provided for by the act.
The Act should also be amended to remove the provision which currently makes
invitations for to apply for licenses subject to the availability of band spectrum.
This stipulation appears unnecessary under the current circumstances with
limited information of how much band spectrum we have utilized as a country.
Conclusion
The dearth of development and expansion in the country's broadcasting sector
constitutes a violation of the Constitution of Zimbabwe (2013) and there is need to
protect the licensing authority from government control, political and commercial
interests. Amendments to the country's Broadcasting laws, are required coupled with a
clear and codified Media and Information Policy consistent with the provisions of the
Constitution of Zimbabwe and of relevant regional and international instruments.
i Article 19, Broadcasting and Policy Practice in Africa, Article 19, 2003
ii Article 19, Broadcasting and Policy Practice in Africa, Article 19, 2003 page 10
iii Capital Radio (Pvt) Ltd. v Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe and Others (162/2001)
iv Constitution of Zimbabwe section 61 (3)(b) provides that Broadcasting and other
electronic media of communication have freedom of establishment, subject only to State
licensing procedures that (b) independent of control by government or by political or
commercial interests.

8.4 Brief: State Secrets
Introduction
The preamble to the Constitution of Zimbabwe (2013) recognizes the need to entrench
democracy, good, transparent and accountable governance and the rule of law.
Further, section 3 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe (2013) provides that the State and all
institutions and agencies of government at every level should be bound by various
founding values and principles, notably including good governance. The principle of
good governance encompasses transparency, justice, accountability and
responsiveness. Put differently, the nation's Supreme Law compels public officials to
govern and administer public affairs on the basis of 'open government' values requiring
citizens' right to access documents and proceedings of the government for effective
public oversight and accountability. In its broadest construction, open government
concept challenges vague and wide restrictions clauses that legitimize extensive state
secrecy such as 'reason of state,' 'State Interest' and other considerations.
International and Regional Standards and Norms

Open governments facilitate the enjoyment of the rights, freedoms and democratic
values enunciated in various regional and international legal instruments to which
Zimbabwe is a party including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
and the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights among others. Though
Zimbabwe is yet to ratify the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance,
this charter under Article 2 (10) seeks to promote the establishment of the necessary
conditions to foster citizen participation, transparency, access to information, freedom of
the press and accountability in the management of public affairs. The adoption of the
charter is indicative of the movement by African governments towards openness,
transparency, and citizen involvement in governance matters through access to
information. Pursuant to the good governance agenda, African Union adopted the
Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption, to fight corruption on the African
continent. This convention reiterates the importance of the right to access to information
(Article 9) and the role of civil society and media (Article 12). Zimbabwe ratified this
convention but the existence of a widely couched Official Secrets Act, undermines
effectiveness of such instruments in infusing public accountability and open government.

Domestic Context
As noted above, state secrecy continues to be a key feature of Zimbabwe's governance
structure through an archaic colonial-era Act; the Official Secrets Act [Chapter 11:09].
This Act was promulgated on 27 February 1970 by the minority colonial regime for
among other purposes, prohibit(ing) the disclosure for any purpose prejudicial to the
safety or interests of Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia) of information which might be useful to
an enemy; to make provision for the purpose of preventing persons from obtaining or
disclosing official secrets in Zimbabwe; to prevent unauthorized persons from making
sketches, plans or models of and to prevent trespass upon defence works, fortifications,
military reserves and other prohibited places. This Act borrows extensively from the
United Kingdom's laws.
Unfortunately, several of our laws remain philosophically and materially foreign. The
United Kingdom Official Secrets Act was passed in 1889, reportedly with little debate or
opposition. The United Kingdom's Act in section 1 was concerned with espionage and
the notion of unlawful disclosure of information and section 2 with the concept of breach
of official trust. These two aspects were copied and reproduced in Zimbabwe's Official
Secrets Act.
Section 4 of Zimbabwe's Official Secrets Act in particular, is worrisome. This section

deals with the prohibition of communication of certain information and sets out a
number of provisions dealing with the disclosure of security-related information,
essentially criminalizing the publication or communication of a range of data such as
official codes or passwords, or confidential information entrusted to a person by the
government. This section of our secrecy law draws heavily from Section 2 (1) of the
United Kingdom's 1889 law which criminalized the communication of any: document,
sketch, plan or information to any person to whom the same ought not, in the interest of
the state, or otherwise in the public interest, to be communicated at that time. While it is
accepted that government has the right to safeguard certain information in the national
or public interest, the Act remains problematic in that it is wide and vague, and it creates
a whole series of offences for passing on or receiving official information without
authorization, even where the information concerned is of a trivial nature; or where
reportage is aimed at exposing corruption. The Act creates a 'catch-all' offence open to

abuse, diluting clarity of the law, and diminishing certainty that should characterize all
sound laws.
Also, there is no clarity in terms of the offences thereby allowing for prosecution of
spying and espionage suspects in matters that appear unrelated to state as was in the
case of The State vs. Godfrey Dzvairo, Tendai Matambanadzo, and Itai Mach.
The Act also deprives accused persons of numerous important defences. If a person is
charged under section 4 of the Act, she or he is availed of only two narrow defences, 1)
that the communication of the information was authorized, and 2) that the
communication was in the interests of the State. The Act excludes various other widely
accepted justifications to information disclosure, such as, public interest, prior
publication and journalistic privilege.
In its present form, the Official Secrets Act limits media freedom. Journalists who
disclose information which has been supplied to them in contravention of the Act will be
guilty of an offence, with the undesirable effect of encouraging the media to self-censor
rather than to risk heavy criminal sanctions for disclosure. This in itself is a form of prior
restraint which is unacceptable. The penalty for disclosure of state secrets under Section
4 of Zimbabwe's secrecy law is imprisonment for up to (20) years, a fine, or both. These
are clearly very harsh sentences; and they are ordinarily preserved for the worst,
hardcore criminals and misfits of society. The punishment arising out of this section is
disproportionate to the legitimate aim of safeguarding the safety or security interests of
Zimbabwe. The imposition of such extreme sentences for communication or expression
related activities, is unjustifiable in a democratic society.
Overall, the official secrets law is prone to abuse and often used to protect regressive
and corrupt practices of officials in government controlled institutions.
Recommendations
The legislature is recommended to repeal this law or clarify and limit its application to
matters that are judicially justifiable.
Should the legislature decide to leave this act in place, the Act should be
amended to widen the scope of defenses that are available to accused persons

which are especially key to information disclosure, such as, public interest, prior
publication and journalistic privilege.
The penalty for disclosure of state secrets under Section 4 which is up to (20)
years, a fine, or both is very harsh and disproportionate to the legitimate aim of
safeguarding the safety or security interests of Zimbabwe. As such, this sentence
should be amended with a view to reduce it.
Further policy makers should consider putting in place other laws to repeal the
secrecy law including a clearly defined Espionage Act, a permissive Official
Information Act, a 'Whistle-blowing' and a Public Interest Disclosure Act.
These recommendations if adopted would significantly align Zimbabwe's secrecy law

with the Constitution and with relevant regional, international instruments and best
practices. The measures would also compliment in the fight against corruption, and in
entrenching the principles of good governance, transparency and accountability.
Conclusion
Regrettably, rather than protecting and upholding fundamental rights and freedoms; or
promoting relevant constitutional principles such as good governance, access to
information held by government, accountability, transparency and other pertinent values,
Zimbabwe's Official Secrets Act infringes on most of them. The new Constitution gives
Zimbabwe an opportunity to revisit all subsidiary statutes for consistency with the Bill of
Rights, international and regional standards. MISA-Zimbabwe therefore urges the
Zimbabwe authorities to revisit this obnoxious law, which is also a remnant of the
colonial era in line with the above proposals.
i House of Commons Library, Parliament and the Constitution: Official Secrecy

http://www.parliament.uk/briefing-papers/SN02023/official-secrecy
ii Geoff Feltoe, Guide to Media Law in Zimbabwe, Legal Resources Foundation
Zimbabwe, pg 46-47
iii High Court Harare 06-HH-002
iv Introduced by section 92 of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act

8.5 Policy Brief: Censorship and Entertainment Controls

Introduction
Freedom of expression combines several rights including freedom of speech, of the
press, of association, of assembly, and to demonstrate and petition. The Constitution of
Zimbabwe (2013) includes freedom of artistic expression and scientific research and
creativity as part of freedom of expression. As a constitutionally enshrined right, freedom
of expression is fundamental and an indispensible condition for the existence of a free
and democratic society. Zimbabwe's courts of law have acknowledged the importance of
freedom of expression in numerous cases, where our judges remarked that freedom of
expression is one always to be jealously guarded by the courts. In comparing freedom
of expression to the right to life Justice Navsa declared that freedom of expression is
equally important, and that it is ''the matrix, the indispensable condition of nearly every
other form of freedom.''
International and Regional Norms

Regionally, the African Union guarantees freedom of expression through Article 9 of the
African Charter of Human and Peoples' Rights which stipulates that: Every individual
shall have the right to receive information, (and) every individual shall have the right to
express and disseminate his opinions within the law. The African Commission on
Human and Peoples Right resolved that freedom of expression and information,
including the right to seek, receive and impart information and ideas, either orally, in
writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other form of communication,
including across frontiers, is a fundamental and inalienable human right and an
indispensable component of democracy.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights equally provide for this right. The United Nations Office for the Special
Rapporteur in the field of Cultural Rights observed that: The issue of artistic freedom is
crucial to any nation. It is not 'just' about the artists' rights to express themselves freely,
it is also a question of the rights of citizens to access artistic expressions and take part in
cultural life and thus one of the key issues for democracy.
Article 2 of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of
Cultural Expressions provides that, Cultural diversity can be protected and promoted
only if human rights and fundamental freedoms, such as freedom of expression,
information and communication, as well as the ability of individuals to choose cultural
expressions, are guaranteed. No one may invoke the provisions of this Convention in
order to infringe human rights and fundamental freedoms as enshrined in the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights or guaranteed by international law, or to limit the scope
thereof. The censorship and controls imposed on Zimbabwe's arts, entertainment and
communication sectors in terms of the Censorship and Entertainment Controls Act
[Chapter 10:04], contradict current international and regional norm and practice in this
area.

Domestic Context
The Constitution of Zimbabwe (2013) under section 61 guarantees 'freedom of
expression and freedom of the media;' then section 62 provides for 'access to
Information.' In its comprehensiveness, Section 61 (1) (b) of the Constitution defines
freedom of expression to include freedom of artistic expression and scientific research
and creativity. Freedom of artistic expression however, is limited by the Censorship and
Entertainment Controls Act [Chapter 10:04], sadly a relic of the colonial era laws that still
appear in Zimbabwe's statute books.
The Censorship and Entertainment Controls Act promulgated on 1 December 1967, has
several inconsistencies with the Constitution of Zimbabwe (2013). The Act was designed
to regulate and control the public exhibition of films, the importation, production,
dissemination and possession of undesirable or prohibited video and film material,
publications, pictures, statutes and records and the giving of public entertainments; to
regulate theatres and like places of public entertainment in the interests of safety; and to
provide for matters incidental to the foregoing.
Censorship is the control of information and ideas circulating within a society.

Throughout history, censorship has been a hallmark of colonial regimes and
undemocratic societies. In the 20 Century, censorship was achieved through the
examination of books, plays, films, television and radio programs, news reports, and
other forms of communication for the purpose of altering or suppressing ideas perceived
to be objectionable or offensive. In modern democracies and free societies on account
of its incompatibility with the idea of freedom of expression, censorship is generally
frowned upon. Zimbabwe's laws are still colonial and regressive in that sense.
While the Act is administered by a Board of Censors who may sincerely believe their
functions are for the public good, censorship and controls are often politically motivated,
and always arbitrary. They foster a culture of dependency on the part of the public,
timidity on the part of institutions, and resentment or self-censorship on the part of
content producers. They are particularly repugnant in the artistic and creative sectors,
for they limit expression and creativity. Some of the objectionable aspects of this act are
as follows:
Sections 13 and 14
These provisions interfere with mass communication, with access to and the free flow of
information, as well as with artistic expression. The regulation, censorship or state-
control of the mass media and various forms of private or public entertainment, and
artistic expression under section 13 and 14 of the Act, are inconsistent with the
Constitution of Zimbabwe's Declaration of Rights, particularly Section 61 (1) (b) which
provides for freedom of artistic expression and scientific research and creativity.
In particular, section 13 of the Act makes use of wide and subjective parameters in the
constitution of offences under this act for example, pictures, statutes or publication of
material that is indecent, obscene, offensive shall constitute undesirable content to
public morals. The determination of what is indecent, obscene, offensive and moral
has no clear definition and leaves the Censorship Board with a wide and unfettered
discretion as to what would be undesirable, or would constitute morality.

Further, the restriction imposed by the Act in terms of Section 13 (2) (c) on the reporting
of certain matters in judicial proceedings clearly violates the principle of open justice,
that is to say - all judicial proceedings should be open to the public with a few exceptions
for the protection of special rights such as the best interests of minors.
Under Section 14 of the Act, the Board is left with too wide a discretion in the
determination of what should be desirable or undesirable; and what would be expedient
in the public interest, without the introduction of necessary 'checks and balances'
mechanisms. Mr. Albert Nyathi, lamented that under the Censorship and Entertainment
Controls Act: No performer or musician (in Zimbabwe) is allowed to perform without
registration. The Board, through the police, can stop a show, arrest the musician or DJ,
and confiscate equipment. The artist, in addition to being charged for performing without
a licence, the musician or DJ will have to pay storage charges for the music equipment
so confiscated. This section has been invoked in the past to ban certain publications,
theatrical performances and materials from being publicly displayed.
Recommendations
Section 13 of the Act must be amended to ensure clear definition of what
constitutes undesirable content and public morals, to allow persons to adjust
their conduct in accordance with clearly defined parameters.This would also
ensure clear application of the law in all related cases.
Further, the restriction imposed by the Act in terms of Section 13 (2) (c) on the
reporting of certain matters in judicial proceedings violates the principle of open
justice. This section therefore should also be amended to ensure that all interests
being protected are equally balanced and to avoid the attendant situation where
the interests of public morality potentially override other interests such as open
justice. Section 14 of the Act should be amended to clearly define and narrow
the powers vested in the Board of Censors. It is vital that the Board's powers
which effectively limit freedom of expression and freedom of the media and the
right of access to information, be watered down significantly, at least to match
the limitations that are spelt out in the Constitution of Zimbabwe (2013). Public
morality, expediency, and other qualifications currently mentioned in the Act as
justification for censorship and controls in the entertainment, artistic and media
industries, are inconsistent with the provisions of the Constitution of Zimbabwe
(2013) and should be equally reviewed.
Also, the authority set out under sections 13 and 14 of the Act, empowering the
Board to approve, reject or prohibit any film, publication, picture, statue or record
submitted to it, is too broad and inconsistent with the balance of rights and
powers between the State and citizens and should be revised as proposed
above.
Conclusion
MISA Zimbabwe's considered view is that Sections 13 and 14 of the Censorship and
Entertainment Control Act should therefore be repealed as these provisions lack
consistency with the Constitution of Zimbabwe (2013) and with other regional and
international instruments which Zimbabwe voluntarily ratified.
i Woods &Anor v- Minister of Justice &Anor 1994 (2) ZLR (S) 195 and Retrofit (Pvt) Ltd v PTC &Anor
1995 (2) ZLR 199 (S)


ANNEX 9
Media Monitoring Project Zimbabwe position paper
9.1 Zimbabwes Media Environment A Case of Arrested Development
SUMMARY and BACKGROUND

Zimbabwes media has never been free. Ever since the arrival of the colonial settlers
the mainstream media exclusively served white colonial interests and suffered heavy
censorship, in addition to the intimidation of media houses and their journalists through
arrests, detention and prosecution using repressive laws and emergency powers
promulgated by the colonial government.
Post-independence, sunshine journalism was the order of the day and for those who
didnt subscribe (e.g. Willie Musarurwa, Geoff Nyarota, etc) it didnt take long for the
liberation government to resort to Rhodesian laws and tactics to suffocate critical news
and information unpalatable to the new regime (Gukurahundi, Willowgate Scandal, etc).
While people were relatively free to establish print media products and to publish what
they dared, the legal monopoly of the airwaves inherited by ZBC was used to suffocate
any alternative sources of radio and television broadcasts.
The emergence of a serious political opposition to the ruling elite at the end of 1999 as a
result of the countrys intensifying economic crisis (1998 food riots etc), witnessed the
advent of an intensive propaganda war initiated by the state-owned media to drown the
growing voices of dissent and criticism that received a platform in the privately owned
Press. Indicative of this was ZBCs continued stranglehold on the airwaves despite a
Supreme Court ruling in the year 2000 declaring its monopoly unconstitutional. The birth
of an independent, robust and professionally edited daily newspaper (The Daily News)
challenged, for the first time and on a daily basis, the version of the truth being
disseminated by the government-managed state media.
In order to retain its political grip on power, the ruling elite resorted to a mixture of overt
violence and excessively repressive laws that restricted citizens freedom of assembly
and association and their rights to freedom of expression and access to information.
Authoritarian laws specifically designed to control all media activity were introduced that
resulted in the arrest and detention of journalists and the forced closure of independent
publications (including The Daily News Zimbabweans only daily source of alternative
information at the time).
The result was the creation of an information wasteland where only the state-owned,
government-controlled media propaganda outlets dominated the media landscape. Only
a few intrepid privately owned weekly newspapers continued to tell an alternative story

about Zimbabwes growing socio-political and economic crises. But these were Harare-
based niche newspapers with extremely limited national penetration.
This situation prevailed for more than a decade where all the mainstream media outlets
in the print and broadcast media only carried the voice of the ruling elite and controlled
the nature of all information reaching the masses.
Concomitantly, Zimbabwes economy collapsed as a result of severe misgovernance.

The countrys outlook only began to improve with the advent of a Government of
National Unity (GNU) in 2009 forged under the auspices of SADC following the violent
elections of 2008. But this unhappy marriage of the countrys chief political opponents
failed to bring the socio-political and economic reforms promised in the so-called Global
Political Agreement (GPA). However what it did provide was a platform for discussion
and most essentially, a new Constitution that, among many other rights, strengthened
freedom of expression and the media, as well as the right of access to information.
New newspapers were allowed to emerge for the first time in nearly 10 years, although
they were heavily confined by Zimbabwes extremely fragile economy and endemic
poverty, which limited advertising and sales. Two independent commercial radio
stations were licensed for the first time in the countrys history. But these were carefully
selected under bureaucratic and partisan processing laws, which continue to be
employed to this day.
The result of this prolonged repression has clearly resulted in the arrested
development of the media environment in every way. As a result of the propaganda
war, primarily waged by the state media, todays Zimbabwean media community have
inherited a highly intolerant and polarized environment that does nothing to contribute to
Zimbabwes socio-economic and political development.
The decade-long conflict and restrictions imposed on the media community prevented
the development of media institutions, scared away the professionals and discouraged
all but the most reckless and desperate and the bravest to choose the media as a
professional occupation.
This is where Zimbabwes media community stands today. But with the threat of political
contest no longer a realistic proposition (for the time being) there is a chance to rebuild
using the new Constitution as the backbone to develop a strong, vibrant and
professional media community that will lead the way towards a more democratic and
informed society.
WHAT TO DO
It is clear from the background described that Zimbabwes media community has had
little chance to develop in any direction having inherited problems relating to training,

professionalism, the economy, growth, the legal environment, and a culture of
intolerance, secrecy and abuse.
It is little wonder that in many of the new newspapers (not to mention the state media)
the quality of their content is often seriously unprofessional and a reflection of the
intolerance and vindictiveness that for years pervaded the state media outlets that set
these appalling standards.
Many of the young journalists working on these new media outlets would have only had
the state medias performance as a measure for their own behaviour. It is this that has
been largely responsible for the polarization for which the media are accused of
generating. Of course, it can be said the polarized political environment was the genesis
of this vice, but it needed the media to give it the voice and venom that has traumatized
Zimbabwean society.
THE REMEDIES
LEGAL REFORM
1. The first thing to do is to repeal or reform all laws affecting media activity in
compliance with the provisions of the new Constitution. This should remove all the legal
restrictions on the establishment of print media outlets, and free the airwaves to
broadcasters licensed by a truly non-partisan, independent broadcasting authority. Much
work has already been done by CSOs, who have drawn up model broadcasting laws, as
well as access to information laws, that reflect internationally agreed best practice and
should not be necessary to detail them here. Suffice to say that these are available upon
request. It goes without saying that the national public broadcaster must also be
removed from political (and commercial) influence and the entire staff retrained to
understand the real meaning of a public service broadcaster. The removal of the public
broadcaster from political control is a constitutional requirement, and also appears in
several African media conduct protocols, such as the African Unions Declaration of
Principles on Freedom of Expression. A national media and access to information policy
framework framed in accordance with the spirit and provisions of the new Constitution
would also be beneficial.
TRAINING
2. Professional training will be an essential element in developing a professional
journalist community that will play a critical role in neutralizing the poisonous culture of
intolerance and abuse that has characterized the media environment in the last decade.
While this is urgent, it must be understood that this will be a process not a revolution
in the development and promotion of professional journalistic practice. Today there are
precious few if any journalists training institutions, since nearly all tertiary learning
centres focus on media and community studies courses at university level, producing
academics rather than journalists. Only NUST is attempting to combine journalism with
its academic media studies programme. Journalism training by donor-funded CSOs is

intermittent, irregular and unfocused and is of precious little value without the
development of a proper journalism practice curriculum, a thorough mapping of needs
and the collaboration of media institutions themselves. Structured courses need to be
developed and consistently implemented with regular follow-ups and measures that
ensure implementation and adherence.
THE INTERNET AND ITS EFFECTS (SOCIAL & ECONOMIC)

3. No reference has yet been made here to the profound influence that the Internet,
social media and online news services have had on Zimbabwes media environment
and continue to play. The all-pervasive nature of the Internet was instrumental in
convincing those in control of Zimbabwes media environment that their medieval
methods of starving the nation of essential information as a means of controlling
peoples hearts and minds can never be repeated. The Internets ubiquitous accessibility
is probably (at least partially) responsible for the dramatic change in the post-election
governments attitudes towards the media and access to information, and the debate it
has initiated to mitigate the culture of hostility and intolerance that has poisoned
Zimbabwean society for so long. The Net has been a hugely positive influence in past
years, playing an essential role in providing news-hungry Zimbabweans with alternative
sources of information during the repressive years, and has since become an essential
ICT tool in every sphere of life.
4. While most Zimbabweans are still not directly connected to the Internet, the cost
of smart phones is declining, as is the cost of being online. It is clear that Zimbabwe is
fast following the global trend where the Internet is the first choice of preference when
accessing information, as well as communicating. Unfortunately, this is already having
serious economic effects on the countrys mainstream print media, which is suffering
declining readership in addition to the problems caused by a stagnant economy and
business environment that has resulted in severely limited advertising revenue a
diminishing cake that is being further divided by the advent of more newspapers. Many
years of economic meltdown and paralysis (not to mention repression) have left the
countrys small newspaper industry in a perilously fragile financial state and peoples
preference for accessing information through the Internet is exacerbating these
problems. The print medias only hope is to follow the example of international traditional
publishers by learning to exploit the Internet by providing additional and alternative
services. But it should also be noted that import duties on essential materials (paper, ink
and machinery), as well as additional taxes on publishing enterprises, compound the
already costly economic climate in which businesses are operating. These should be
removed forthwith. It will be a sad day if urban residents (newspapers main customers)
can no longer take a hard copy of news to their rural-based friends and relatives where
the use of the Internet will remain quite limited for some years to come. It should also be
noted that whilst the Internet provided a safe haven for publishing alternative news, it
also opened the floodgates to unverified information, and to some of the worst examples
of abuse and intolerant language under the guise of Internet anonymity. The emergence

of anonymous citizen journalism has been able to escape all accountability for their
contributions (stories, posts, blogs, etc), which, in turn, has seriously eroded
professional journalism standards. It is to the credit of the traditional mainstream media
outlets that they cannot operate without attempting to adhere to these standards and are
always held to account if they are suspected of failing them. They remain therefore the
standard-bearers of professional journalistic conduct in the realm of news dissemination
and communication and these standards should be extended to those online agencies
purporting to disseminate news, especially about Zimbabwe.
CONVERGENCE OF ICT, TELECOMS AND BROADCASTING LAWS

5. ICT technology has also made nonsense of archaic broadcasting and
telecommunication regulations, and these also need to be urgently addressed, updated
and brought together under cohesive and coherent legislation that takes into account
modern ICT developments. For example, with millions of cell phones capable of
receiving radio broadcasts, is it feasible, or even rational, that the national public
broadcaster collects revenue from these in the form of licences? Zimbabwe also urgently
needs to develop Internet privacy laws that guarantee individuals privacy online, as
recent developments inside the country (the Baba Jukwa saga) and internationally (the
EU ruling on the right to be forgotten) have highlighted. The fact that the courts have
recently rescinded a law allowing state security agencies the right to snoop into the
private communications of cell phone users is little comfort. Digitally based state mass
surveillance presents a very real threat to human rights and democracy and clear
regulations need to be established to prevent this happening except in exceptional
circumstances.
REGULATION
6. Media regulation: Nobody needs a licence to speak or express themselves.
Existing civil defamation laws are perfectly adequate to deal with the publication or
broadcasting of defamatory articles in the media and there should be no attempt to
create laws that pre-empt the possibility of this happening. Past experience has clearly
demonstrated the susceptibility of state controlled regulation to partisan and pre-emptive
action. There should only be professional structures set up by the publishing and
broadcasting industries themselves to adjudicate on disputes arising from the conduct of
the media in their various spheres. There are plenty of examples of these; even our own
Voluntary Media Council is a sound basis for adjudicating complaints from the public. It
has developed an internationally acceptable code of ethical journalistic conduct that
helps to encourage professional journalism, and should be strengthened and supported
by all media and civil society. This does not have to be confined to the print media
alone. But it is perhaps beneficial to also establish an independent broadcasting
complaints commission that deals specifically with issues relating to the professional
conduct of the broadcast media.

CONCLUSION
Ultimately, there is an urgent need to engage the authorities in two key areas of focus:
The reform of media laws, and the reform of economic policies that destroy the countrys
fantastic potential to be a powerhouse economy in all of Africa. No other country in
Africa has the same diverse mineral, agricultural, environmental and commercial
potential as Zimbabwe. But 34 years after independence the nation is among the
poorest on the continent. The country has to shed its xenophobic paranoia and
implement sane, fair and stable economic policies that encourage investment,
transparent government and accountability.
While media law reform is a relatively simple and short-term objective, given the political
will to enforce the spirit and letter of Zimbabwes new Constitution, economic reform
appears to be illusory, but will, anyway, take time to have positive effects on the
ubiquitous poverty and subsistence survival mentality that most citizens have been
forced to adopt. Until Zimbabwe starts to produce again and jobs are created, the media
environment will never be strong and the print media will be the worst affected.
Zimbabweans will resort to the cheapest form of accessing information and as the
Internet and ICT technologies evolve, print media products will remain an unattractive
commercial proposition and those that do exist will be unable to thrive.
A glance at the South African (and European) media landscapes also reveals print
media communities struggling to survive in the Internet age. But take a look at their
newspaper and magazine stands and you will find them littered with scores of
magazines and papers of every description, from lifestyle magazines, motoring, sports
and professional journals, to national and community newspapers. This community of
print media sources has developed as a result of these countries relatively vibrant
economies and a relatively healthy middle class that comprise the majority of their
populations who are working and can afford the small luxury of buying specialized
journals in their spheres of interest.
Zimbabwe has never had this, and if economic revival is not given the priority that
Zimbabweans deserve, the ICT revolution will simply miss it out altogether.
And so long as government retains control of the broadcasting environment either

directly, or through proxies Zimbabweans will simply resort to the Internet and digital
satellite broadcasting to find their preferred choices. While ZBC is a lost cause in its
present form, it should be noted that without the much larger corporations surrounding
the two so-called independent national commercial broadcasters, ZiFM and Star FM,
they too, would be struggling for survival.
In the meantime, Zimbabwes tertiary institutions turn out media studies journalists with
nobody to employ them. Reviving the economy will create the demand for media
diversity; without it Zimbabwes media community will remain among the countrys many
second-class citizens.
End/

Media Monitoring Project Zimbabwe
9.2 Concerns raised on proposed social media laws
In a statement dated September 16, 2014, the Media Monitoring Project of Zimbabwe
(MMPZ) expressed shock by news that the government is in the process of drafting new
cyber-security laws to control the activities of social media. MMPZ further stated that,
While MMPZ does not condone the use of social media platforms, such as Facebook,
Twitter, WhatsApp, MySpace, LinkedIn, You Tube and the Internet to abuse others,
MMPZ is concerned that any new cyber-laws may also undermine Zimbabweans rights
to free expression and a free media. The government and other influential members of
society might take advantage of these laws to restrict criticism of public figures and the
exposure of bad governance and other malpractices across all sectors of society by
bloggers, government critics and journalists, among others.
Zimbabwes proposed laws come against the backdrop of other myriad of both regional
and international developments, and in particular, the courageous Reportby the outgoing
UN High Commissioner on Human Rights, titled, The Rights to Privacy in the Digital
Age where she notes that the technological platforms upon which global political,
economic and social life are increasingly reliant are not only vulnerable to mass
surveillance, the report says, they may actually facilitate it.
Surveillance is harmful not only to the right to privacy as outlined in our numerous
reports including our latest bulletin that seeks to raise awareness of this right with
ordinary Zimbabweans. Our efforts in this regard have been augmented by the privacy
perception surveys, which we are currently carrying out in Zimbabwe.
Beyond violation of the right to privacy, surveillance is harmful to a number of other

rights, as highlighted during our joint eventon 10 September, with HRW and ACLU to
launch the Human Rights Watch and American Civil Liberties Union Reportduring the
27th Session of the Human Rights Council
Zimbabwe needs to take significant practical steps to build on the gains it has achieved
when the government in May 2013, adopted a new Constitution with an extensive bill of
rights, with specific and broad provisions that guarantee the right to privacy and civil
liberties. In doing so, government brought the country into line with international best
practice regarding constitutional rights, and indeed the constitutional guarantees
represented a significant improvement on the rights set out by international covenants
and declarations that had already been ratified by the country, such as the African
Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (ACHPR), which does not contain a specific
right to privacy. Such steps should include, for example, postponing the passing of the
proposed social media laws until the conclusion of the Information and Media Panel of
Inquiry (IMPI) which is currently being conducted by the Ministry of Information, meant to
solicit for citizens views on how to reconfigure the countrys media industry. We pointed
this out in our recent inquiry with parliament on the proposed social media laws.

If the proposed laws benefit from wide consultation, this would ensure that social media
and the digital technologies that facilitate social platforms are leveraged for social good.
For instance, the outgoing High commissioner observes, Digital communications
technologies, such as the Internet, mobile smartphones and WiFi-enabled devices, have
become part of everyday life. By dramatically improving access to information and real-
time communication, innovations in communications technology have boosted freedom
of expression, facilitated global debate and fostered democratic participation. By
amplifying the voices of human rights defenders and providing them with new tools to
document and expose abuses, these powerful technologies offer the promise of
improved enjoyment of human rights.
A current good example that demonstrates the leveraging of technology-based platforms

for social good is the MMPZs recently launched web portal called Zimbabwe today,
which assists Zimbabweans and other stakeholders to find issues which are of interest
to them more easily. Its address is: www.zimbabwetoday.org

ANNEX 10
National Association of Societies for the Care of the
Handicapped: Annual Reports on activities conducted with the media
Information Department Annual Report 2007
Introduction
One of the pillars of democracy in any country is information and its effective
distribution. Without reliable and balanced information about what happens in the
government and society, it is difficult, if not impossible, for people to participate in the
running of the country.
Richard Saunders, 1999. Dancing out of tune a history of the media in Zimbabwe.
The above quotation also applies to the disability sector without reliable and balanced
information on what is happening in the disability arena, it is difficult, if not impossible,
for people with disabilities to participate in the running of issues that concern their
wellbeing and ultimately, in the affairs concerning the running of the country. This brings
into sharp focus the need for effective packaging and distribution of information on
disability in order to ensure the participation of people with disabilities in the running of
the country. There is no doubt that information has become all important in this highly
technological era of the information age an age in which information has become the
new medium of wealth and in which true power is now defined as information in the
hands of many and not wealth in the hands of few.
Cognisant of the agenda setting power of the media, NASCOHs information

dissemination efforts have been aimed at harnessing the media to take due cognizance
of disability issues, publish these issues and bring them to the attention of the public,
which public would then take note of these issues, recognize them as a priority for
national action and take steps to address these issues.
The thrust of this report, therefore, will be to establish a link between NASCOHs
information dissemination efforts, with particular emphasis on the media, and the
inclusion of people with disabilities in the countrys social systems, and their consequent
participation in the running of the country.
Media situation in Zimbabwe
The media in Zimbabwe are polarized along political lines. This has impacted negatively
on coverage of disability issues, as the media on both sides of the political divide tend to
focus on political stories, which are accorded high profile visibility. The result is neglect
of the wider social issues, including disability issues.

The current hyperinflationary environment, coupled with spiraling printing and newsprint
costs, have conspired to push newspapers out of the reach of the ordinary
Zimbabweans. This has also affected the content of most newspapers, as newspapers
opt more and more for business and business-related stories that satisfy the needs of
their advertising clients, and ignore the human interest stories that should be the staple
of most newspapers. This also results in sidelining of disability issues.
Radio, which has an emphasis on diversity as a public broadcaster, has generally

tended to be sensitive to disability issues while television time is hard to come by
because of the absence of competing television stations that would allow for greater
scope in the coverage of diverse issues.
The media is a powerful shaper of public consciousness and popular consent. The
media should thus provide a forum for contending social positions to make their views
public and vie for public support. If the media fail to provide a forum for disability issues,
the end result is that the media will end up legitimizing a social system that excludes
disability. This presents a real challenge for the disability sector, a challenge that
demands that the sector take proactive measures to ensure that disability issues
become part of the media forum so that its concerns are also amplified by the media and
legitimized as part of the social system.
To its credit, NASCOH has been able to get publicity across the whole media divide,
from both the public and independent media, and radio and television, proving that
disability cuts across partisan and political considerations.
Analysis
The greatest achievement of the information dissemination efforts was to establish

momentum for the introduction of a National Policy on Disability, an invaluable piece of
legislation which, if formulated, would obligate government to remove the myriad barriers
that prevent people with disabilities from accessing fundamental rights and freedoms
that other people take for granted and take positive measures to ensure their inclusion in
society. Of note, the articles People with disabilities call for disability friendly legislation
which appeared in The Daily Mirror on.. and the article Zimbabwe must adopt rights
based approach to disability, which appeared in The Herald and The Chronicle and in
The Zimbabwean and was extensively quoted over the Internet and other national
papers, helped to put the issue of a rights based approach to disability and National
Disability Policy firmly on the national agenda. These endeavours played a not
insignificant role in the government finally appointing a special adviser on disability and
rehabilitation to the President and cabinet. The special adviser has thrown his weight
behind the call for a national policy on disability and for people with disabilities to fight for
their rights. This is a development that is bound to have a lot of impact on NASCOHs

fight to promote and protect the rights of people with disabilities in Zimbabwe and in
improving their lives and well-being.
Numerous publications routinely publish excerpts and stories from NASCOHs Disability
Update, an electronic bulletin featuring disability news that we send out on a bimonthly
basis to over 400 email addresses, including the media. This attests to the seriousness
which the media in Zimbabwe now attaches to disability.
Following a media and disability workshop held in March 2006 in Kadoma, NASCOH
now has in place a pool of reporters in almost every major media organisation in the
country who actively seek out disability news and issues for publication in their media.
These include Sarah Tikiwa at the Sunday Mail, Brian Nkiwane at the Midlands
Observer, Isaac Waniwa and Mandla Tshuma at The Chronicle and The Sunday Mail,
Tambudza iZindi at the Manica Post and Bertha Shoko at The Standard and Tracey
Sibanda and Richard Mbedzi at ZBH. We also send these journalists our electronic
disability update, in which we highlight news and events taking place in the disability
fraternity, tackle pertinent issues of accessibility, poverty, employment, accommodation
and other issues affecting PWDs. The majority of the updates has been picked up by
the media personnel and have received extensive coverage in both print and electronic
media. It is interesting to note that, since the holding of the media workshop, the
number of articles on disability that journalists in the country have written out of their
own volition have increased tremendously. Also of note, even the Financial Gazette,
which is a serious business paper which habitually doesnt publish disability issues, has
also taken an interest in disability issues, as evidenced by the feature article on disability
that it published on September 6, 2007. An analysis of the publications on disability
issues that appeared in a number of publications this year indicates that about of the
articles were written by journalists, in contrast to last year when moist of the articles
were initiated by NASCOH. This is a clear indication that following the media workshop,
journalists have developed a keen interest in disability issues and have taken it upon
themselves to highlight and enhance awareness of disability issues, and provide the
public with a platform for making informed decisions and taking informed action on
disability issues. The journalists have, as it were, taken ownership of the information
dissemination programme.
Coverage of NASCOHs workshops on disability by both the print and the electronic
media has markedly improved and this consistent coverage has resulted in a growing
awareness of disability issues among the general public.
To prove that disability is not disability, we have profiled several high flyers in the
disability world in the mainstream papers including the former studio 263 actress,
Benhildah Marume a.k.a. Tamara, the image breaking Engelbert Makanjera and the
young disability firebrand and Director of the Disability Resource Centre at the Midlands
State University, Kudzai Shava.

Cognisant of the flagrant human rights abuses that children with disabilities are
subjected to in all societies, NASCOH has made sure that media attention remains
directed on this topical issue by highlighting selected and poignant experiences in the
mainstream papers and by providing the papers with background information for their
articles. Three stories chronicling the trials and tribulations faced by mothers with
children with disabilities were published in The Sunday Mail, to this end.
People with disabilities face a multiplicity of difficulties in accessing the electoral

process, with the visually impaired in particular being the most affected as they cannot
vote secretly in Zimbabwe, but have to be assisted by election officials, thus violating a
principal tenet of democracy, voting by secret ballot. Two comprehensive and well
placed articles by NASCOH on the need to extend the constitutional right to vote to
people with disabilities in The Standard newspaper brought to the fore the myriad
problems faced by people with disabilities in accessing the electoral process, and the
need for the removal of these barriers and constraints in order for the voting process to
be extended to this electorate.
Adverts with a disability dimension flighted in the papers on internationally

commemorated days have also served to rally public attention around disability issues.
These include World Human Rights Day, Day of the African Child and International Day
of Women.
The organisation also flighted an advert on the occasion of the International Day of
Disabled Persons on December 3, and produced 10 000 boxes of matches with a
special disability message and over 150 T shirts which were distributed at the
commemoration, which was held in Bindura on 7 December. We also produced a
special NASCOH newsletter, which focused on the theme of employment of people with
disabilities to mark the occasion. Over 200 newsletters were distributed to participants
on the day. The newsletter was also distributed to 300 corporate organisations, along
with a letter asking them what they were doing to ensure the employment of people with
disabilities in their organisations, as well as outlining the benefits of employing people
with disabilities.
Newspaper coverage of disability issues
An analysis of Zimbabwes major publications indicates that a total of 40 NASCOH-

influenced articles on disability have appeared in the countrys major publications during
the period under review. This is, by all accounts, a consecutive figure as we have not
managed to account for all the articles published.
Detailed below is the list of publications that articles on disability have appeared in the
papers, either through express submission by NASCOH, coverage of NASCOHs
activities or through the initiative of the network of reporters on disability issues that

NASCOH has established. The readership figures are taken from the Zimbabwe All
Media Products Survey (ZAMPS results for the first quarter of 2007, which are
produced by the Zimbabwe Advertising and Research Foundation (ZARF):
Publication Readership

The Herald 1 430 439
The Daily Mirror(now defunct) 87 221
The Zimbabwean 63 987
The Sunday News 382 258
The Chronicle 656 647
Manica Post 27 327
Midlands Observer 5 134
The Standard- 378 953
Business Express
The Voice 14 233
Masvingo Mirror 2 190
The articles that appeared in the various publications are as follows:
Initiated Own
Date Paper Author Title Type Occasion Theme by initiati
NASCOH ve
3/30/2007 The Brian Improve News Role of Yes No
Midland Nkiwane coverage on article, media
s people living local
Observ with
er disabilities:
Journalists
urged
4/1/2007 The Jaqueline Handicapped Portrait NASCOH Discriminati Yes No
Standar Mbayiwa triumph over Media on
d discrimination Workshop
March
2007
4/1/2007 The Mildred Copota News No Yes
Masvin Tabe Workshops for article
go the blind
Mirror creates
exclusive
rattan

Initiated Own
NASCOH ve
furniture
4/6/2007 The Brian Meet Column Sports No Yes
Midland Nkiwane Masvingo
s United visually
Observ impaired
er number one
supporter
4/6/2007 The Bertha Extend voter Elections No Yes
Standar Shoko rights to
d disabled-
NASCOH
4/6/2007 The Brian People with News Employme No Yes
Midland Nkiwane disabilities article, nt
s marginalised local
Observ on job market
er
4/22/2007 The Lovemore Extending the Feature Elections Yes No
Standar Rambiyawo constitutional
d right to vote
to people with
disabilities-
NASCOH
5/1/2007 The Mildred Copota News No Yes
Masvin Tabe ventures into article
go chalk
Mirror production
5/4/2007 The Star Tichaona Setting the column Discriminati No Yes
Mlauzi Social on
agenda for
national
development
5/4/2007 Kwayed Thomas Vasingaone News Prevention No Yes
za Chidamba vokumbira article
makondomu
5/13/2007 The Lovemore Now for a new Portrait Yes No
Sunday Rambiyawo breed of
Mail disability
activists
5/25/2007 The Star Tichaona Workers Day- column Workers Employme No Yes
Mlauzi Focus from a Day nt
disability
perspective
6/1/2007 The Idah Criminalise News Employme No Yes
Manica Mhlanga discrimination nt
Post of disabled

Initiated Own
NASCOH ve
people
6/7/2007 The Tambudzai Disabled Feature children No Yes
Manica Zindi children
Post rejected
6/17/2007 The Sarah Blind "see" Feature No Yes
Sunday Tikiwa opportunities
Mail in chalk
6/17/2007 Sunday Day of the Advert Day of the Children Yes No
Mail African Child African
Child
6/24/2007 Sunday Lovemore Meet the toast Feature children Yes No
Mail Rambiyawo of Copota
7/6/2007 The Star Tichaona Rights of column rights No Yes
Mlauzi people with
disabilities
need to be
promoted,
protected
7/6/2007 The Star Tichaona Day of the column Day of the Children No Yes
Mlauzi African Child African
Child
7/15/2007 The Lovemore Mothers hope Feature children Yes No
Sunday Rambiyawo for ailing child
Mail
7/21/2007 Daily MPs urged to News Policy Yes No
Mirror introduce improvem
disability- ent
friendly laws
7/29/2007 The Sarah The blind set Feature No Yes
Sunday Tikiwa up own
Mail sanctuary
7/31/2007 The Mandla Muchemwac News RAC Policy Yes No
Chronic Tshuma alls for policy article, Workshop, improvem
le on disabled health Bulawayo ent
8/3/2007 The Star Tichaona World Column World Discriminati No Yes
Mlauzi population Popupulat on
Day-Let's ion Day
reflect on the
invisible
population
8/5/2007 Sunday Disabled News Finance Yes No
News people live on
paltry pension
8/12/2007 The Lucia As News, NASCOH rights No Yes

Initiated Own
NASCOH ve
Voice Mahlanza handicapped local RAC
urged to fight Northern
for their rights Region
Workshop
Aug. 07
8/13/2007 The National News NASCOH Policy No Yes
Herald Policy on Workshop improvem
disability ent
needed
8/15/2007 The Pay disabled News Finance No Yes
Herald allowances
8/20/2007 The Sarah New notes a News Finance Yes No
Sunday Tikiwa nightmare for article
Mail visually
impaired
8/24/2007 Kwayed Vanyori ve News NJAMA No Yes
za Kwayedza 2006
vakakunda
9/6/2007 The Stanley Life twice as Feature No Yes
Financi Kwenda tough for the
al disabled
Gazette
9/16/2007 The NJAMA 2006 News NJAMA No Yes
Sunday 2006
Mail
9/23/2007 The Lovemore I have no wish Feature Personal Yes No
Sunday Rambiyawo to see: Shava story
Mail
11/10/200 The Herald Task force on News No Yes
7 Herald reporter national
disability
policy set up
11/26/200 The James Disability rights News No No
7 Herald Makoma are human
rights -
Malinga
11/23/200 Kwayed Thomas Vakaremara News No No
7 za Damba vanoda
kumiririrwa
12/3/2007 The NASCOH Let's push for Advert No No
Herald socio-
econoimc
integration of
people with
disabilities

Disability update
The update is produced twice a month, the workload permitting. It focuses on hard
news, events taking place in the disability arena, feature articles on crucial issues facing
PWDs and takes into account UN internationally commemorated days, which we try to
infuse a disability dimension into. The bulletin is very popular as evidenced by feedback
from addressees, locally, regionally and internationally. Some of the updates have been
covered almost verbatim by the print and electronic media. Most of the stories are also
often featured on the Kubatana website. The chronicle of the updates published by the
Information Department during the period under review include:
Jan 16, 2007 Society should reawaken ubuntu in disability relations.
Jan 23, 2007 National Disability Programme kicks off.
Feb 8, 2007 Education of children with disabilities under threat
Feb 14, 2007 Poverty, a way of life for people with disabilities. (Also
highlighted on radio)
April 13, 2007 People with disabilities set to benefit from AIDS Awareness
programmes.
April 24, 2007 Extending the right to vote to people with disabilities.
(Reproduced twice in The Standard newspaper, 22 April and 6 May)
May 20, 2007 Children with disabilities continue to bear the brunt of human
rights violations (featured extensively by Tambudzai Zindi in the Manica Post
under Children with disabilities rejected)
June 20, 2007 NASCOH embarks on childrens right programmes (featured
extensively on radio)
Aug 10, 2007 Momentum on disability policy builds up as NASCOH holds
consultative workshops
July 16, 2007 NASCOH holds sectoral workshops for visually impaired.
Oct 4, 2007 Disability organization wins NGO Expo trophy
Electronic media
NASCOH has also appeared 7 times on ZBCTV and has been covered 44 times on
radio during the period under review. Radio coverage has been on all the countrys four
stations, Radio Zimbabwe, National FM, Power FM, Spot FM. The organization has also
been covered twice by Studio 7. The actual coverage figures are higher than this as
some enterprising ZBC producers have used coverage from the weekly radio
programme Sekauremawafa as radio news items. The viewership and listenership
figures for the broadcast media are as follows:
Electronic
April 27. A story on extending the constitutional right to vote to people with disabilities
appeared on Power Fm. The article was taken from NASCOHs disability Update of

April 24 which highlighted the need to extend the constitutional right to vote to people
with disabilities.
June 27. The article on NASCOH embarking on a massive three-year programme

aimed at promoting and protecting the rights of children with disabilities was aired on
Power FM and National Fm by Tracey Sibanda. The story also highlighted all the
provinces and districts NASCOH would be working on as well as the partners the
organisation would be working with.
5 July. A story on the experiences of people with visual impairments appeared on

Power FM and National FM following a sectoral workshop for people with visual
impairments held in Masvingo from 2-3 July. Story by Tracey Sibanda of ZBC.
9 July. Lucina Mangwanda appeared on both radio and television highlighting the
progress and constraints regarding the programme on promoting and protecting the
rights of children with disabilities.
2 August. Interviews of people with disabilities airing their concerns appeared on ZBC
TV following a workshop for the Southern RACs held in Bulawayo from 30-31 July. The
story also appeared on Power FM and National FM.
29 August. The story on the concerns of people with disabilities appeared on ZTV
folloowing coverage of a sectoral workshop for people with physical disabilities held in
Mutare. Article also appeared on radio.
30 August. Stories on the constraints faced by people with disabilities in procuring

assistive devices appeared on radio Power FM. Tracey Sibanda of ZBC provided the
coverage.
All the subsequent sectoral workshops on people with physical disabilities, women and
youths with disabilities, those living with conditions and the mentally challenged, people
with hearing impairments, the intersectoral task forces workshop in Masvingo and the
National Disability Policy all stakeholders workshop in Nyanga were covered extensivlely
by both print and electronic media, including ZBC TV. The subsequent publiocity has
greatly boosted the visisbility of people with disabilities. The viewership of Zimbabwes
broadcasting stations are as follows:
Station Viewership/listenership
ZBCTV 2 306 562
Radio Zimbabwe 827 917
National FM 274 821
Power FM 1 478 476
Spot FM 765 712
Studio 7 61 664

NASCOH Newsletter
The NASCOH newsletter, a quarterly publication, is also an invaluable information
dissemination vehicle for news in the disability sector. This year, we managed to
produce two issues of the NASCOH newsletter. The July issue focused on the rights of
children with disabilities, a very pertinent issue considering the current thrust towards the
rights based approach to disability. Features touching and poignant experiences of
children and mothers of children with disabilities. Three of the articles have already
been published in The Sunday Mail.
The November issue of the newsletter was inspired by the theme of the International
Day of Disabled Persons 2007, and featured touching employment experiences of
people with disabilities throughout the whole country
Radio Programme
NASCOH is currently running a weekly radio programme Sekauremawafa which airs
on National FM every Saturday from 6.30 to 7.00pm. A large number of people with
disabilities have appeared on the programme since its introduction in February, 2006.
The programme, which has the added advantage of a live phone-in session, affords
people with disabilities the opportunity to share their insights and experiences on
disability with listeners and discuss topical disability issues. The programme has proved
to be a hit with listeners, judging by the lively debate the phone-in sessions have
elicited. The programme has proved to be an invaluable vehicle for demystifying
disability and raising awareness of disability issues. . The programme will run for 52
weeks.
Workshops
In addition to ensuring coverage of NASCOHs workshops and other diverse activities,
the department has also produced workshop reports on the following:
Validation workshop on the needs assessment study for people with
disabilities.
Workshop for Southern Region RACs.
Workshop for Nothern Region RACS.
Sectoral workshop for people with visual impairments.
Sectoral workshop for people with physical disabilities.
Sectoral workshop for people living with conditions and the mentally
challenged.
Sectoral workshop for people with hearing impairments.
Inter-sectoral task forces workshop.
National Disability Policy all stakeholders workshop.
Information Workshops
An offshoot of the Information workshop that we conducted for identified Regional
Advocacy Committee (RAC) members is that we now have a Mashonaland West RAC
member, TichaonaMlauzi, who is now a disability columnist for The Star newspaper of
Chinhoyi. The column is known as Demystifying Disability with TichaonaMlauzi. The

weekly column, which tackles a wide array of issues pertaining to disability, has proved
to be a hit with the local populace and has played a not insignificant role in demystifying
disability in the province and raising awareness of disability issues among the general
public.
Member visits
In an effort to update our Webster and improve internal communication, the Information
Department visited a number of organisations in Bulawayo including Abilities, Council for
the Blind, KG6, St Francis Childrens Home, St Francis Childrens School, Jairos Jiri
Association and Zimbabwe National League of the Blind. Although the department was
unable to visit all the other member organisations because of a very heavy workshop
schedule, these visits will be continued in the coming new year in order to update our
membership database and explore ways of improving communication with our members.
National Journalistic and Media Awards (NJAMA)

The organisation this year sponsored two awards in the disability category for best
disability reporter in both print and electronic media. The awards were held on August
17 at Rainbow Towers Hotel and the winners in the disability category were presented
with their prizes by the Special Advisor on Disability and Rehabilitation to the President
and Cabinet, Retired Brigadier General Dr Felix Muchemwa. Participation in the National
Journalistic and Media Awards has served to heighten media awareness on disability
issues.
Conclusion
From the foregoing, it can safely be deduced that NASCOH has been able to use the
agenda setting function of the media to thrust disability into the public spotlight. The
media, and society are talking more and more about disability issues. Government has
begun to take note and positive attitudes towards people with disabilities are slowly but
discernibly, beginning to translate into action. While we have made a lot of headway
with regard to external communication, a lot still needs to be done in order to improve
internal communication within our membership.
INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION ANNUAL REPORT 2008

Cognisant of the fact that the PACT funded programme on promoting and protecting the
rights of people with disabilities drew to a close in November this year, this Information
and Communications report will cover the entire period of the programme , from July
2006 to date, although care will be taken to isolate activities that occurred during the
year 2008.
The information and communications thrust during the period under reviews has been
guided by the four basic functions of communication in any organisation, which are:
v Promoting and disseminating the organisations activities and outputs, reaching
and catching the attention of target audiences, raising visibility, and looking for
impact.
v Help locate and bring external knowledge resources into the organisation

v Strengthening the collaboration and networking efforts of the organisations staff
with people in other organisations.
v Improving internal communication and information exchange.
Promoting and disseminating the organisations activities and outputs, reaching and
catching the attention of target audiences, raising visibility, and looking for impact.
This has been done through the effective use of multiple and complementary channels
of communication including press releases, feature articles to the media, provision of
media coverage for disability events, production of the NASCOH News newsletter,
production of the Disability Update (monthly or twice monthly), the weekly radio
programme Sekauremawafa which airs on National Fm every Saturday from 6.30 to
7.00pm.
Media mention:
Through NASCOHs initiative, disability has appeared in the major papers over 80 times
since the commencement of the programme in 2006. Forty five of these articles
appeared during 2007 while the rest appeared during the current year, 2008. NASCOH-
initiated or NASCOH-influenced disability articles have appeared in The Herald, The
Sunday Mail, The Chronicle, The Sunday News, The Standard, the Independent, the
Financial Gazette, the Star of Chinhoyi, the Voice, Manica Post, the Masvingo Star, the
Masvingo Mirror and Kwayedza and other publications. Of note, during 2006 and the
first half of 2007, about 65% of the articles that appeared in the papers were written by
NASCOH, with only about 20% coming from the journalists initiative. The trend has
reversed, however, and now the bulk of the articles are coming from the journalists
themselves. The full list of the stories including the dates of publication and the
particular publication they appeared in, is available for your perusal. For the record, the
readership of aforementioned publications is as follows:
Publication Readership
The Herald 1 430 439
The Daily Mirror (now defunct) 87 221
The Zimbabwean 63 987
The Sunday News 382 258
The Chronicle 656 647
Manica Post 27 327
Midlands Observer 5 134
The Standard- 378 953
Business Express
The Voice 14 233
Masvingo Mirror 2 190

Disability has been featured on radio over 80 times during this period. This is mostly
through NASCOHs workshops, press releases, extracts from the radio programme.
The viewership and listenership figures for the broadcast media are as follows:
Station Viewership/listenership
ZBCTV 2 306 562
Radio Zimbabwe 827 917
National FM 274 821
Power FM 1 478 476
Spot FM 765 712
Studio 7 61 664
Disability has been featured on TV over 20 times during this period. In addition, the
television adverts featuring various categories of disabilities that were shot by NASCOH
and aired on television during the run up to the March 29 elections helped put the issue
of voting among people with disabilities into the limelight. The adverts were flighted three
times a day from 11 to 15 February before being taken off the air by ZEC and were then
subsequently flighted 25 times a day from March 25-March 28. The press statements
condemning the gratuitous violence during the build up to the Presidential run off
generated a lot of attention and was aired extensively on ZBC, with the NASCOH
Executive Director being interviewed. The statement calling on the election authorities to
allow people with visual impairments to be assisted to vote by their trusted assistants
only also generated a lot of attention. However, NASCOH appeared on television only 8
times this year, as opposed to 13 times in 2007. However, this was due to the large
volumes of activities which characterised the year 2007.
NASCOH has established rapport with journalists to the extent that journalists now
actively seek and report on disability with clarity and compassion. During the first half of
the programme, the bulk of stories that appeared in the papers were generated by
NASCOH itself but now the journalists have taken the initiative. The media workshop
held in Kadoma also played a pivotal role in awakening and stoking sensitivity of
journalists to disability issues.
The organisation this also took part in the National Journalistic and Media Awards
ceremony, where it sponsored two awards for Best reporters on disability issues in the
print and electronic media categories. This year, the print award went to Sarah Tikiwa of
the Sunday Mail, while the electronic media award went to Joseph Mandizvidza of Spot
FM. Last years prizes were won by Thomas Dembe of Kwayedza in the print category
and ZTV producer Zvevashe in the electronic category. NASCOHs participation in this
prestigious media showcase has gone a long way towards raising the visibility of
disability in the country.
The radio programme sekauremawafa has also been instrumental in raising awareness
of disability issues among the general populace. The poignant experiences of PWDS
who are interviewed on the programme, which is spiced with live phone in sessions have

become a hit with listeners, who also routinely phone NASCOH personnel for advice on
disability issues after every programme.
The department has produced over 300 simplified brochures on the UN Convention on
the rights of Persons with disabilities in English, Shona and Ndebele, as part of ongoing
efforts to raise awareness of the convention and to whip up public support for its
ratification by government. The theme of this years International Day for Persons with
Disabilities is UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Dignity and
Justice for all of us. The convention will also be produced in Braille for the benefit of the
visually impaired.
We believe that the organisations publicity efforts were also instrumental in the
organisation being approached by a Botswana-based regional disability organisation,
DHAT, to provide mentoring services on disability in a number of areas.
All these information and communication endeavours have led to increased awareness
of disability among the general public.
Disability Update
About 30 updates have been produced during the period under review. These have
focused on topical disability issues, newsworthy events, press statements on topical
disability issues and analysis of crosscutting disability issues. Update is sent to over
400 email addresses including DPOs, civil society organisations, PWDs, regional and
international disability organisations, parliamentarians, institutions of higher learning,
external partners and UN organisations and the media. Some of the articles have been
routinely been picked up by the media for publication. The uncertainties associated with
the winding up of the PACT programme on the promotion and protection of the rights of
people with disabilities, however, resulted in a shifting of energies to other areas,
especially to proposal writing and only 7 updates were produced this year.
NASCOH News
Four copies have been produced during the period under review, focusing on the
thematic areas of human rights, employment of PWDs, education, and decision making
for PWDs. The print run is normally 500 copies and these are distributed to
DPOs, civil society organisations, PWDs, regional and international disability
organisations, parliamentarians, institutions of higher learning, external partners and UN
organisations and the media. Some of the articles have been routinely been picked up
by the media for publication. Again as a result of the issues mentioned earlier, we were
able to produce just one copy of the NASCOH NEWS this year, focusing on the thematic
area of Decision Making for People with Disabilities.
Helping locate and bringing external knowledge into the organisation

The department has also subscribed to various international and local publications on
disability, which have now become part of NASCOH library. Some of these publications
include:

v Sight and Life Publication focusing on visual impairments
v Braille Index publication
v Africa Renewal- publication by the UN Department of information focusing on
cross cutting issues of poverty, alienation, underdevelopment and human rights
in Africa.
v Community Eye health journal published by the International Centre for eye
health and focusing on the right to sight, eye care, eye care services.
v Action Pals A local publication written in English and the vernacular focusing
on various developmental issues including health and education for children.
v Enabling Education newsletter (conventional and in Braille) from the Enabling
Education Network, UK.
v Africa Renewal, formerly Africa Recovery, from the UN Dept of Information.
v Humanitarian exchange
Strengthening the collaboration and networking efforts of the organisations staff with
people in other organisations.
The organisation works in collaboration with a number of civil society partners including
ZESN, NANGO, Crisis Coalition of Zimbabwe, ZIMRIGHTS, Zimbabwe Lawyers for
Human Rights and SAHRIT and is regularly invited to meetings and conferences and
this affords opportunities for networking and information sharing. In particular, NASCOH
entered a human rights competition being sponsored by the French Republic featuring a
programme which resulted in 75 PWDs taking part in the March 29 elections as
observers this year. ZESN has received special mention for facilitating the process and
will receive a medal from the French embassy.
Improving internal communication and information exchange

The Disability Update is one form of communication medium with member organisations.
In addition, the organisation carries out regular visits to member organisation to keep
itself updated on their current programme status, activities, and challenges and to share
insights and experiences. Last year, the organisation visited Jairos Jiri, KG VI Childrens
Home, Abilities, Zimbabwe National League of the Blind, National Council for the Blind,
St Francis Home and School as part of this process. Information outreach visits were
also conducted in Masvingo. Political considerations inhibited travelling for the better
part of the year. However, the department was able to touch base with a number of
Harare-based organisations including DWSO, Zimbabwe Amputees Association,
Cheshire Homes and Dorothy Duncan.
Conclusion.
While commendable headway has been made in the area of external communication
especially with regard to the media, more needs to be done to enhance internal
communication. Resources permitting, the organisation would like to embark on a
massive repackaging of information for its members, so that information available
electronically for example, is repackaged and distributed to member organisations, by
fax, printed updates, mail, newsletters etc. We welcome suggestions in this regard.

ANNEX 11
National Disability Board
Position on disabled people in media


ANNEX 12
Silveira House, Zimbabwe National Editors Forum and
Zimbabwe Union of Journalists: An Analysis of Zimbabwean
Media Laws that do not Promote an Enabling Environment for the
Media & Proposed Reforms. Summary Findings
INTRODUCTION
In April 2014, Silveira House, Zimbabwe Union of Journalists and the Zimbabwe
Editors Forum carried out a research to identify and analyse the various media and other
laws that do not promote the existence of a conducive environment for the media. The
research which was carried out through a field and a desk research was aimed at coming
up with specific sector informed recommendations for reforms, that are in line with the
provisions of the new constitution.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
This research was necessitated by the realization that because the outgoing Constitution
of Zimbabwe did not guarantee media freedom as well as fully canvass the right of
access to information, the extent to which these rights were enjoyed was very limited.
Because of this limited constitutional guarantee, a number of laws and provisions which
to date continue to limit the freedom of the media found their way into the countrys
statute books and to date still govern the operations of the media. While the new
constitution ushered in more explicit guarantees of media freedoms, these are not yet
being fully enjoyed because there have been no moves yet, to re-align these current laws
with the constitution.
OBJECTIVES OF THE RESEARCH
This research sought to achieve the following objectives;

v To conduct an analysis of laws and provisions that are contributing to a repressive
operating environment for the media and;
v To measure the compatibility of the countrys media laws with the current
constitution of Zimbabwe.
v To obtain and relay the perceptions and experiences of the media itself and related
stakeholders on the above;
v To come up with sector-informed recommendations for reforms and legislative re-
alignments with the current constitution of Zimbabwe.
METHODOLOGY

DESK REVIEW
In order to fully explore the impact of the laws on the operating environment for the
media, the research study conducted a desk review of existing international, regional,
constitutional and national legal frameworks on access to information, media freedom
and freedom of expression. It also assessed the prevalently used legal provisions in
violation of media freedoms through an assessment of some of the cases that have
occurred over the past 5 years. The researchers also made use of existing research and
analysis of the issues derived from online databases and the internet to gain a deeper
understanding of the issues.
FIELD RESEARCH
This was in the form of questionnaires, a focus group discussion and random interviews
aimed at seeking the views and experiences of journalists in this current operating
environment i.e. how it is affecting their work as the media. These were carried out with
reporters and editors drawn from both state and independent electronic and print media as
well as from community media, including freelance journalists. Interviews were also
conducted with constitutional and media lawyers from across the country who gave their
expert opinion on the current repressive laws and provisions and the extent of reforms
required to ensure a full enjoyment of the constitutionally guaranteed freedom. This
process was meant to assist in the formulation of grounded recommendations that are
informed by lived realities of the people affected by the current laws.
SUMMARY FINDINGS
Amongst other aspects, research revealed that;
v There exists a number of laws and specific provisions that are restricting the
operating environment for the media and which are also not in tandem with the
current constitution. Some of the laws include the Access to Information and
Protection of Privacy Act [Chapter 10:27] (AIPPA], Broadcasting Services Act
[Chapter 12:06], the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act [Chapter 9:23],
the Censorship and Entertainments Control Act [Chapter 10:04], and the
Interception of Communications Act [Chapter 11:20] among others.
v While the provisions of the new constitution are largely in tandem with
international and regional standards on media freedoms, the laws on the ground
are not only in conflict with the constitution but are also not in sync with the
standards set by these instruments.
v Access to information remains a huge hurdle for the media especially for those
working for the private media. Although there is in place a law meant to provide
for this right under AIPPA, many of the provisions in this Act severely limit this
right to the extent that the full realisation of the right as guaranteed in the
constitution is currently impossible.

v The existence of insult and criminal defamation provisions has instilled a sense
of fear in many journalists, some of the journalists interviewed called criminal
defamation a criminalisation of journalism as the provision is tantamount to
undermining their media freedom as guaranteed by the current constitution.
v The non-reform of the broadcasting laws is also contributing to the current
environment where access to information and freedom of establishment of
broadcasting and other electronic media are still limited. Of major concern are
provisions such as section 10(1) of the BSA, whose import remains a stumbling
block to the full enjoyment of these rights, 13 years after the coming into force of
this law.
v Overall the new constitution offers a huge opportunity for the redress of the
countrys media laws and that as a result, there is need for the re-alignment of
current media laws to the constitution to ensure a full realisation of the
guarantees enshrined in this supreme law.
RECOMMENDATIONS
In light of these and other findings, some of the key recommendations are as follows:
Access to information
v Section 4 and 5(10 of AIPPA must be amended to ensure that it does not limit
access to information to information held by public bodies only but also allows
access to information held by non- public bodies. This would be in line with
section 62(2) of the Constitution which provides for access to information held by
other persons.
v Section 5(3) of AIPPA should also be amended to embody the spirit of section
62(2) of the constitution to ensure that there is no discrimination of non-citizens
in accessing information. Section 62(2) of the constitution affords every person
the right to access information that is required for the exercise or the
protection of a right
v Section 6 of AIPPA should also be amended to ensure flexibility in the form that
requests for information are made to accommodate people such as the visually
impaired who may not be able to make the written request that are required in
terms of this provision. This would be in recognition of the fact section 6 of the
constitution recognizes sign language as an official language in the country and
would enhance access to information for all.
v Section 8 & 11 of AIPPA should also be amended to shorten the timeframe
within which responses to requests for information are made from the minimum
30 day period to an unspecified maximum response period as this severely limits
ones chances of accessing information in time as envisaged by the constitution.
The African Union Model law on access to information for example, provides for
a 21 day period, while the MISA-Zimbabwes Model law on Access to
information advocates for a 10 day response period which can be extended once
by 5 days.
v The limitations that are imposed by the constitution in terms of s62 need to be
unpacked and reflected in current laws such as AIPPA, so that journalists are
clear on what they can or cannot do. As it is, AIPPA retains a host of limitations

that are neither recognised by the constitution nor justifiable in a democratic
society as also stipulated by the same constitution. This will go a long way in
enhancing especially access to information held by state entities
Broadcasting
v Section 10 of BSA should be repealed or amended to remove the wide discretion
placed on BAZ to decide when to call for licenses. It should also be amended to
remove the stipulation that aspiring broadcasters cannot approach BAZ with a
licence application but should wait for BAZ to decide when to make a call for
licenses. This status quo is hindering the full opening up of the airwaves and is
open to abuse. Aspiring community broadcasters especially, have borne the full
brunt of this provision as none have been licensed since the coming into force of
this law in 2001. This is despite the fact that there are a few that are ready to
broadcast should licences be called for. The act should therefore be amended to
ensure that there is in place a clause that makes it mandatory for BAZ to make
regular calls for all classes of licenses each year for as long as spectrum is
available.
v While the BSA defines what a Community Broadcasting Service is, it does not
define what constitutes a community for purposes of licensing of community
broadcasters. BSA should therefore be amended to include such a definition,
which is in line with the provisions of the constitution. This is in light of current
unofficial contestations on what defines a community for purposes of licensing
community radios. This issue may become crucial should the call for licence be
made.
Zimbabwe Media Commission
v Regarding the qualifications and roles of members of ZMC, there is an
inconsistency between the provisions of sections 248 of the constitution and
section 38 of AIPPA as outlined in the text. For example there is clear emphasis
on promotion of media freedom in the constitution a key aspect that should also
be emphasised in AIPPA. The Act should therefore, be amended so that it is in
line with the constitution regarding the qualifications and roles for members of
this commission as this affects the extent to which access to information is
promoted and enjoyed in Zimbabwe.
Protection of journalists sources of information
v The media has a right to protection of its sources of information which right is
guaranteed in the constitution but is also not reflected in any law. However AIPPA
as the regulating law should be amended to specifically include a clause on the
medias right to protection of sources. Such a provision will not only enhance
media freedom but its ability to source and disseminate timely information to the
public.

v All provisions that amount to a coercion or mandating of the media to reveal their
sources, should in the same vein be repealed as they infringe on media freedom
vis--vis its right to protection of sources i.e. section 42 (c) of AIPPA, sections
113(c) and 232 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act.
Right to privacy of communications
v Section 5 of the Interception of Communications Act must be amended so that

warrants to intercept ones communication are issued only by the courts and not
by the Minister for Transport in observance of the doctrine of separation of
powers and also to ensure that the right to privacy, which is protected in section
57 of the constitution, is not unnecessarily infringed. Currently in terms of this
provision, a warrant to intercept is granted by the minister of transport without
any judicial oversight. There is however need to ensure that all competing
interests are weighed by a competent court of law and that any affected person
has a right to defend their rights before a warrant to intercept is made.
Criminalisation of expression
v All provisions criminalising expression such as section 31 and 96 of the

Criminal law Codification and reform Act, section 64, & 80 of AIPPA as well as
all insult provisions i.e. sections, 33 and 95 of the Criminal law Codification and
reform Act, should be repealed to ensure that they do not continue to infringe the
constitutionally guaranteed freedom of expression and media freedom. Instead
harm for injury to persons reputations and dignity as well as any other impact of
false reportage, should be dealt with under civil law.
v Section 4 of the Official Secrets Act should be amended so that it is not too wide
in its construction and that it clearly identifies the range of information that is
classified under this section to avoid a situation where the law seems to classify
just about anything. Its penalty provisions should also be reviewed from the 20
year sentence currently imposable.
v The powers vested in the censorship board in terms of sections 13-16 of the
Censorship and Entertainments Control Act are too wide and should be
amended to ensure that its powers are somewhat fettered to avoid a situation
where arbitrary and unjustified decisions may be made that infringe on peoples
freedom of artistic expression as guaranteed in section 61(1) (b) of the
constitution.
v The schedule to section 21 i.e. clauses (10-12) of the Privileges, Immunities and
Powers of Parliament Act should also be repealed or amended in the same vein
that other provisions that criminalise expression and the work of the media should
be repealed or emended. i.e. to the extent that any contempt of parliament
resulting from publications by the media, should also be dealt with under the civil
laws.

v Overall, there is need for consistent and targeted lobbying by media stakeholders
for the opening up of the media space and the institution of legislative reforms as
identified.
CONCLUSION
One of the key things that emerged in this research is that while the operating
environment for the media contains a number of laws and provisions that are
restricting the full enjoyment of media freedoms, there is a lot of hope for their
rectification stemming from the explicit guarantees of fundamental media freedoms
in the new constitution. The mere existence of these fundamental freedoms as
identified in this research, necessitates the review of a number government to ensure
a full re-alignment of all such laws with the constitution. However the media itself
and other stakeholders can also take the initiative and push government to ensure the
envisaged re-alignments are done. Aside from the guarantees in the constitution,
stakeholders also have hope from the positive comments by the Minister Professor
Jonathan Moyo, who has since 2013, condemned the existence of provisions such as
criminal defamation. The courts also on the other hand have made pronunciations in
cases such as the Chimakure & Kahiya case, which point to how unacceptable the
criminalization of false news and expression is vis-a-vis freedom of expression. All of
this taken together, show that the situation is not beyond redress but instead, there are
a lot of positives that stakeholders can build on towards pushing for meaningful
reforms of the media environment.

ANNEX 13
Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe advocacy paper
Considerations on the Future of Media Regulation in Zimbabwe
1. Introduction and Background to Media Regulation in Zimbabwe.
1.1 Media regulation, both by the state and by the journalism profession has been
contested terrain particularly since 2000 in Zimbabwe. Prior to that, and specifically
since national independence in 1980, the media had functioned without direct regulation
and licensing of operators. The legal framework that informed the operations of the
media, up until the promulgation of the Access to information and Protection of Privacy
Act in 2002, was largely predicated on laws that dealt with public order and security such
as the Law and Order Maintenance Act, the Official Secrets Act and the Defence Act.
1.2 A peculiar law that also had a direct impact on the mainstream media though not
intended as its primary target for regulation was the Censorship and Entertainment
Control Act which related largely, as its title suggests, sort of control media content as
opposed to the functions of the media.
1.3 At the turn of the millennium, the governments decision to promulgate AIPPA was
not intended as a replacement for above cited media related legal framework. Instead it
turned out to be intended to add to it.
1.4 The only specific difference was to be that there would be a specific law that would
formally register the media to be permitted to operate in Zimbabwe. The emphasis was
however less on issues to do with the ethical conduct of the media than it was intended
to address structural issues of the registration and direct monitoring of the mainstream
media and journalists.
1.5 In this vein, the establishment of initially the Media and Information Commission,
was a new development that was to have the end effect of causing the closure of
newspapers and the institutionalization of undemocratic hostility between the state and
the mainstream media.

1.6 Furthermore, the broader media regulatory environment was also affected by the
introduction of the Broadcasting Services Act (BSA). This law essentially serves the
purpose of the licensing of electronic media, namely radio and television. While its
introduction into the media regulation legal framework was fraught with controversy and
long delays in licensing private or community broadcasting players, it has not had a
direct impact on the conduct of the journalism profession. Especially where and when
compared with laws such as AIPPA, POSA and the Criminal Law codification and
Reform Act.
2. Journalism Professions Contribution to the Concept of Media regulation
2.1 The journalism profession has been apprised of issues to do with media regulation
since the early years of Zimbabwes national independence. This was in relation to both
the general conduct expected of journalists by the immediate post-independence
government where key issues to do with patriotism and nationalism held sway over
professional conduct. As the media approached the 1990s, it became more critical of
government but any arguments around professional conduct tended to be resolved
through civil lawsuits.
2.2 The first initiative of seeking a professional code of conduct was undertaken in 1995
through the Mass Media Trust. Under the leadership of Wilf Mbanga, then editor of the
Community Newspapers Group, it was proposed and adopted that there be a Zimbabwe
Media Council (ZMC) with the specific mandate of drafting a media code of conduct and
reviewing laws that affected the media. This initial ZMC was headed by a committee
who comprised of the following: retired Justice John Manyarara chairman, Kindness
Paradza Zimbbawe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) Chairman, Tapfuma Machakaire (ZUJ)
Secretary General, Ropafadzo Mapimhidze (Media) Andrew Moyse (Media), Mark
Chavunduka (Media), Lupi Mushayakarara (Media) Public reps: Professor Geoff Feltoe,
Judith Todd, Priscilla Matshe, Mike Nyambuya, Professor Welshman Ncube, Rudo
Gaidzanwa. 15

15
See Machakaire T. 2012. A Nose for News, the real Life Adventures of a Zimbabwean
Journalist, MISA Zimbabwe, Harare. Pp 158-165

While initially receiving widespread media stakeholder support, the ZMC was however
short lived due to logistical problems as well as the departure of its founding chairman,
Justice Manyarara.
It had however set the groundwork for the continued engagement of the journalism
profession on the need for a holistic media code of conduct. This continued debate and
engagement led to the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists and the Media Institute of
Southern Africa Zimbabwe Chapter (MISA-Zimbabwe) combining their efforts in a
consultative process toward establishing a joint media code of conduct for the journalism
profession in 2006-2007.
This process led to the adoption of a Code of Conduct for journalists in 2007 and the
formalization of the Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe (VMCZ) in 2008.
3. Contemporary Media Regulation Context.
3. 1 In Zimbabwes current context, the media is regulated both by the state through the
constitutional Zimbabwe Media Commission as well as by the self-regulatory body the
Voluntary Media Council.
The premise of both institutions is Section 61, and 62 of the new Bill of rights in the
Constitution of Zimbabwe, which guarantee freedom of expression and the media as
well as access to information.
3.2 The Zimbabwe Media Commission is however specifically mandated to undertake its
duties through Sections 248-250 of the new constitution. Such duties are listed as
follows:
3.2.1 Section 249,

(1) The Zimbabwe Media Commission has the following functions
a) To uphold, promote and develop the freedom of the media
b) To promote and enforce good practices and ethics in the media
c) To monitor broadcasting in the public interest and in particular, to ensure fairness
and diversity of views broadly representing Zimbabwean society
d) To encourage the formulation of codes of conduct for employed in the media
and, where no such code exists, to formulate and enforce one

e) To receive and consider complaints from the public and where, appropriate, to
broadcasting who are found to have breached any law or any code of conduct
applicable to them
f) To ensure that the people of Zimbabwe have fair and wide access to information
g) To encourage the use and development of all the officially recognized languages
of Zimbabwe
h) To encourage the adoption of new technology in the media and in the
dissemination of information
i) To promote fair competition and diversity in the media and
j) To conduct research into issues relating to freedom of the press and of
expression, and in that regard to promote reforms in the law
3.2.2 All of these functions of the ZMC, in terms of subsection 249 (2) are to be realized
through an act of Parliament which shall also regulate the media while also allowing it to
investigate the media in relation to codes of conduct.
3.2.3 The ZMCs constitutional mandate is further enabled through the Access to
Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) which deals specifically which gives
the formers functions as follows:
Section 39: Functions of Zimbabwe Media Commission
(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
(n) to monitor the mass media and raise user awareness of the mass media;
and
(o) to register mass media in Zimbabwe; and
(p) to investigate complaints against any journalist or mass media service in
terms of Part VIIA..
(m) to make regulations in terms of section 91.
3.2.3 An additional regulatory body of the media, a statutory Media Council is also
established in terms of Section 42A of the same Act:
3.2.4 AIPPA Section 42A Constitution of Media Council

(1) For the purpose of exercising disciplinary control and other powers conferred by this
Act, the Commission shall appoint a Media Council in terms of this Part.
This Media Council is an ancillary body to the ZMC and seeks as widespread
representation as possible as outlined in Section 42 of AIPPA.
3.3 The Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe has its functions outlined as follows:
3.3.1 Section 3 of VMCZ Constitution
Objectives
The aims and objectives of the Council are:

a) 3.1 to safeguard the independence of the media and maintain its integrity by way
of effective and
b) professional self-regulation.
c) 3.2 to promote the highest ethical and professional journalistic standards;
d) 3.3 to serve as a conduit between government, other authorities and political
parties on the one side,
e) and the media on the other;
f) 3.4 to monitor media trends, and course content and ethics in media training
institutions, and to
g) consult and offer advice and support to such institutions in
h) furtherance of the aims and objectives;
i) 3.5 to uphold and preserve the established constitutional freedom of expression
and of the media;
j) 3.6 to uphold the right of the public to be accurately and fairly informed on
matters of public and
k) general interest;
l) 3.7 to establish, promote and enforce the Code of Conduct for media
practitioners, media institutions
m) and similar bodies;
n) 3.8 to provide an independent and effective channel through which to consider,
investigate and
resolve complaints about the conduct of the print and broadcasting media and so
ensure adherence with the spirit and letter of the Code of Conduct.
3.3.3 The VMCZ also has a Media Complaints Committee that receives and adjudicates
complaints from members of the public without legal costs nor preference of criminal
charges against journalists and media houses that have been found, after due process,
to have been in breach of the same Media Code of Conduct.
4. Distinguishing between Registration/Licensing of a Media House and Media

Professionalism/Ethics
4.1 The legal framework around the regulation on the media has two distinct facets. The
first is that there is the intention by the state to ensure the functional operations of the
media through licensing media houses. This is a largely technical premise that is based

on issues to do with media ownership, commercial viability and contributions to a media
development fund. These are matters that may affect the ethical conduct of the media,
one way or the other, but in the final analysis are limited to operational matters.
4.2 The second facet of media regulation relates directly to ethics and professionalism.
This specific area addresses issues to do with the conduct of the media in relation to
published stories or the conduct of journalists working for already licensed media
houses. Or alternatively the conduct of journalists that are licensed to operate in
Zimbabwe.
5. Convergence of Perspectives on Media Regulation in Zimbabwe.
5.1 The three main regulatory bodies of the professional and ethical conduct of the
media in Zimbabwe, is their stated intention to serve the best interests of journalism as a
standalone profession.
5.2 They all emphasize the importance of the following
a) The democratic importance of media professionalism and ethical conduct
b) Endeavoring to develop the media through training, capacity building
c) Enhancing media public accountability through involving ordinary members of the
public in measuring the medias adherence to the agreed to standards.
d) The need to establish a referral body to resolve media complaints from news
consumers and ordinary members of the public
6. Divergence of Perspectives on Media Regulation in Zimbabwe.
6.1 There are three specific areas of divergence in relation to media regulation. These
areas of difference have been largely embodied through the state and the journalism
profession as represented by the Zimbabwe Media Commission and the Voluntary
Media Council of Zimbabwe.
6.2 They can be outlined as follows

a) The role of the state in media regulation: There has been a national debate since
the promulgation of AIPPA whether the state should allocate itself the role of
licensing the media not only to exist but also to issue licenses for journalists. The
argument against the existent framework has been that it was not in keeping with

the then Section 20 of the Lancaster House constitution and now Section 61 of
the new constitution. This, it has been argued by members of the Media Alliance
of Zimbabwe, contravenes and unnecessarily impedes the right to freedom of
expression as well as access to information of not just the media but also citizens
of Zimbabwe.
b) Democratic Pretext of Media Freedom: The counter argument has been that
there should be the democratic pretext of allowing the media to operate within
the ambit of the broadest democratic interpretation of the principle of freedom of
expression and access to information. This, coupled with the ability of the media
to establish an independent media code of conduct is posted as the alternative to
direct state regulation of the media. The role of the state would then be limited to
ensuring the enjoyment of the right to freedom of expression and access to
information as stipulated within the constitution, without further legislation directly
affecting the free-functioning of the media.
c) Criminalisation of the Media: This specific area of divergence emerges from the
utilization of criminal defamation charges against journalists and media houses.
This specifically in relation to clauses in AIPPA (section 42b) and in other pieces
of legislation such as POSA and the Criminal Law codification and Reform Act
that specifically give the state latitude to prefer criminal charges against
journalists that will be deemed to have violated the law because of what they will
have published.
d) Definitions of national interest/security: In parameters that are intended to define

the national security or national interests, there has historically been a difference
of between central government and particularly the private print media. Both in
terms of definitions that exist at law as well as broader policy debates around the
role of the media either in national processes such as land reform or foreign
policy arenas such as the SADC intervention in the Democratic Republic of the
Congo. On occasion the state has called the private media unpatriotic without
necessarily prosecuting journalists. But in most instances however there has

been the arrest of journalists on the basis of criminal defamation and charges of
undermining the authority of the President or national security services.
e) Media Freedom as a Privilege or as a Right?: Various media organizations,

including the VMCZ, have respectfully disagreed with government officials who
have tended to view media freedom as a privilege and not as constituting a right
in terms of the Bill of Rights. This has led the state to continue to view its role as
one that should be that of direct regulation of the media with punitive measures
against media houses that transgress specified laws.
7. Common Ground Considerations on the Way Forward vis--vis Media
Regulation
7.1 As highlighted in Section 5 of this paper, there are specific common ground values
and principles that are shared across the media regulation framework spectrum. These
include but are not limited to:
a) Recognition and acceptance that the media derives its right to exist from
Sections 61, 62 in the Constitutional bill of Rights that articulates the right to
freedom of expression and access to information. This is further augmented by
sections 248-250 that establish the Zimbabwe Media Commission and its
functions.
b) Recognition of Journalism as a standalone profession and as a key component
of media freedom, freedom of expression and access to information
c) Recognition of the democratic importance of an ethical, professional and publicly
accountable media and journalism profession.
d) Recognition of the importance of establishing a legitimate and broadly accepted
media code of conduct on ethics and professionalism for all journalists and
media houses.
e) Recognition of the democratic value of establishing an independent Media
Complaints Mechanism with input from both members of the journalism
profession as well as members of the public on the conduct of journalists and
media houses.
f) Recognition that the media has a collective responsibility of promoting the best
democratic public interest of Zimbabwe in terms of the entirety of the Constitution
of Zimbabwe.

These six common ground principles give latitude for there to be further engagement by
all media stakeholders, and in particular, the Zimbabwe Media Commission and the
Voluntary Media council of Zimbabwe.
8. The VMCZ Perspective:
8.1 The VMCZ has always held that it is willing and able to work with all media
stakeholders on implementing and establishing further democratic ground for media self-
regulation in Zimbabwe. Its intention has always been to do this in the most legitimate
and pragmatic manner possible.
In tandem with this position, the VMCZ intends to continue engaging the MPI on this
same said nationally important matter.
8.2 The VMCZ, as part of its contributions to considerations on the way forward vis--vis
media regulation recommends that the following be taken into account:
a) Review with the Intention to Repeal AIPPA: It is the considered view of the
VMCZ that AIPPA as the enabling Act of Parliament for the Zimbabwe Media
Commission must be reviewed in order to establish a much more democratic and
media ethics regulation law that encompasses the principle of media self-
regulation, the decriminalization of freedom of expression and the establishment
of a democratic professional code of conduct for the media. This would be in
tandem with the realigning of Acts of Parliament to better serve the spirit and
letter of the new Constitution.
b) The Review of All Media Codes of Conduct to Establish a Broad, Democratic and
Self-Regulatory One: It is the considered view of the VMCZ that all media
stakeholders must review existent codes of conduct, ethics and professionalism
in order to arrive at a democratic, holistic and legitimate one. This must be
undertaken in as consultative a process as is possible and within a specific
timeframe that is in tandem with reviews of AIPPA.
c) Decriminalization of Journalism: It is imperative that in order for there to be
goodwill between the state and the journalism profession, sections of specific
laws that criminalise the act of journalism must be repealed. This must be done
with emphasis on the alternative of media self-regulation and public
accountability.

d) Differentiating between the Registration of a Media House and the Professional
Conduct of Journalist: This has been a grey area for some time, where and when
media houses are threatened with withdrawal of licences or censure for the
conduct of either an individual journalist or journalists in their employ. Regulation
of the Conduct of Journalists is not the same as the licensing of the media
house. One precedes the other, and in our current case, it is the licensing of a
media house. It would be preferable to have a registration processes of media
houses that deals specifically with the commercial aspect of the media business
concern, such as through the Companies Act, and a separate one that
addresses issues of the professional conduct of journalists.
9. Conclusion
Since Zimbabwes national independence, the mainstream media has sought to function
ethically and professionally without direct state interference or intervention. The
promulgation of AIPPA in 2002 changed that initial post-independence functional
framework for the media. The journalism profession however did not succumb to the
requirements stipulated by the new legislation. Instead the profession continued
engaging the government on the need to revisit clauses of AIPPA that criminalized and
bureaucratized media freedom. It also went a step further and established the Voluntary
Media Council of Zimbabwe and a Media Complaints Mechanism that would be guided
by a holistically agreed to Media Code of Conduct.
It has been the emphasis of this paper that the VMCZ is willing to engage not only the
government and government appointed bodies such as the Media Panel of Inquiry, but
also statutory bodies such as the Zimbabwe Media Commission and its subsidiary, the
Media Council.
And it is in this sprit that these submissions have been made to the Information and
Media Panel of Inquiry.

ANNEX 14
Womens Coalition of Zimbabwe
Statement on the Coverage of Women in the Media
Women Coalition of Zimbabwe (WCoZ) has noted with concern the unfair,
consistent and continuous negative portrayal of women by the media in Zimbabwe
despite the widespread conscientisation on the need to balance the gender scale for the
betterment of society. The ratification of the SADC Protocol on Gender and
Development in 2008 and other frameworks which urges member states to take
measures to discourage the media from reinforcing gender oppression and
stereotyping. Our media continues to degrade and exploit women especially in
areas of entertainment and advertising and undermining their role and position in
society. It is sad to point out that media is failing to play its role in transforming society
into a more just and democratic institution that reflects the voices and perspectives of all.
Media content has also served to provide evidence of the negative, biased and
trivialising portrayal of all issues on gender and women. Information is a key factor in
facilitating change and development and as human beings, we depend on the media to
provide a variety of information ranging from national and international news, current
affairs, politics, trade and commerce, health, science and technology but the
media is failing to deliver. This is evidenced by recent researches on media coverage of
gender and womens issues in Zimbabwe which revealed that women continue to
be marginalized as both news sources and news subjects. Men are quoted as news
sources more on subjects that have strong bearings on human livelihoods and women
on soft issues with weaker bearings on livelihoods such as entertainment, gender
and social matters.
The Media Monitoring Project report of 2013 based on media representation of women
in politics showed that attention was seldom focused on womens intellectual substance
but more on their gender and womanhood thus presenting them as political ornaments,
party support structures, victims of family baggage and victims of negative power
struggle. Statistics from the research conducted by the Federation of African
Media Women Zimbabwe (FAMWZ Gender Responsiveness of Policies and News
Sourcing in Zimbabwes Media Houses) indicates that women constitute 20.3% of the
actual voices heard in the media, while men informed the news 79.7% of the time.
Constituting more than 52% of the Zimbabwe population, women are seriously
underrepresented in the Zimbabwean media. The media has shown the exclusion of
womens voices and perspectives as if to imply that women have no opinions, capacity
to participate and influence public life. Womens issues continue to be ignored and
trivialised. Another issue of concern in media institutions is the structure, newsrooms
continue to be male dominated and male centric in their decision making process.

Sexual harassment is also becoming common within the Zimbabwe media
organisations.
It is in this regard that WCoZ calls for full implementation of the new constitutional
provisions which promote gender equality and equity in all spheres; specific to media,
freedom of expression and access. The constitution states that every person has the
right to freedom to practice and give expression of their thoughts, opinion, religion or
belief;every person has the right to freedom of expression which includes freedom to
seek,receive and communicate ideas and other information. As we go towards 2015, a
landmark year set aside to have ensured gender equality and womens empowermentas
stipulated in the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development fully implemented, wecall
upon the media to practice responsible journalism by not trivialising and ignoring
womens issues. We demand equal coverage, gender balance and we say NO to
sexual harassment in the media institutions.
PAPER ON ANALYSIS OF THE COMPATIBILITY OF THE CURRENT MEDI LAWS

TO THE NEW CHARTER-RECOMMENDATIONS FOR REFORM.
INTRODUCTION.
The coming into effect of Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment No. 20 ushered in a
new legal dispensation in Zimbabwe. The laws which are currently in force in Zimbabwe
were enacted under the Lancaster House Constitution. Some of the provisions of the
said laws were not consistent with the provisions of the Old Constitution. This paper
seeks to critique the provisions of the New Constitution which have a bearing on Media
Freedom, Freedom of expression and Access to information. An analysis will also be
done with a view to establish whether or not the Media laws in force are consistent with
the new constitution. It further seeks to explore the provisions of all the laws which have
a bearing on the Media and propose amendments and alterations. This paper will be
centred on the following Acts: the Constitution, Access to Information and Protection of
Privacy Act, Broadcasting Services Act, Interception of Communications Act, Official
Secrets Act, Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act and other statutes which have
a bearing on the media freedom, freedom of access to information and freedom of
expression.
ANALYSIS OF THE LAWS WHOSE PROVISIONS ARE INCONSISTENT WITH THE

PROVISIONS OF THE NEW CONSTITUTION.
Since the new constitution was promulgated this year it follows that the provisions of the
laws which were in existence when was enacted are likely to be inconsistent with some
its provisions. As has been highlighted above the Constitution is the Supreme Law of
Zimbabwe and any law inconsistent with it is invalid to the extent of the inconsistency.
Hence, some provisions of AIPPA, POSA, Interceptions of Communications Act, and
ZBSAct etc can be challenged in the Constitutional Court on the basis that they are
unconstitutional. I will now deal with the Acts whose provisions I think are inconsistent
with the provisions of the Constitution and/ or unconstitutional:

ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND PROTECTION OF PRIVACY ACT (AIPPA)
Since the AIPPA was enacted prior to coming into being of the new constitution
some of its provisions are bound to be inconsistent with those of the new
constitution. Some of the provisions of AIPPA ought to be amended whilst others
are due to be repealed.
It is the settled position of the law that any provision of an Act which is
inconsistent with the provisions of the constitution is null and void due to the fact
that the constitution is the Supreme law of the land.
I now turn to deal with the provisions of AIPPA which I believe ought to be
revisited and amended or repealed whichever is applicable.
Firstly, section 3(2) of the AIPPA needs to be amended. This is so for it provides
that the provisions of AIPPA override the provisions of any other law and that in
the event there is conflict or inconsistence between AIPPA and any other law
relating to access to information , protection of privacy and the mass media , the
provisions of AIPPA shall prevail. This position was correct prior to the
enactment of the new constitution because in the old constitution there was no
right of access to information. Now that there is now a clause in the constitution
providing citizens and permanent residents with the said right section 3(2) of
AIPPA ought to be amended. This is so for the provisions of the Act cannot
prevail over those of the constitution. I recommend that section 3(2) of AIPPA be
amended so that it will acknowledge the Supremacy of the Constitution. I
recommend that the section should provide that where there is inconsistency
between the provisions of AIPPA and any other piece of legislation other than the
Constitution the provisions of AIPPA shall prevail. This is the standard practice
(see clause 4(1) of the AFRICAN UNION ACCESS TO INFORMATION MODEL
LAW).
Section 4(1) states that AIPPA shall apply to all records in the custody or under
the control of a public body, but shall not include the records in the first schedule.
The definition of record as stated in section has the potential of being interpreted
in such a way that it can restrict the right of access to information. The definition
can be taken as excluding other information from its ambit. The definition of
record espoused in section 2 of the Act excludes a computer programme or any
other mechanism that produces records. Technology is changing and being
advanced every day. I propose that the word record be substituted with
information to avoid multifarious definitions of the word record. In any event the
constitution grants every person right of access to information held by the state
or by any institution or agency of government at every level. The constitution
does not make reference to records but to information.
Section 5 of the Act does not deal with the right to information but access to
records. The provisions of section 5 are not in tandem with those of the
Constitution. The Constitution creates the right to access to information and the
Act limits the right to access to records. It is possible that the public bodies may

have information which is not enshrined in records. Not all information is always
recorded or reduced into writing. Oral information is excluded by the Act.
Traditional leaders will be exempted from furnishing information which was
passed to them orally by their predecessors. Information pertaining to custom,
tradition and practice are often not enshrined in records.
The Act has no definition of information. The MODEL INTER-AMERICAN LAW
ON ACCESS TO PUBLIC INFORMATION explicitly defines information in clause
1. It states that information refers to any data in custody or control of a public
authority. It also defines the word record as follows: record refers to any
recorded information, regardless of its form, source, date of creation, or official
status, whether or not it was created by the public that holds it, and whether or
not it is classified. AIPPA should expand the definition of a record. There is
need for the word information to be defined in the definition section of AIPPA.
The African Union Access to Information Model Law has a wide definition of the
word information which I recommend to be adopted and imported into AIPPA. It
provides that : information includes any original or copy of documentary
material irrespective of its physical characteristics, such as records,
correspondence, fact, opinion, advice, memorandum, data, statistic, book,
drawing, plan, map, diagram, photograph, audio, visual record, and any other
tangible or intangible material , regardless of form or medium in which it is held ,
in the possession or under the control of the information holder to whom a
request has been made under this Act.
Section 5 of the Act further limits the right of access to information to information
in the custody or under the control of public bodies. The Constitution in section
62(2) provides that every person has the right of access to information held by
any person, including the state, in so far as the information is required for the
exercise or enforcement of a right. The Act thus limits the right of access to
information. Section 5 of the Act thus needs to be harmonised with section 62(2)
of the Constitution. It should also apply to private bodies and persons. If it
remains as it is people will not be in a position to fully enjoy their right of access
to information.
Section 5(3) of AIPPA stipulates that persons who are : not citizens or permanent
residents of Zimbabwe or holders of temporal employment or residence permits
or students permits are entitled to exercise the right of access to information. Any
mass media service which is not registered in terms of AIPPA or a broadcaster
who is not registered in terms of the broadcasting Services Act and any foreign
state or agency are not entitled to exercise the right of access to information.
These provisions are inconsistent with the provisions of section 62(2) of the
Constitution which provides that every person has the right of access to any
information held by any person. I propose that section 5(3) be repealed because
it is unconstitutional.
The first schedule to AIPPA limits or restricts the applicability of section 4(1) to
certain documents. The exclusion is no longer justifiable in light of the fact that

the right to access to information can only be restricted in terms of the provisions
of section 62(4) of the Constitution. There is need for the provisions of section
4(1) to be amended and be aligned to the provisions of section 62(4) of the
Constitution. Alternatively, the head of the public body to be given discretion to
refuse to furnish requested information on the basis of the grounds stated in
section 62(4) of the Constitution. In terms of the Constitution access to
information can be restricted on the basis of the interests of defence, public
security or professional confidentiality. The constitution does not permit
restriction of access on the basis of any other reason serve for those listed in
section 62(4) of the new constitution.
I am of the firm view that the provisions of section 5 of the Act are extraneous in
light of the provisions of section 62 0f the constitution. The said section of the Act
seeks to create and limit the right of access to information. However, the right
was adequately created and limited in the constitution. Hence, section 5 ought to
be amended so that its provisions will be in tandem with those of section 62 of
the constitution.
It is my respectful view that section 6 of the Act as currently framed to a great
extend limits the right of access to information. This is so for the requirement that
the request for information be always in writing. The provision makes it difficult
for those who are illiterate and the blind to exercise their right to access to
information. The section should allow oral request for information to be made.
Clause 20 of the Model Inter-American Law on Access to Public Information
provides that the request for information may be filed in writing , by electronic
means, orally in person, by phone , or by any alternative means, with the
relevant Information Officer. See also clause 13(1) of the African Union Model
Law on Access to Information.
It is my view that the requirement that the request be in writing makes it difficult
for several citizens and permanent residents to exercise their right of access to
information. The illiterate, disabled and those staying outside the country may not
be in a position to exercise this Constitutional right. Hence, there is need for the
Act to be amended so that it makes it possible for everyone to enjoy and
exercise the right of access to information.
Also the fee chargeable for one to access information should be nominal
otherwise the right of access to information will only be exercisable by the
affluent. Section 7 of AIPPA simply states that : subject to any exemption
prescribed under this Act or any other enactment , an applicant shall be required
to pay such fee as may be so prescribed for
a) Obtaining access to the record, and
b) Any service rendered in connection with the provision of access to any record
by the public authority concerned.
In other jurisdictions they provide in the Act that the Public body will only be
entitled to charge a fee for reproduction of the information requested and if
applicable, the cost of delivery if requested. In the said jurisdictions

information provided electronically is free of charge. Moreover public
authorities are obliged to furnish information free of charge to citizens below
income set by the Information Commission. (Clause28 of Model Inter-
American Law on Access to Public Information).
I recommend that it be stated in the Act that the Public Bodies shall only be
entitled to charge searching, reproduction and delivery fees. Moreover, citizens
of certain income should be provided with information free of charge. The issue
of fees can bar many people from exercising their right of access to information.
It is my submission that section 62(4) of the constitution provides expressly
circumstances when the right to access to information can be limited or
restricted. The provisions of sections 14, 15, 18, 19 and 23 are not justifiable in a
democratic society. Section 14 protects deliberations of cabinet and local
government bodies from being accessed by the citizens or permanent residents.
Section 15 provides that a head of a public body may not disclose to applicant
information relating to advice or recommendations given to the President, a
Cabinet Minister or a public body. Section 18 on the other hand protects
information relating to inter-governmental relations or negotiations while section
19 protects information relating to financial or economic interests of a public body
or state. It is in the interests of public accountability that the information protected
by the above stated sections of AIPPA be accessed and disclosed to Citizens or
permanent residents of Zimbabwe. It is my recommendation that sections 14, 15,
18 and 19 of AIPPA be repealed.
Section 23 contravenes the provisions of section 62 of the constitution in that it
does not form part and parcel of exceptions under which the right to access to
information can be curtailed and denied. It provides that the right of access to
information in terms of section 5 shall not be held to be denied where under this
Act or any other law the head of a public body refuses to disclose information
a) that is otherwise available to members of the public upon payment of a
specific fee, or b) that will be published after the expiry of sixty days of the date
of receiving the applicants request. I feel that section 23 ought to be repealed
since the Constitution provides that every person has the right to access
information held by any person including the state. Disclosure of information can
only be refused on the grounds of interests of defence, public security or
professional confidentiality.
Section 248 of the constitution and section 38 of the Act create the Zimbabwe
Media Commission. There is an inconsistency pertaining to the qualifications of
people who can be appointed to the Commission. Section 38(3) provides that
persons appointed to the Commission must be chosen for their knowledge and
experience in the press, print or electronic media, or broadcasting. Section
248(2) of the constitution provides that members of Zimbabwe Media
Commission must be chosen for their integrity and their competence in
administration and their knowledge and understanding human rights issues and

best practices. The Act ought to be amended so that it will be consistent with the
Constitution.
Section 39 of the Act and section 249 of the constitution list the functions of the
Zimbabwe Media Commission. The functions provided for by the Constitution are
broad and encompasses aspects not covered by the Act. Whereas the Act
makes reference to the press the constitution refers to the media. Therefore, the
Act needs to be reconciled with the constitution by way of an amendment.
The Act in sections 64 and 80 criminalise the following acts :a) publishing of
information by a registered person of information which he or she intentionally or
recklessly falsified in a manner which (i) threatens the interests of defence ,
public safety , public order , the economic interests of the state , public morality
or health , or
(ii) is injurious to the reputation, rights and freedoms of others, or
b) Information which he or she maliciously or fraudulently fabricated, or
c) any statement
(i) threatening the interests of defence, public safety, public order, the economic
interests of the state, public morality or public health, or
(ii) Injurious to the reputation, rights and freedoms of other persons,
In the following circumstances-
A. Knowing the statement to be false or without having reasonable grounds for
believing it to be true, and
B. Recklessly, or with malicious or fraudulent intent, representing the statement
as true statement.
The circumstances stated in sections 64 and 80 were supposed to be made acts
of misconduct as opposed to criminal offences. The criminalisation of the said
circumstances greatly affects journalists and media in the discharge of their
duties. The criminalisation thus affects freedom of expression. I thus move that
sections 64 and 80 of the Act be repealed. I will deal with this issue in extenso
when I address the provisions of the Criminal Law (Codification and reform) Act.
Section 78 of the Act ought to include protection of confidentiality of journalists
sources of information as one of the privileges of a journalist. This is in line with
the provisions of section 61(2) of the constitution.
BROADCASTING SERVICES ACT

Section 61 of the constitution provides that every person has the right to freedom
of expression , which includes
a) Freedom to seek , receive and communicate ideas and other information,
b) Freedom of artistic expression and scientific research and creativity , and
c) Academic freedom
Section 61 further provides that every person is entitled to freedom of media and
that broadcasting other electronic media of communication have freedom of
establishment , subject only to state licensing procedures that
a) Are necessary to regulate airwaves and other forms of signal distribution and

b) Are independent of control by government or political or commercial
interests.
Hence, broadcasting and other electronic media of communication have an
absolute right to establish. They cannot only be restricted from establishing by
state licensing procedures. In other words one has to procure a licence prior to
establishing. The state is not entitled in terms of the constitution to impose other
limitations on the right to freedom of establishment.
Section 9 of the Act provides as follows:
The Authority shall, subject only to availability of band spectrum and after
carrying out its functions in terms of the First Schedule, publish a notice in the
Gazette and in a national newspaper inviting applications for licences to provide
national free-to-air radio broadcasting services and national free-to-air television
broadcasting services in addition to the national free-to-air broadcasting services
provided by the public broadcaster.
Section 10(1) on the other hand states that:
The Authority shall, subject only to the availability of band spectrum and after
carrying out its functions in terms of the First Schedule publish a notice in the
Gazette and in a national newspaper inviting applications for licences to provide
the broadcasting services or systems specified in the notice.
The said 2 sections of the Act infringe the right to establishment and freedom of
media. The broadcasting and electronic media of communication have a right to
establish. The Act limits that right by providing that one can only apply to
establish when there is band spectrum available. The authority should always
make the band spectrum available. Once, one complies with licensing
procedures he or she is entitled to establish. Hence, in order to give effect to the
provisions of section 61 of the Constitution sections 9 and 10(1) must be
repealed.
The Act should make it mandatory for the authority to call for applications
whenever there is there is a band spectrum available. Currently it is difficult to
compel the authority to call for applications because the relevant statute gives
them unfettered discretion to decide whether or not to call for applications.
However, since the media have been vested with a right of establishment the Act
should be amended so that it will make it compulsory for the authority to make
band spectrum available and to always call for applications.
Section prohibits political parties or organisations from holding broadcasting
licences or signal-carrier licence. The prohibition is contrary to the provisions of
section 61 of the constitution. The definition of the word person should be
interpreted to include juristic persons. There is no reason why a political party
should not be allowed to broadcast or own a media.
CRIMINAL LAW (CODIFICATION AND REFORM ACT).

The CLCRA has sections whose provisions greatly impair and hamper the
enjoyment of the right to freedom of expression. It criminalises the publishing of

information which is wholly or materially false. In terms of section 61(1) (a) of the
Constitution every person has the right to freedom of expression which includes
freedom to seek, receive and communicate ideas and other information.
Section 31 of CLCRA provides as follows: Any person who, whether inside or
outside Zimbabwe
(a) publishes or communicates to any other person a statement which is wholly
or materially false with the intention or realising that there is a real risk or
possibility of
(i) inciting or promoting public disorder or public violence or endangering
public safety; or
(ii) adversely affecting the defence or economic interests of Zimbabwe; or
(iii) undermining public confidence in a law enforcement agency, the Prison
Service or the Defence Forces of Zimbabwe; or
(iv) interfering with, disrupting or interrupting any essential service; shall,
whether or not the publication or communication results in a consequence
referred to in Subparagraph (i), (ii), (iii) or (iv); or
(b) with or without the intention or realisation referred to in paragraph (a),

publishes or communicates to any other person a statement which is wholly
or materially false and which-
(i) he or she knows to be false; or
(ii) he or she does not have reasonable grounds for believing to be true;
shall, if the publication or communication of the statement
A. promotes public disorder or public violence or endangers public safety; or
B. adversely affects the defence or economic interests of Zimbabwe; or
C. undermines public confidence in a law enforcement agency, the Prison
Service or the
Defence Forces of Zimbabwe; or
D. interferes with, disrupts or interrupts any essential service;
be guilty of publishing or communicating a false statement prejudicial to the State
and liable to a fine up to or exceeding level fourteen or imprisonment for a period
not exceeding twenty years or both.
The above quoted provisions of the Act limit the extent to which a citizen or a
permanent resident can exercise and enjoy the right to freedom of expression.
The law thus criminalises the work of the media to some extent. If a Media
receives a story and decides to publish or communicate it has the risk of facing
criminal charges.
The limitation or restriction of the freedom of expression should be as per the
provisions of section 86 of the Constitution. It cannot be said that section 31 of
the Act is fair, reasonable, necessary and justifiable in a democratic society. I
thus think that section 31 of the Act must be repealed in its entirety.
The above argument applies with equal to all sections of the CLCRA which
criminalises insults especially sections 33 and 95. The said sections curtail the

enjoyment of the right to freedom of conscience and freedom of expression.
Every person is entitled in terms of section 60 of the Constitution to freedom to
practise and propagate and give expression of their thought or belief, religion or
belief whether in public or in a private and whether alone or together with others.
Section 95 criminalises defamatory and false statements.
Article 19, the Global Campaign for free expression in its publication titled
Defamation: Principles on Freedom of expression and Protection of Reputation in
principle 4 stated that all criminal defamation laws should be abolished and
replaced with civil defamation laws. Steps should be taken, in those states which
still have criminal defamation laws in place, to progressively implement this
principle.
In many countries, the protection of ones reputation is treated primarily or
exclusively as a private interest and experience shows that criminalising
defamatory statements is unnecessary to provide adequate protection for
reputation.
In most countries criminal defamation laws are abused by the powerful to limit
criticism and to stifle public debate. The threat of harsh criminal sanctions,
especially imprisonment, exerts a profound chilling effect on freedom of
expression.
There is always the potential for abuse of criminal defamation law, even in
countries where in general they are applied in a moderate fashion.
It is my overall view that public officials and other powerful individuals can use
the criminal defamation laws as a weapon to intimidate the media from revealing
corrupt practices or publishing incriminating information. Journalists and the
media maybe pressured not to write or broadcast news because its publication
could result in a criminal law suit. This self censorship of the media negatively
affects the publics right to information.
Defamation to remain a civil matter. There is no need to criminalise defamation.
The criminalisation of defamatory statements infringes upon the right to freedom
of expression.
INTERCEPTION OF COMMUNICATIONS ACT

In A Consultation Paper presented to Parliament by Secretary of State for the
Home Department by Command of Her Majesty, June 1999 (United Kingdom) it
was stated that interception plays a crucial role in helping law enforcement
agencies to combat criminal activity. It was observed in that paper that
disproportionate or unfettered use of interception can have consequences for the
rights of individuals.
In most developed countries, interception of communications is used by law
enforcement security and intelligence agencies in their work against serious
crimes and threats to national security, including terrorism. Interception
represents an indispensable means of gathering intelligence against the most
sophisticated and ruthless criminals.

Interception of communications by its very nature is a highly intrusive activity
affecting the privacy of the individual. The legal right to respect for a private and
family life is established in section 57 of the Constitution.
The European Convention on Human Rights recognises that there are
circumstances in a democratic society where it is necessary for the state to
interfere with the right for a private and family life, but only in accordance with the
law and for certain clearly defined purposes.
In the United Kingdom interception may only take place through interception
warrants and also when the information cannot reasonably be acquired by any
other means. The interception of communications is regulated by the
Interceptions of Communications Act, 1985. The said Act states that warrants
may only be issued by the Secretary for the State for any of the following
purposes: in the interests of national security, for the purpose of preventing or
detecting serious crime or for the purpose of safeguarding the economic interests
of the United Kingdom.
The said Act further established an independent oversight regime in the form of
the Interception Commissioner, whose job is to keep under review the way in
which the power to issue warrants, is exercised. The Commissioner is appointed
by the Prime Minister and should be a person who holds or has held high judicial
office and is independent of the Intercepting agencies.
In the United Kingdom there is also a Statutory Tribunal to which members of the
public may apply if they believe that there has been any contravention of the
warrant issuing provisions in the Act. The Tribunal which comprises of 5 senior
members of the legal profession is independent of the intercepting agencies and
government.
In America each application for an order authorising or approving interceptions of
communications must be made to Judge of competent jurisdiction under oath or
affirmation. The application must be approved by the Attorney-General before it
is submitted.
In Zimbabwe interception of communications is governed by the Interception of
Communications Act. The Act provides in section 5 that the application for an
interception warrant must be made to the Minister of Transport and
Communication by an authorised person. The Minister is the only authority with
the power to issue or grant warrants of interception. It is not ideal for warrants of
interception to be granted without the involvement of the judiciary. Section 5
contravenes the doctrine of separation of powers. The Minister and the
applicants are all members of the executive. Hence, it will be like the executive
makes an application for an interception warrant to itself. I propose that section
be amended so that applications for interception warrants will be made to a
Judge of the Supreme, High or Constitutional Court. In terms of section 3 of the
Constitution one of the principles of good governance which bind the state and
all institutions and agencies of government at every level is observance of the
principle of separation of powers. Therefore I recommend that the Act be

amended so that it will provide that all applications for warrants of interception be
heard by a Judge.
In the Act there are no ample safeguards. The Attorney- General is vested with
the power to review all the warrants of interception issued or granted by the
Minister. The review will only be done not later than 3 months after the end of
each calendar year. The Attorney General is only authorised to give
recommendations in writing to the Minister. He has no power to set aside the
warrants if he finds that they were not properly issued. The Attorney General
cannot legally speaking review acts of the Minister. His office is inferior to that of
the Minister. The rights of people will be protected if the Minister is required to
submit issued warrants for confirmation or review by the Judge of competent
jurisdiction. The Attorney General will ordinarily be interested in the matter since
the evidence procured through interception will be used in court by the state.
OFFICIAL SECRETS ACT

Section prohibits the communication and disclosure of certain information. It
limits the right to access to information. Section 4 of the Act prohibits the
communication of any secret, official code or password or any model, article,
document or information under specified circumstances. It is my view that the
right of access to information should only be regulated by the Constitution and
AIPPA. There is no need for a clause to be inserted in the Official Secrets Act.
The definition of records and information should be expanded so that it will also
include secret official codes, passwords, models, articles, documents etc. AIPPA
should be made the Supreme law that deals with the right of access to
information.
Section 4 must be amended so that it will be in harmony with the Constitution.
The Constitution limits the enjoyment of a right on the basis of grounds stipulated
in section 62(4). Any person is entitled to refuse an application to have access to
information in the interests of defence, public security, or professional
confidentiality.
When section 4 was enacted the new Constitution had not yet been in force.
Section 4 was enacted when only the head of a public body had the duty to deal
with requests for information. Now in terms of section 62(2) of the constitution
every person has the right of access to information held by any person including
the state. Therefore, now right of access to information must be solely regulated
and governed by the Constitution and AIPPA. The best standard is that there
must be one Act of Parliament which deals with the right to access to
information. See Model Inter-American Access to Public Information Law and
African Union Access to Information Model Law. Clause 4(1) of the African Union
Model Law provides that: Save for the Constitution, this Act applies to the
exclusion of any provision in any other legislation or regulation that prohibits or
restricts the disclosure of information by any information holder. I propose that

section 3(2) AIPPA be repealed and be replaced with another clause whose
provisions will the same as those of section 4(1) of the African Union Model Law.
CENSORSHIP AND ENTERTAINMENTS CONTROL ACT

The Act prohibits certain exhibitions and entertainments and unapproved films.
The Act contravenes the provisions of section 61(1) (b) which provides that every
person has the right to freedom of expression which includes freedom of artistic
expression and scientific research and creativity.
According to NCFE Handbook on Understanding, Preparing for and responding
to Challenges to your Freedom of Artistic Expression: freedom of artistic
expression is the principle that an artist should not be unrestrained by law or
convention in the making of his or her art. Artistic freedom is vital to both the
cultural and political health of our society. It is essential in a democracy that
values and protects the rights of the individual to espouse his or her belief.
In Zimbabwe there is currently no free environment for artists to enjoy the right to
freedom of artistic expression. All films, publication, picture, statue or record
must be approved by the Board of Censors. The said Board has the power to
approve, reject or prohibit any film, publication, picture, statue or record
submitted to it. Hence, artists must apply to the Board of Censors for them to be
in a position to enjoy their right to freedom of artistic expression.
It is my view that since the Act was promulgated prior to the enactment of the
new Constitution the Act needs to be amended so that it will take into account
the right to freedom of artistic expression. The Board should only be vested with
the power to limit the right to freedom of artistic expression in the interests of
defence, public safety, public order, public morality, public health or the general
public interest.
The Board should not be vested with the power to approve films, publications,
public entertainment, statues etc. It must only be empowered to prohibit films,
publications, entertainments which are undesirable.
Section 15 of the Act provides that where four or more consecutive editions of
any publication which is published periodically have, under subsection 1 of
section 14 been declared by the Board to be undesirable, and every subsequent
edition of that publication is in the opinion of the Board likely to be undesirable
the Board may declare all editions of that publication subsequent to the date of
declaration to be undesirable. This section violates the provisions of the
Constitution pertaining to freedom of artistic expression. The Act empowers the
Board to declare future unpublished editions of a publication undesirable. The
provisions of section 15 of the Act are grossly unreasonable. Surely how can a
Board have power to declare something which has not yet been crafted and
published undesirable. This section takes away the right to freedom of artistic
expression and creativity.
Section 16 states that no person can perform or give or permit the giving of any
public entertainment unless such entertainment has been approved by the

Board. The Board signifies its approval of the public entertainment by issuing a
certificate upon payment of a fee. The Board has absolute power to decide
whether or not to allow artists to enjoy their right to freedom of artistic
expression.
It is my view that the Act can be used by the Board to prohibit the works of those
artists who are perceived to be anti- ruling party. In this Century we witnessed
the prohibition of musical albums of various artists e.g Leornard Zhakata,
Thomas Mapfumo etc. Also several plays and paintings were banned on the
basis of flimsy grounds. Hence, if the powers of the Censorship Board remain
unchecked it will be very difficult for right to freedom of artistic freedom to be
enjoyed in Zimbabwe.
CRIMINAL PROCEDURE AND EVIDENCE ACT

This Act and the civil evidence Act have no clauses dealing with journalistic
privilege. In terms of section 61(2) of the Constitution every person has a right to
freedom of media, which freedom includes protection of the journalists sources
of information. Therefore, journalists are now not obliged to disclose their
sources of information. Journalists can now no longer be competent and
compellable with regard to disclosure of the identity and other particulars of their
sources of information. However, in the absence of a clause in the Civil Evidence
Act and Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act dealing with journalistic privilege
the right to freedom of media will be difficult to enjoy.
In the case of GOODWIN V UNITED KINGDOM (1996) it was held that
protection of journalistic sources of information is one of the basic conditions of
press freedom. Without such protection, sources may be deterred from assisting
the press in informing the public on matters of public interest. As a result the vital
public watchdog role of the press maybe undermined and the ability of the
press to provide accurate and reliable information may be adversely affected.....
The court in that case concluded that an order to disclose sources would violate
the guarantee of free expression.
In South Africa in the case of BOSASA OPERATION (PTY) LTD V ADRIAAN
BASSON & MAIL & GUARDIAN MEDIA LTD the South Gauteng High Court
dismissed an application to compel the newspaper and the journalist to furnish
their source of information.
Therefore, there is need for professional privilege to be extended to journalists in
so far as their sources of information are concerned.
CONCLUSION
It is crystal clear that there is disharmony between the provisions of the New
Constitution and some of the provisions of the Acts of Parliament which were in force
prior to the enactment of the New Constitution. I recommend that the relevant Ministries
be approached and proposed amendments be furnished to them. The other alternative
is to approach the Constitutional Court for the purposes of challenging the

Constitutionality of the several statutory provisions which are inconsistent with those of
the New Constitution.
PREPARED BY DTANDIRI
DTANDIRI (LLBS (HONS) UZ)
SENIOR PARTNER
TANDIRI LAW CHAMBERS
0773567971/ tandirilaw @gmail.com
THIS PAPER WAS PRESENTED AT MISA CONSULTATIVE MEETING HELD
HOLIDAY INN MUTARE ON 21ST NOVEMBER 2013.

ANNEX 15
Zimbabwe Association of Community Radio Stations
The state of community radios in Zimbabwe

BACK GROUND INFORMATION ON ZACRAS
The Zimbabwe Association of Community Radio Stations (ZACRAS) is a membership
based, independent and non-profit making association founded in 2003. The formation
of ZACRAS was premised on the need to provide a voice and support for the few
community radio Initiatives that existed back in 2003. A decade later, there are now
more than 15 community radio Initiatives in Zimbabwe spanning the length and breadth
of the country. Through the existing community radio Initiatives, communities have
managed to harness a media platform which enables them to be at the forefront of
development oriented news production and dissemination. This is mainly because
community broadcasting is - participatory, inclusive, accountable and diverse.
ZACRAS strives to assist communities in the establishment of community radio

structures across Zimbabwe. Upon establishment of community radio structures,
ZACRAS capacitates the stations through conceptual and technical training, while
regulating their conduct so that they conform to the standards of community radio
broadcasting. ZACRAS also carries out lobby and advocacy interventions seeking to
call for the licensing of community radios coupled with the creation of a conducive
media policy and operational environment, which is favourable to community radio
operations. It is hoped that through community radio, Zimbabwe will have developed
and participatory communities which freely express themselves.
The current ZACRAS Chairperson is Gift Mambipiri, who is a Board member of

Community Radio Harare. The Vice Chairperson is Peter Khumalo, a Board Chairperson
of Radio Dialogue. Mambipiri and Khumalo lead a 9 member ZACRAS Board of
Trustees. The Board is made up of an assortment of individuals drawn from community
radio initiatives and others incorporated into the board on the basis of their professional
competencies.
COMMUNITY BROADCASTING DEVELOPMENTS IN ZIMBABWE
Community radio broadcasting is a vital component of broadcasting media, not only in

Zimbabwe, but the world-over. Community broadcasting constitutes in effect, a third
pillar that acts as a democratic counter-balance to the growth of commercial media and
the power and influence of media empires. It has to be stated from the onset that
community radio broadcasting differs fundamentally from commercial and public service
radio broadcasting. This is mainly because community radio regards citizens as active
agents in their communities who produce and broadcast their own material. Therefore, a

successful community radio station will mobilise the commitment, creative talents and
energies within the community
Section 2A of the Broadcasting Services Act (BSA) of 2001 (as amended in 2008)
recognises the promotion of public, commercial and community broadcasting services in
the interest of the public. Backed by this provision, communities in Zimbabwe have
mobilised themselves to form community radio structures, dating to as far back as 2001,
when the first community radio station in the post-colonial era, Radio Dialogue, was
formed in Bulawayo. Over time, communities in other areas such as Lupane, Binga,
Nkayi, Gweru, Mutoko, Chimanimani just but to name a few, have also mobilised
themselves to form community radio structures in their areas.
It remains to be said that the development and subsequent flourishing of community

radios in Zimbabwe has been hampered by a number of factors, chief among these
being the absence of licensed community radios. It is a fact that the absence of licenses
has to an extent hampered the reach and sustainability of community radios. The main
challenges on the licensing of community radios has been the lack of political will to
license community radios and the fact that the BSA does not specify clear timeframes on
when licenses should be called for.
The above sad scenario has been exacerbated by the manner in which the issue of
community radio has been politicised in Zimbabwe. This has seen the rising of
contestations around what exactly constitutes a community. Apart from the
aforementioned, a perusal of the Broadcasting Services Act indicates that there are no
clear demarcations and differences on the requirements of the licensing of, for example,
commercial stations vis-a-vis community radio. This has further been confirmed by a
BAZ representative who stated that the form for applying for licenses and the
requirements are uniform for all types of broadcasting.
Section 8 of the BSA goes on to place restrictions around funding sources for
community radio sustainability and viability. Placing funding restrictions on community
radio viability rests too heavily on the flourishing of this sector, moreso noting
Zimbabwes poor performing economy.
Community radio has an important role to play in a developing society. Cherishing

diversity and openness is an oft-repeated aim of policy makers, and yet this remains
vacuous without some follow up, through providing the means by which the diverse
elements of our society are included and reflected.
Despite the challenges around the none-licensing of community radios, the existing
community radio stations, run by volunteers, have developed innovative ways of content
generation and distribution. This has been witnessed through production of news and
information on Cds, flash disks, utilising internet and mobile technology coupled with

conducting community based activities in the form of live-broadcast meetings, focus
discussions and roadshows. The aforementioned has seen communities being at the
forefront of information and news production pertinent to their livelihoods and lived-
experiences.
On the other hand, ZACRAS has greatly assisted in developing capacities of community
radio practitioners till date. Community radio practitioners are by and large mostly drawn
from communities. Therefore they do not have any previous experience in broadcasting.
Resultantly, trainings have been held around basic broadcasting, utilisation of internet,
mobile technology and advocacy. This has gone a long way in equipping community
radio practitioners with skills needed in content generation, distribution, management,
administration and technical maintenance.
The exploitation of alternative information dissemination platforms by community radio

practitioners has needlessly encountered a number of hurdles. These hurdles have
been in the form of raids, arrests, intimidation and victimisation of community radio
practitioners at stations such as Kwelaz in Kwekwe, Radio Dialogue in Bulawayo and
Patsaka-Nyaminyami in Kariba. In some instances, police officers have gone on to deny
police clearances to those stations wishing to conduct community engagement activities.
In seeking to promote the interests of community radios and addressing some of the
challenges encountered by community radio practitioners thus far, ZACRAS has made
efforts to extensively and intensively engage relevant stakeholders amongst them the
Minister of Media, Information and Broadcasting Services and his Deputy, Transmedia
and Traditional leadership- just but to name a few. Indications from the Ministry are to
the effect that the licensing of community radios is imminent in Zimbabwe. From
ZACRAS position, sentiments such as these have previously been made with nothing
coming to fruition. There is therefore a need to take government to task when certain
promises are not fulfilled.
From the engagements made thus far with traditional leadership, it has to be pointed out
that Traditional leaders believe in the power of community radio. For some, they believe
that the establishment of licensed community radios will be a panacea to some of the
development challenges. This is moreso noting that community radio will guarantee
development in their areas, protect and promote local culture and languages. Chief
Siansali of Binga is on record as saying that community radio stations were necessary to
preserve culture, language and foster unity in communities. This has also been
supported by Headman Chisumbanje of Chisumbanje who reiterated that community
radio stations were an important tool to empower communities.
Speaking at a one-day ZACRAS community radio conference held in Bulawayo on the

28th of April 2014, Harrison Nyamupfudza, a representative of Chief Nyamhunga of
Kariba, indicated that the government should immediately licence community radio
stations.

PROPOSED WAY FOWARD.
Government should expedite the licensing of community radios whose structure
and operations are devoid of political agendas and appointees,
Government should be at the forefront of creating a conducive media and policy
environment for community radio operations. This should be achieved through
enactment of a progressive legal framework which promotes universal and
affordable access to means of communication and reception of community
broadcasting services. Since last year, retrogressive legislation in the form of
AIPPA have been used not only against mainstream media practitioners, but also
community radio practitioners. As has been the mantra of a number of media
organisations, there is need to expedite the realignment of existing media
legislation to be in line with the Constitutional provisions on the media,
There should be the existence of distinct stand-alone application forms for

community radios. The statutory requirements for licensing of community radios,
inclusive of required fees and charges, should be minimal and within reach of the
communities wishing to establish community radios. This is mainly because
community radio is not for profit, therefore ordinary communities have no
capacity to generate huge amounts of money as is required for example for
commercial license applicants,
The BSA should spell out clear timeframes on when licenses should be called
for. The current arrangement which gives power to the Broadcasting Authority of
Zimbabwe(BAZ) to determine the period of calling for licenses is susceptible to
manipulation.
The state should avail necessary infrastructure for broadcasting development. A
special effort should be made to ensure community broadcasting takes
advantage of modern technologies such as digital broadcasting,
Measures adopted for community broadcasting should be fair, transparent and
non-discriminatory. This should include putting in place preferred tax, import duty
and reducing direct levies on community broadcasters for example, through a
low annual license fee,
Government should set aside grants for supporting the operations of community
radios. This should however be complemented by advertising revenue,
donations, sponsorships and membership subscriptions drawn from the
community and well-wishers,
There is a need to adopt a comprehensive and inclusive definition of a
community as the BSA is not clear on the definition. This definition should be
developed through a consultative process inclusive of media stakeholders
together with the government,
There is need for the formation of an Independent broadcasting regulatory board
whose representation is diverse and reflective of the Zimbabwean community.
The establishment of the Board must be open and transparent to allow public
scrutiny.

CONCLUSION
The critical role that licensed community radios will play in the development dispensation
of Zimbabwe can never be over-emphasised. At a time when our country is trying to find
its niche in the overall global politics and developments, communities need to be
accorded an opportunity to contribute to the discussions around people centred
development.
It however has to be stated that the licensing of community radios is not an end on its
own. There is still be need for the creation of a conducive media policy and operational
environment which bolsters and augments the flourishing of community radios in
Zimbabwe.
//Ends//

ANNEX 16 Zimbabwe Media Commission Letter to IMPI



Table of Contents

1. Executive Summary3
2. Introduction 3
3. Music Rights Protected by Copyright Laws3
3.1 Protection of Music Rights in General3
3.2 Music Rights Protected in Zimbabwe and challenges 4
3.2.1. Enforcement 4
3.2.2. Capacity Building 4
3.2.3. Lack of Awareness5
3.2.4. Copyright Network 5
3.2.5. Accreditation 5
3.3 Best Practices 5

3.3.1. Technology5
3.3.2. TRIPS 6
3.3.3. Documentation and Information 6
3.3.4 Payment of fees 6
3.3.5. Collective Management and the Digital Environment .6
3.3.6 Internet treaties..7
4. Conclusions and Recommendations . 7
4.1 Capacity Building8
4.2 Enforcement. 8
4.3 Technology .8
4.4 Awareness ..8
4.5 Networking..8
4.6 International Co-operation..9
4.7 Membership to WIPO treaties9
4.8 Law Reform .9
4.9 General Recommendation 9
5. Way Forward . 9
5.1 Stake Holder Meeting.. 9
6. References..9


1. Executive Summary
The purpose of this position paper is [the challenges faced by the music industries in Zimbabwe] to
highlight some of the major problems hindering effective implementation and enforcement of the
Copyright Act. The later has resulted in the poor performance of the music industry and has
adversely affected the rights of the stakeholders. These include composers, writers, musicians, singers
and other related individuals in the industry.It is also the purpose of this paper to develop a collective
understanding on the extent of piracy and counterfeit in the industry and to identify effective
measures that can be implemented to redeem the ever increasing size and scope of piracy and
counterfeit in the music industry. The paper also highlights the devastating effects of piracy and
counterfeit to Trade and Commerce.
In pursuance of the above objective, the paper in its introduction makes a reference to the mandate
and establishment of the Zimbabwe Music Rights Association (ZIMURA). In the following
paragraphs the paper highlights the music rights protected by the copyright laws and this is explained
under the following sub-headings; Protection of Music Rights in general , music rights protected in
Zimbabwe and challenges and the best practices. (The best practices are extracted from WIPO
UNCTA.)
The position paper will conclude by way of recommendations on various areas what will need
attention of policy makers and with a general recommendation of the way forward.
2. Introduction
ZIMURA is a composer and publishers association that was established to protect some of the rights
granted to them by the Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Act Chapter 26:05. It is registered as a
collecting society according to the provisions of section 91 and 92 of the Copyright and
Neighbouring Rights Act.
Established in 1982, the Organization is headquartered in Harare and has opened offices in,
Bulawayo, Mutare, Gweru, Bindura, Chinhoyi, Masvingo and Marondera. When a member joins
ZIMURA, he/she gives the performing rights to the Association for administration. ZIMURAs
function is a dual one; managing the rights of music composers and assisting the music users by
issuing them with a single ZIMURA license called a Copyright Music License as provided for by the
Copyright Act. ZIMURA is affiliated to the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and
Composers (CISAC)
3. Music Rights Protected by the Copyright Laws

3.1 Protection of Music Rights in General

A copyright gives the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited period of
time. Copyright may also apply to a wide range of creative, intellectual, or artistic forms, or works.
It does not cover ideas and information, but only the form or manner in which they are expressed.

In the area of Music Rights, the mostly protected rights include the right of public performance i.e.
music played or performed in halls, discotheques, restaurants, and other public places. The music
rights also include the right of broadcasting i.e. live and recorded performances on radio and
television, the mechanical reproduction rights in musical works i.e. the reproduction of works in
compact discs, tapes, vinyl records, cassettes, mini-discs, or other forms of recordings. In addition
music rights may include the performing rights in dramatic works such as theatre plays, the right of
reprographic reproduction of literary and musical works i.e. photocopying the lyrics. Music Right
Protection also extends to the rights of performers and producers of phonograms referred to as
Related Rights.
3.2 Music Rights Protected in Zimbabwe and Challenges
In terms of Chapter 26:05 of the Copyright and Neighbouring Act Works eligible for protection in
Zimbabwe include literary works, musical works, audio- visual works, sound recording, broadcasts,
programme- carrying signals and published editions.
However works other than broadcast, programme-carrying signal shall not be eligible for copyright
unless it has been reduced to writing, recorded, or reduced to material form. The Exclusive Rights
on Copyright vests the following rights to the owner a) reproducing the work; (b) publishing the
work; (c) importing and exporting the work, (d) performing the work in public; (e) broadcasting
the work; (f) causing the work to be transmitted in a cable programme service.
The Act also provides for exclusive rights on sound recording and Acts restricted by Copyright and
Broadcasts. It also has a provision for private recording of music works and sound broadcasts. The
Act also provides for infringement and remedies for infringement .
While the Act adequately covers the protected subject matter its implementation faces several
challenges owing to a poorly developed Copyright infrastructure as shall be explained in the
following paragraph
Despite the existence of the Copyright Act the management of Music Rights in Zimbabwe is still
facing numerous challenges. Some of these challenges include lack of public awareness, poor
enforcement mechanisms, limited human resources capacity, poor coordination in the management
of music rights, technology challenges, problems associated with unemployment etc.
3.2.1. Enforcement
While the provision of enforcement is well articulated in the Copyright Act the institutional
framework for enforcement is poorly organised. There is a Tribunal Act establishing the IP courts
but this court is poorly manned and non-operational. Further the IP law cases are currently not
documented and there is no general information network on IP cases. Co-ordination within the
region on IP enforcement is still scanty and its development is not consistent within the
development in the area of Trade and Commerce. The government needs to encourage law
enforcement agents to effectively enforce the existing Copyright Laws by providing resources and
penalties that include serious jail terms and seizure of counterfeited assets and profit. Within the
region enforcement must be strengthened

3.2.2. Capacity Building
The need to address shortages of experts in the field of music rights management should be
considered as a priority. Traditionally, academic institutions do not adequately provide education in
areas such as Intellectual Property. However, in the advent of the importance of Intellectual
Property for economic development and its abuse, there is a need to include IP in the countrys
educational system as a compulsory subject. This lack of education in the field of Intellectual
Property is grossly reflected in the manner the customs officials, police, intelligence investigation
officers deal with IP cases.
Currently, a number of workshops, seminars on IP have been carried out with the support of the
government and international organisations. These efforts are commendable, but far from
satisfactory given the magnitude of ignorance in the field of IP. In view of ZIM ASSET, there is
need to redouble capacity building efforts on IP in Zimbabwe. The target groups should be
extended to all the stakeholders in intellectual Property. In the music industry training should also
be extended to producers, performers etc. so that, they can appreciate the value of their products
and related economic benefits. Enforcement agents including customs, police, and judiciary also
need IP education so that they can effectively enforce the Copyright Act and appropriately
adjudicate on IP related crimes. Government support in this area through policy direction becomes
imperative.
Capacity building will be able to address current problems such as poor court decisions, lack of
appreciation of intrinsic value of Copyright, respect for music right holders by broadcasting
organisations, respect for licence schemes in the music industry etc.
3.2.3. Lack of Awareness

In Zimbabwe like many other African countries the importance of Intellectual Property for
economic development is not appreciated. Corresponding, the effects of trading in counterfeited or
pirated products are rarely understood. In view of the above, both the government and the private
sector should be encouraged to mount widespread and sustained campaigns to make consumers
aware that buying and trading in counterfeited products is not a victimless crime. The public on
their part also need to know that buying and trading in counterfeit and pirated products causes
economic harm by reducing employment opportunities as well as allowing circulation in the market
of inferior products. Lack of awareness in the music industry is not only limited to the public but
sadly also extends to the artists and creators.
3.2.4. Copyright Network

In order to effectively fight piracy and counterfeit networking among the stakeholders is very
essential particularly that the fight against piracy and counterfeit involves a cross-section of players
including the police, IP lawyers, Judges, public prosecutors, and the music right-holders themselves.
3.2.5. Accreditation
By its very nature the music industry is a lucrative business as a result, fake organisations are
emerging and these are masquerading as self-made collective societies deriving profits from
collecting revenue from music users, thereby earning huge profits to the detriment of music creators

and artists. These bogus organisations do not follow the ethics of collecting societies whose
principle is strictly non-profit making.
This scenario has serious consequences to the music industry and government involvement is
urgently required particularly in ensuring that the operating collective societies are only those that
are accredited.
3.3 Best Practices
3.3.1. Technology
With the ever more widespread application of digital technology, including the advent of
multimedia productions and the use of digital networks like the Internet, the exercise and the
management of rights are facing new challenges. New technological solutions (encryption
technology, digital identification numbers, rights management information systems, etc.) have been
worked out in response to those challenges, and are still being developed. The freedom of owners
of rights to choose between individual and collective management of their rights and among various
possible forms of collective management (traditional collective management, clearing houses,
one-stop-shop systems, etc.) seems to have grown. New methods of licensing and monitoring
use and collecting and distributing remuneration have been introduced.
3.3.2. Trips
Another important development is linked to the adoption of the TRIPS Agreement, which provides
that Members shall comply with Articles 1 to 21 of the Berne Convention (with the exception of
Article 6bis) and the Appendix to it, as well as affording the specific protection provided by the
TRIPS Agreement itself. By acceding to the TRIPS Agreement, Members undertake to give effect
to the provisions of the Agreement. That means granting the minimum protection provided for in
the substantive provisions of the Berne Convention and also complying with the specific provisions
on copyright and related rights of the TRIPS Agreement. While many developing countries have
already taken steps towards the legal implementation of the TRIPS Agreement, work still remains to
be done on the collective management of copyright and related rights.
3.3.3 Documentation and Information

In the field of musical works (encompassing all types of music) documentation, licensing and
distribution are the three pillars on which the collective management of the rights of public
performance and broadcasting is based. The collective management organization negotiates with
users (such as radio stations, broadcasters, discotheques, cinemas, restaurants and the like), or
groups of users and authorizes them to use copyrighted works from its repertoire against payment
and on certain conditions. On the basis of its documentation (information on members and their
works) and the programs submitted by users (for instance, logs of music played on the radio), the
collective management organization distributes copyright royalties to its members according to
established distribution rules. A fee to cover administrative costs, and in certain countries also
socio-cultural promotion activities, is generally deducted from the copyright royalties. Most
broadcasters do not remit proper log sheets and this poses a challenge to the CMO

3.3.4 Payment of fees
National legislation in some countries provides for a right of remuneration payable to performers or
producers of phonograms or both when commercial sound recordings are communicated to the
public or used for broadcasting. The fees for such uses are collected and distributed either by joint
organizations set up by performers and producers of phonograms or separate ones, depending on
the relation of those involved and the legal situation within the country.
One of the best ways of explaining the concept and practice of collective management of copyright
is to take the example of musical works. Today, in the face of the mass consumption of music, the
only way of safeguarding the rights of public performance and broadcasting of composers,
songwriters, arrangers and translators consists of the creation of a link between the music
"producers" and the music "consumers". The concentration of the rights of performance and
broadcasting of musical works in the hands of one collective management organization in each
country and the blanket authorization to perform in public or broadcast protected music, granted
by that organization, constitute the collective management of the rights in question.
3.3.5 Collective Management and the Digital Environment

Right-owners and users also are looking for different approaches to deal with the management of
copyright and related rights in the digital environment, in particular in the context of multimedia
productions.
Copyrighted works are increasingly delivered in digital form via global networks such as the
Internet. As a result the collective management of copyright and related rights by public, semi-
public and market sector entities shall be re-engineered to take advantage of the efficiency gains
offered by information technology. The increasing opportunities offered to the holders of rights by
the Internet and the advent of multimedia productions are interfering with the conditions of
protection, with the exercise and management of copyright and related rights, and also with the
enforcement of rights.
In the online world of the new millennium, the management of rights is taking on a new dimension.
Protected works are now digitized, compressed, uploaded, downloaded, copied and distributed on
the Internet to any place in the world. The expanding power of digital networks allows more and
more mass storage and online delivery of protected material. The possibility of downloading the
contents of a book, or of listening to and recording music from cyberspace is a daily reality. While
this presents immeasurable opportunities, there are also many challenges for owners, users and
collective management organizations.
Many collective management organizations have developed systems for online delivery of
information relating to the licensing of works and content, the monitoring of uses and the
collection and distribution of remuneration for various categories of works within the digital
environment. These digital information systems, which depend on the development and use of
unique numbering systems and codes that are embedded in digital carriers such as CDs and DVDs,
allow the works, the right-owners, the digital carriers themselves, etc. to be properly identified and
to provide other relevant information.

3.3.6 Internet treaties
The two treaties concluded in 1996, under the auspices of WIPO, responded to the challenges of
protecting copyright and related rights in the digital age. Known as the Internet treaties, the
WCT and WPPT deal among other things with obligations concerning technological protection
measures and rights management information in the digital environment; they ensure that the
owners of rights are protected when their works are disseminated on the Internet; they also contain
provisions requiring national legislators to provide efficient protection for technological measures,
by prohibiting the import, manufacture and distribution of illicit circumvention tools or material
and also outlawing acts detrimental to rights management information systems. Indeed, an
adequate legal protection is also needed at the national level to prevent acts intended to circumvent
technical protection measures, and also to combat the removal or alteration of any elements of the
digital information systems and other such practices.
The WCT and WPPT specify a protection of rights management information aiming at protecting
the identification of works and objects of related rights against various acts. Both treaties,
respectively in Article 11(WCT) and Article 18(WPPT), have left to national legislators of
Contracting States the ways to implement protection, without any specification of the type of
protection nor the definition of protected devices.
4. Conclusions and Recommendations

In view of need to overcome some of the challenges faced by ZIMURA, taking into account the
ever spreading application of digital technology, contemporary development trends, best practices,
the devastating effects of piracy and counterfeit in the music industry and indeed the interest of the
music industry in Zimbabwe, the following conclusions and recommendations are presented for
policy consideration.
4.1 Capacity Building

Whilst commending existing efforts to build capacity in Zimbabwe, there is need to continue the
capacity building efforts to various stakeholders including but not limited to the following
a) The music community including producers, performers etc. so that they can appreciate the value of
their products and related economic benefits.
b) Enforcement agents including customs, police, and judiciary etc. so that they can effectively
enforce the Copyright Act and appropriately adjudicate on IP related crimes.
4.2 Enforcement
Protection of Copyright which include among others the protection of artistic work in the music
industry is well acknowledged by the Copyright Act, however protection without enforcement is
inadequate and therefore it is ZIMURAs considered view that enforcement is currently inadequate
and does not provide sufficient deterrent to piracy and counterfeit hence the need for its
intensification. Stronger incentives in discouraging counterfeiting and piracy activities are highly
recommended. Further, the need for speedy and cheap methods of enforcement will be highly
recommended.

Enforcement should be at two levels i.e. at National levels that is within the confines of the national
boundaries and at a regional level to provide for territories that are within the confines of a
regional trading or economical block. A regional approach will encourage harmonisation of IP laws
in a respective region.
4.3 Technology
It must be acknowledged that with the advent of digital technologies in the music industries which
include among others multimedia productions and the usual digital networks like the internet, the
exercise and management of music rights are facing new challenges. It is therefore ZIMURAs
considered view that investments on new technological solutions must be employed. Such
technologies will include encryption technology , the system of coding CDs, digital identification
numbers, Rights Management Information Systems,Network and website sharing, the use of the
Hologram System on original products to mention but a few .
4.4 Awareness
The devastating effects of piracy and counterfeited products under the current economic difficulties
where the larger part of the population is unemployed and easily fall prey to cheap pirated music
disks and DVDs etc. and in a country where there is a high percentage of informal sector, which is
more than happy to trade in the counterfeited products for higher returns, the need for awareness
to the general public is indeed critical. While the efforts being made so far such as raids ,
confiscation forfeiture of pirated products are commendable and should be intensified, in the
absence of awareness of the general public they would hardly provide a permanent solution.
Awareness creation alongside deterrents such as raids no doubt require government support.
4.5 Networking
In order to mitigate against the numerous challenges that are faced by the music industries, it is
important that stakeholders build efficient networks among themselves. This network is crucial in
exchange of information, establishment of a database, design training for various stakeholders etc.
The magnitude of work involved and the multiplicity of stakeholders undoubtedly require
government involvement. However, the government has to work with the private sector and in this
regard Public Private Partnership is strongly recommended.
4.6 International Cooperation

In matters related to piracy and counterfeit, international cooperation is very vital since by its very
nature, piracy and counterfeit goes beyond the territorial borders of individual countries and
therefore requires international and regional approach. This is increasingly becoming so owing to
balkanisation of states into regional economic groupings with enlarged territories making cross
border measures porous and less effective. International cooperation will require government
involvement and it is therefore ZIMURAs considered view to engage the government in this
respect.
4.7 Membership to WIPO treaties

It is acknowledged that Zimbabwe is a signatory to the Berne Convention and that it has also
acceded to the TRIPs Agreement under WTO. It is highly recommended that Zimbabwe should also
be signatories to other WIPO treaties on Copyright such as WIPO Copyright Treaty (WCT) (1996)

and WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty (WPPT) (1996). WIPO Treaties are very crucial in
norm settings and setting of standards which are acceptable internationally and Zimbabwes
membership through the Government of Republic of Zimbabwe provides a suitable platform of
exchange of ideas and information on the management of copyright particularly under the current
digital environment.
4.8 Law Reform
There is no doubt that legislation underpins IP enforcement. While it is acknowledged that the
Zimbabwean government has worked extensively on its Copyright Law certain aspects of the
Copyright Law will need to be updated. A comprehensive legislation on Copyright is recommended.
In this respect sharing best practice with countries with relatively recent laws to influence law reform
and encourage harmonisation of laws is highly recommended. In addition, reform of enforcement
laws should be considered.
4.9 General Recommendations
As a way forward to address the issues above, it is highly recommended that the Stakeholder
meeting be convened with the view to highlight the challenges faced by the Music Rights
Association. The meeting will also be a suitable platform to map up a strategy for the policy
development and management of copyright
5 Way Forward
5.1 Stake Holder Meeting

The multiplicity of the stakeholders in the music industry as well as the authorities required for
enforcement of the Copyright Act will naturally require co-operation among various
stakeholders which is therefore the objective of this position paper to bring together all the
stakeholders in the music industry. In this pursuit the stakeholder awareness workshop should
be convened.
6. References
i) Copyright and Neighbouring Act Chapter 26.05
ii) Zimbabwe : Copyright Act (Chapter 26.01)
iii) ( Best Practices Cases in the music Industry and their Relevance for Government
Policies in Developing Countries (Dr Roger Wallis Dec 2001) www.wipo-unctad report
RW pgs 39 -50


ANNEX 18
Zimbabwe National Editors Forum position paper
The State of the Media in Zimbabwe and Proposed Considerations
for the Way Forward

Chairmans Summary.
The Zimbabwe National Editors Forum (ZINEF) after serious considerations and thought
as to the import of the overtures by the Ministry of Media, Information and Broadcasting
Services, considers it of paramount importance that it outlines its broader understanding
and vision of the challenges and prospects faced by Zimbabwes contemporary media
industry and specifically by the journalism profession.
In outlining its understanding of what the challenges and opportunities of Zimbabwes

media are, ZINEF is cognizant of the new engagement initiatives by the Minister Moyo
and his colleagues at the Ministry of Media, Information and Broadcasting Services. It
is this same spirit of progressive engagement that guides this position paper on the state
of the media in Zimbabwe.
In articulating its views on the key challenges besetting the media, ZINEF is aware that
any initial departure point that guides the media relates largely to articles 61, 62 and 248
of the new Constitution of Zimbabwe. These articles relate to the right of all citizens to
freedom of expression, access to information and the establishment of a Zimbabwe
Media Commission (ZMC) respectively. However in doing so, the Forum also
understands that the new Constitution cannot be read in isolated sections as all
components of the supreme law of the land are intertwined and impact on the
democratic culture of the country.
Furthermore, because it is not just the Constitution and enabling Acts of Parliament that
determine the character of Zimbabwes media environment, it is imperative to give due
consideration as to how other factors suchas political culture, the national economy,
journalistic professionalism/ethics affect the able and democratic functioning of the
media in Zimbabwe.
In giving full thought to these nationally important matters, ZINEF intends to make full
use of the engagement opportunity that has been availed by the national government
through the responsible ministry. This would include, not only participating in the
recently formed National Media Committee but also seeking dialogue with statutory and
voluntary media regulation bodies in order to further the agenda of a democratic,
professional and publicly accountable media.

It is in this regard that ZINEF outlines its considered views attached hereto on the state
of the media in Zimbabwe from the perspective of editors.
Brian Mangwende
Chairman,
Zimbabwe National Editors Forum.
Harare, February 20, 2014.
A.) Background to ZINEF.

The Zimbabwe National Editors Forum (ZINEF) was formed in 1999 to address the
concerns of all media editors on matters relating to the journalistic profession. Its
primary vision is to see a professional, independent and publicly accountable media.
In terms of Section 3 of its constitution key objectives of ZINEF include, the upholding of
standards of professionalism and facilitate exchange of ideas between editors while at
the same time working to defend and promote media freedom through all possible
mediums.
The work of the Forum has revolved around seeking to provide all Zimbabwean news
media editors with a national platform through which to address issues affecting not only
the media profession, but also shared concerns of editorial staff in newsrooms.
ZINEF also has a constitutional obligation (Section 4 of its constitution) to engage the
Government of Zimbabwe to ensure that laws that are promulgated act in the best
interests of promoting maximum press freedom, freedom of expression and freedom of
information.
ZINEF has also sought to enhance the professional capacity of editors to address key
challenges facing the media through training programmes, workshops and meetings. It
has also pursued regional linkages with the Southern African Editors Forum and national
editors forums in the SADC region in order to share experiences and improve the
general safety and working conditions of the journalists in the region.
The ZINEF Board comprises of:

Brian Mangwende: ZINEF Chairperson
NjabuloNcube: ZINEF Vice chairperson
Barnabas Thondlana: ZINEF Secretary General
Oliver Gawe: ZINEF Treasurer
Maxwell Sibanda: ZINEF Committee member

B.) Zimbabwes Contemporary Media Context.
In the aftermath of the July 2013 harmonised elections, Zimbabwes media environment
has continued to expand quantitatively particularly in the print sector. The broadcasting
sector has incrementally expanded with the licensing of two free to air national radio
stations while the print has seen a significant increase in newspaper houses as a result
of licenses issued by the Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC). It is however regrettable
that some of the print media houses that have been licensed to operate have been
unable to publish on a continual basis.
With the advent of a new constitution after the affirmative March 2013 constitutional
referendum, the new constitution in Section 61 of the Bill of Rights makes specific
reference to the right of the media to operate freely. Access to information is also further
recognized in section 62. The same supreme law of the country makes provision for a
Zimbabwe Media Commission in section 248. The ZMCs primary mandate is to regulate
the operations of the media through registration/ licensing of all media practitioners and
houses.
This constitutional regulatory framework is further augmented by the Access to

Information and Protection of Privacy Act which for now remains the enabling legislation
for regulation of the media.
There are at least two other media regulatory bodies with at two other statutory bodies
presiding over the media as an industry as well as a profession. These are namely the
statutory Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe established in terms of the Broadcasting
Services Act (BSA) and an ancillary body to the ZMC, the Zimbabwe Media Council
established in terms of AIPPA.
Because of the phenomenal growth and expansion of internet services provision, the
media is also affected by the regulation of telecommunications through eh Postal and
Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) established in terms
of the Postal and Telecommunications Act. This especially in relation to news content
that media houses and journalists may decide to place in the public domain through the
internet and mobile telephony or I collaboration with licensed telecommunications
operators.
In relation to the safety and the working conditions of journalists, Zimbabwes media
environment remains encumbered by various criminal defamation laws that have been
used to arrest or threaten journalists with arrests on a frequent basis over the last ten
years. Such laws would include the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, the
Public Order and Security Act (POSA) and the Official Secrets Act.
The media profession has over the years sought to demonstrate an understanding of the
democratic significance of its role in Zimbabwean society. In order to effect its public

accountability without resort to criminal defamation, the media has established the
Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe (VMCZ) to oversee and implement its voluntary
Media Code of Conduct and also administer a media complaints processing mechanism
through the Media Complaints Committee.
Furthermore, a broad section of Zimbabwean media stakeholders have sought to

coordinate their media development and expansion activities under the umbrella of the
Media Alliance of Zimbabwe (MAZ). This coordination has helped with lobbying and
advocacy activities with the Government of Zimbabwe.
C.) Key Challenges facing the media in Zimbabwe.

ZINEF has identified 8 key challenges that are negatively affecting the work of the
media, editors and journalists in Zimbabwe.
1. Multiple Media Regulation: Zimbabwes media regulatory framework faces the

primary challenge of multiple regulation. The fact that that there are three direct
regulatory bodies in relation to media content and licensing, namely, the
Zimbabwe Media Commission, the Zimbabwe Media Council and the
Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe, makes the full functioning of the media
bureaucratic and cumbersome.
2. Criminal Defamation: There are in place a raft of laws that have been used and
cited in the charging of journalists and editors for stories that have been
published. There have been few if any of the criminal defamation charges that
have held up in a court of law where and when journalists are charged with
such offices whether under AIPPA, the Criminal Law Codification and Reform
Act or the Public Order and Security Act.
3. Media Polarization: Over the last 15 years the media has remained polarized
between the state controlled and private media. This polarization has been
generally viewed as being a result of political differences between various
media organizations. The problem has however been that it has led on
occasion to slanging matches between media houses not on the basis of
healthy competition but more on the basis of political bias that has
compromised media professionalism and media public accountability.
4. Multiple Media Training Regimes and Programmes: The proliferation of higher

education institutions that offer journalism as a diploma or a degree has been a
positive development for Zimbabwes media industry. The primary problem has
become that the multiplicity of media training institutions do not share a
common curriculum or standard as to the measurement of the nature of
training required to produce a full-fledged professional journalist. As a result
there has been the challenge of multiple entry level requirements into the
profession of journalism, ranging from diplomas to degrees.

5. Gender imbalances in Newsrooms and Gender biased Reportage: Three recent
surveys undertaken by the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists, Voluntary Media
Council of Zimbabwe and the Media Monitoring Project of Zimbabwe have
indicated two important matters relating to the media. Firstly that there is a
generally unfair and stereotypical media reportage against female citizens.
Secondly that there is evidence of the prevalence of sexual harassment of
female journalists in newsrooms as well as the under-representation of female
journalists in the same.
6. Inadequacy of Media Professionalism and Ethical practices: A recent study

commissioned by the Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe has noted that
there is a dearth of ethics and professionalism in the media. This has been
exacerbated in part by the polarized and partisan political environment, poor
working conditions of journalists and an underperforming national economy.
7. Poor working conditions and low remuneration for journalists: A longstanding

challenge in the media has been the poor working conditions and low
remuneration of journalists. This has in part led to journalists seeking other
means of supplementing their incomes by other means or practicing what is
referred as brown envelope journalism.
8. Lack of media diversity: The introduction of new media houses to the

broadcasting industry has raised issues of cross-ownership of various media
platforms. Especially where companies own more than one form of media or
own both a newspaper publication and a radio station. This has the unfortunate
tendency of introducing media monopolies and a lack of editorial media
diversity across various media spectrums.
D.) Proposed Solutions to the Challenges facing the Media in Zimbabwe:

In outlining the challenges faced by the media, ZINEF is aware of the need for solutions
to the same. The Forum therefore proposes that the government and media
stakeholders undertake the following steps in order to mitigate the challenges and
improve the important role that the media plays in a democratic Zimbabwe.
1. Democratising and Converging Media Regulation: It is imperative that the

multiple media regulatory framework in Zimbabwe be democratized and where
possible there be convergence. This would entail reviewing with a view to repeal
the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act and replacing it with a
new Act (for example, A Media Practitioners Act) that takes into account the
provisions of the new constitution and decriminalizes practicing journalism and
promotes media self-regulation.
Further to this, is the need to ensure that the regulation of broadcasting,

telecommunications and the internet is converged much more effectively to take

into account the convergence of telecommunications and the media. This would
entail a review of the Postal and Telecommunications Act together with the
Broadcasting Services Act with a view to establish an independent
telecommunications authority that works directly in tandem with a specific
independent broadcasting authority established in terms of the new Independent
Telecommunications Act.
2. Repealing of Criminal Defamation Laws: There is an urgent need for the

government to repeal laws or sections of laws that permit criminal defamation
charges against journalists. This with particular reference to sections in the
Public Order and Security Act (POSA) and the Criminal Law Codification and
Reform Act that seek to charge citizens and journalists with undermining the
authority of the state or undermining public order and security. Such repealing
will demonstrate full commitment to the right to freedom of expression and media
freedom as outlined in Section 61 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe.
3. Reviewing and Strengthening a Collectively Accepted Media Code of Conduct: In

order to address the challenge of media ethics and media public accountability
there is need for a democratic review of the current media codes of conduct that
exist for journalists in order to arrive at a collectively accepted implemented and
legitimate media code of conduct. This review would entail the collective effort of
all media stakeholders particularly the Ministry of Media, Information and
Publicity as well as the Zimbabwe Media Commission and the Voluntary Media
Council of Zimbabwe. Such a revised media code of conduct will then apply in
equal measure to all media houses regardless of whether they in the private or
public sector.
4. Integrating Media Training and Attachment Programmes: It is imperative that

there be a review of all media related training programmes by media training
institutions. Such a review will help assess the shortfalls and strengths of current
training and attachment regimes as well as assist the journalism profession
regain its lost luster. It is a review that must be done through collaborations
between the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, the Ministry of
Information, Media and Broadcasting Services, the Journalist and Media Trainers
Association and ZINEF.
5. Establishing Common Ground with all Media on Professionalism and Ethics: All
media compete for audiences and the advertising market. In Zimbabwes case,
media polarization has led to unprecedented levels of competition between
media houses that require that the media find common ground on
professionalism and ethics in order to reverse it. This would entail a commonly
shared code of conduct as discussed in item 2 cited above.

6. Establishing Editorial Independence of Media Houses: One of the primary
challenge of media houses has been editorial interference by majority
shareholders in media corporations. This requires full commitment to editorial
independence by media owners, government included possibly to be done
through the Zimbabwe Publishers Association in collaboration with government,
ZINEF and other media stakeholders.
7. Working towards Gender-Equal and Gender Sensitive Newsrooms and News-

making: The challenge of gender imbalances in newsrooms remains an
outstanding one that requires concerted policy action on the part of government,
media owners, editors and journalists. There should be efforts to measure the
quantitative aspects of gender representation and fighting sexual harassment in
newsrooms. This must be done simultaneously with the qualitative aspect of
news reports and their fairness as regards gender equality in Zimbabwean
society with an active intent of ensuring gender balanced and gender fair
reporting.
8. Establishment of Minimum Living Wages for Journalists: The challenge of

media ethics and susceptibility of journalists to the brown envelope journalism is
a serious cause for concern in Zimbabwe. In order to mitigate this, ZINEF
proposes that all media employers and journalists unions work toward
establishing a minimum living wage standard for all journalists that meets the
poverty datum line and is in line with best practices in the SADC region. Such a
minimum entry wage will assist in curbing the temptations of journalists to
supplement their meager incomes through unethical means.
9. Establishing a Democratic Interpretation of the National Interest: Section 3 of the

new Constitution of Zimbabwe established the founding values and principles of
the Republic. While these principles and values equally apply to the media, it is
imperative that there be an understanding and interpretation of this particular
section in the best democratic interests of the country and in tandem with
Sections 61, 62 and 248 of the constitution of Zimbabwe.
E.) Conclusion
ZINEFs considerations on the way forward are intended to contribute to the the
necessary and growing debate on the way forward for Zimbabwes media industry and
the journalism profession. These considerations are also intended to be establishing of
an advocacy and lobbying framework with policy makers particularly the Ministry of
Media, Information and Broadcasting Services as well as the Parliament of Zimbabwe.
Given the political goodwill demonstrated by the government toward a new engagement
framework for the media, it remains imperative that there be holistic efforts toward
further professionalizing journalism and further democratizing the media environment in
Zimbabwe.

ANNEX 19
Zimbabwe Union of Journalists and Federation of African Media
Women Zimbabwe: WHO CAN I TELL? WHAT SHOULD I DO?
Sexual Harassment in the Media
FAMWZ Foreword
The issue of sexual harassment has been topical not just in the
media and within newsrooms but in the country in general. The
Federation of African Media Women Zimbabwe (FAMWZ) has for many
years been requested to research on and produce a publication on
the issue.
This is a first step towards a more comprehensive process of

deep, analytical and action-oriented research which is meant not
only to bring a shared understanding of this perennial problem,
but to inform follow up actions. For FAMWZ and the many concerned
journalists and practitioners, male and female, sexual harassment
in the media, if unchecked, has the potential to besmirch the
name of the profession.
This booklet seeks to also encourage all those journalists,

regardless of sex, who may have been harassed to speak out. It is
by speaking out that as a profession, as stakeholders, as past
and potential victims of the scourge, we will be able to
eradicate sexual harassment.
FAMWZ recognises that some people may be unaware of what sexual

harassment is, and therefore prey to becoming perpetrators, so we
are hoping this booklet provides enough information and general
knowledge on the issue to be a deterrent. The few voices captured
seek to reach out to the majority in the sector, regardless of
whether they sit in the dialogue and facilitate increased
understanding of the impact of sexual harassment.
While impact of sexual harassment is readily felt at the

individual level, it should be noted that the industry
incrementally loses something as the practice drives out
otherwise good journalists. The media industry is thus faced with
crossed lines of responsibility and authority, reduced
productivity, not just on the part of the harassed, the harasser,
but the rest of the staff who see and know what is happening and
are likely demotivated by senior people who are supposed to add
value to the process, overlooking certain processes in the
production chain in order to support the covert operations linked
to sexual harassment. Potential litigation, in the event of
someone suing the media house after being sexually harassed, is a

real threat to the profits of the outlets and needs serious
attention.
It is against this background that as FAMWZ we trust you will

find this booklet useful as an individual and as an organisation
in reflecting on our actions, reviewing our policies and adopting
actions to ensure that the newsroom and related spaces, are not
conducive to but disable sexual harassment in all its forms and
protects practitioners, both male and female. FAMWZ looks forward
to feedback that is mutually beneficial to us as an organisation
and to the industry as a whole. As the media credo is freedom of
expression, it can hardly be called so when one powerful person
imposes their will on a reluctant junior, who unfortunately, has
no leeway to express their real position. As media, we cannot ask
others in society to be accountable, if we ourselves are not.
FAMWZ
ZUJ Foreword
Sexual harassment is a serious problem and women in

particular in the Zimbabwean media have been grappling with
sexual harassment for many years.
The Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) in conjunction with

Federation of African Media Women Zimbabwe (FAMWZ) have
compiled this publication as part of efforts to tackle the
problem.
Sexual harassment represents one of the largest areas of

complaints in the media. However, the absence of a law that
deals specifically with sexual harassment has allowed
culprits to commit these acts and get away with it.
During outreach meetings with journalists around the

country, sexual harassment which had never really been
deliberated upon in the past, was discussed openly, in very
robust sessions indicating that it was a serious problem.
If complaints of harassment are not resolved internally,

costly legal action and damage to an organisations
reputation may follow. Conversely, the benefits for the
media of tackling harassment can be substantial. Sickness
absence, stress and conflict in the workplace are reduced.
Staff retention, efficiency, morale and profitability can
be increased.

This booklet looks at clear definitions and types of sexual
harassment which will help women identify when they are
being attacked. Most, incidents of sexual harassment remain
unreported for reasons including shame, social stigma and
fear of reprisal or the case going to trial. The booklet
examines ways to combat the occurrence of sexual harassment
and how to respond when incidents occur. They emphasize the
need for education, training and information campaigns.
We hope they will serve as a useful guide and lead to a

greater understanding of this widespread and very sensitive
issue.
Foster V. Dongozi
Secretary General
Zimbabwe Union of Journalists, ZUJ
Introduction and Background
For many years, women in the Zimbabwean media have been grappling
with sexual harassment which has impacted on them personally and
professionally. Sexual harassment is becoming an extensive
problem in most newsrooms, because, over the years it has
transformed from subtle hints to inappropriate behaviour and now
to blatant propositions. Since the change in behaviour has been
gradual it is being considered normal behaviour
Journalists, and in particular female journalists are being

sexually harassed at work by their colleagues and bosses and they
have no idea what to do or where to turn.
They are not sure whether they should tell someone about the
incident or even who they should tell in the newsroom. They are
further traumatised when they go out on assignment and are
harassed by their news sources. When the journalists go back to
the newsroom and report these incidents, they are ridiculed or
ignored. They are told to deal with it or get over it since
it is one of the professional hazards that a journalist has to
deal with. Sometimes the sexual harassment complaint is used to
condemn the ability of female journalists to carry out their work
competently.
It is even more difficult to address issues of sexual harassment

when decision makers in the media deny the existence and
prevalence of sexual harassment. Young female journalists who

have just entered the profession or are working as interns are
particularly vulnerable. Media organisations have policies which
are very clear but they are not adhered to because the committees
usually appointed to deal with the cases are inadequately
equipped to handle such matters.
Subsequently the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists and the Federation

of African Media Women Zimbabwe jointly launched a campaign
against sexual harassment in the media as part of World Press
Freedom Day Commemorations on May 3 2012, as a way to raise
awareness of sexual harassment within the media.
FAMWZ and ZUJ have compiled this booklet as part of their

strategic campaign to assist media organisations reflect on and
begin to deal with sexual harassment in the workplace. The
booklet defines sexual harassment, types of harassment and
policies and procedures that media organisations can put in place
to assist their male and female staff.
Defining sexual harassment
Sexual harassment is defined as an unwelcome sexual advance.
Sexual harassment can be:

a suggestion or promise of employment or promotion in
return for sexual favours;
a request for sexual favours in return for employment
benefits or
the display of sexually offensive posters, cartoons or
drawings, or any other form of verbal or physical behaviour
that the recipient regards as unwelcome or embarrassing.
What is important to understand about sexual harassment is that
it is uninvited and unwanted. While such conduct can be
harassment of women by men, many laws around the world which
prohibit sexual harassment recognize that both men and women may
be harassers or victims of sexual harassment. However, most
claims of sexual harassment are made by women.
A relationship between two consenting adults working together is

not considered harassment. It is only considered harassment when
one of the parties has more power and privilege than the other,
and abuses this, in the workplace to intimidate the other person.
Sexual harassment or sexual abuse is not about sexual
pleasure. Sexual harassment is a display of unequal power
relations and it is about asserting power.

What is important to understand about sexual harassment is
that it is uninvited and unwanted.

While perceptions of sexual harassment differ from one individual
to another, the International Labour Organisation, the US Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission, the UN and a college manual
all describe it as:
Unwanted and unwelcome.
Harmful to a persons health and their ability to perform
their job.
The International Labour Organisation Declaration on Fundamental

Principles and Rights at work describes the two distinct types of
sexual harassment: Quid Pro Quo and Hostile Environment.
Quid Pro Quo which literally translated from Latin means this for
that is when a job benefit is directly tied to an employee
submitting to unwelcome sexual advances. For example, a
supervisor promises an employee a raise if he or she will go out
on a date with him or her, or tells an employee he or she will be
fired if he or she doesn't sleep with him or her. It usually
involves someone in a senior post who uses threats or rewards in
exchange for sexual favours.
The second is when a harasser creates a hostile working

environment by harassing a co-worker and creating a sexually and
threatening atmosphere. This type of behaviour unreasonably
interferes with any reasonable persons ability to perform
his/her job.
In the workplace, harassers are usually in senior positions and

they wield decision-making
authority or other influences that can affect career outcomes.
The harasser wants to assert or
exhibit power and control. The victim of the unwanted sexual
harassment tends to have limited decision-making authority or
lacks self-confidence, or is in a vulnerable or insecure
position.
Victims are usually socialised to suffer in silence.

Case Study 1: Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

By Vaida Mashangwa
It is highlighted in the book Striking Back: The Labor Movement and the Post-Colonial
State in Zimbabwe, that sexual harassment of women at the workplace is a hidden crime
or a crime without punishment. The main reason being that the perpetrators are rarely
held accountable for their actions. Suffice to say that sexual harassment has been in
existence since time immemorial. As long as women are employed, they are susceptible
to sexual harassment.

Women at times succumb to sexual harassment and are unlikely to report it because
while they have captured an ever-increasing share of the labour market, improvements
in the quality of their jobs have not kept pace, cite the International Training Programme
on Gender Issues in Labour. This is usually reflected in the smaller representation of
women in management positions particularly in the private sector and their virtual
absence from the most senior jobs. Even when women hold managerial jobs, they are
often in less strategic lower paying areas of company operations. As such the zeal to rise
may force some women to remain quiet even when they are sexually harassed.

In developing countries such as Zimbabwe, sexual harassment seems to be an
unrecognised, insidious crime that is perpetuated against women who have no power
and are vulnerable to abuse. ....

There are now larger numbers of reported cases of sexual harassment in schools and
tertiary institutions in Zimbabwe. However research has failed to quantify the degree of
sexual violence and harassment in educational settings. There were numerous stories in
the print media of teachers, tutors or lecturers who demand sexual favours in exchange
for higher grades. What is surprising is that they are the same people who are entrusted
by parents, the community and the nation at large to monitor and mould the same
pupils into responsible future citizens. There is need for interplay between the home and
the school in terms of the upbringing of children.

Research estimates that approximately half of all women will be subjected to sexual
harassment at some point during their work or academic life. Just like domestic violence,
sexual harassment in Zimbabwe is influenced by cultural, religious and social beliefs that
a woman is supposed to be subservient and has lesser power hence cannot make
meaningful decisions about her personal life.

A survey conducted by researchers of 30 company codes of conduct in Zimbabwe
revealed that the majority of the codes recognise sexual harassment as misconduct but
definitions were imprecise and the reporting procedures do not recognise it as a unique

offence. It is treated as any other offence such as theft. At times the women barely have
sight of the code of conduct.

Research carried out in Zimbabwe indicated that every third woman reported being
subjected to sexual harassment at the workplace. The interviewees' ages ranged from
seventeen to sixty-one years. The question is whether women ever report the cases or
whether they prefer to suffer in silence. Some women interviewed also highlighted that
they feared victimisation from their spouses once they decide to report as this might be
associated with loose morals. In a bid to protect their marriages some women just opt to
remain silent.

However it emerged from the survey that in half the cases of women reporting cases of
harassment to management, the latter did not take any action. Other women postulated
that they were not aware of the reporting procedures or were too embarrassed to make
any report. Others just felt they had less power to lodge complaints against superiors.
From a survey conducted by Khan and Josdowiski of 130 private companies, more than
half of the respondents indicated that their harassers were in supervisory positions and
the rest were co-workers. According to the survey, the most vulnerable groups of women
included the divorced, widowed, the separated, general hands, maids, semi-skilled
workers, temporary, contracted, seasonal workers and women whose educational levels
were below Form Two.

The Chronicle, February 12, 2012

Vaidah Mashangwa is the Provincial Development Officer at the Ministry of Women
Affairs Gender and Community Development, Bulawayo

Examples Of Sexual Harassment Are:
1. Physical Contact: Unwanted touching, holding, grabbing,

kissing or hugging, blocking a movement, patting, stroking or
inappropriate touching of a persons clothing.
2. Verbal or written: These can be comments about clothing,
personal behaviour, or a persons body, sexual or sex-based
jokes, requesting sexual favours or repeatedly asking a person
out, sexual suggestions, telling rumours about a persons
personal or sexual life
3. Non-Verbal: Derogatory gestures or facial expressions of a
sexual nature, following a person and looking down and up a
persons body, leering or whistling at another person; leaning
over someone at a desk, or circulating graphic pictures,
letters, or cartoons.

4. Visual: These can be emails of a sexual nature, pornography,
drawings or pictures constantly shown to someone without the
persons approval.
Information on Best Practices is courtesy of Association for

Women and Research (AWARE)
Types of Sexual Harassment
1. Gender harassment - sexist and derogatory comments about

women.
2. Seductive behaviour - repeated and unwanted sexual
invitations.
3. Sexual bribery - solicitations of sexual conduct with the
promise of a reward.
4. Sexual coercion threats and intimidation.
5. Sexual imposition - forceful touching,
Forms of Workplace Sexual Harassment

The following are examples of sexual harassment:
Verbal Sexual Harassment

Being addressed by unwelcome and offensive terms such as
honey, sweetie, precious, hunk, handsome,
darling, and other insulting terms on a continuous
basis.
Receiving unwelcome comments or being asked intrusive
questions about appearance, body parts, sex life or
menstruation.
o Tendai makes comments about Nyashas body and how
sexy she would look in tight jeans.
Being made to repeatedly and intentionally listen to dirty
jokes or crude stories that are unwelcome and
uncomfortable;
o Ben tells Shirley explicit and graphic jokes, even
though she has told him on several occasions she does
not want to hear them.
Being pestered for dates or receiving unwelcome sexual
suggestions or invitations;
o This is when a co-worker/boss/supervisor keeps asking
for a date even when he or she has been turned down
several times.
Being repeatedly subjected to sexually suggestive, obscene
or insulting sounds, which are unwelcome and offensive such
as whistles or moans.

Repeatedly receiving emails, instant messages, SMSs, which
contain inappropriate language of a sexually-explicit
nature.
Physical Sexual Harassment

Being brushed against or touched in any way that is
uncomfortable;
o Thabani keeps touching Thembi when showing her how to
solve a problem on the computer, even though he knows
she does not like it.
Having someone expose their private parts to you, or
repeatedly stare at your body parts in a way that is
uncomfortable;
o Jack keeps glancing at Sally in a suggestive way and
sometimes leans back against the wall, watching and
leering at him.
Being made to repeatedly look at sexually explicit images
or pictures, or being shown obscene sexual gestures, that
are offensive and unwelcome;
Having someone stand very close to you in a way that is
unwelcome and makes you uncomfortable;
Being forcibly kissed or hugged, slapped on the bum or
being forcibly made to touch someone.
Extreme cases will result in rape.

Case Study 2: Words of Wisdom
WORDS OF WISDOM

Years ago I left the Department of Information to join a weekly newspaper.

Every morning when I arrived at work, the telephone would ring and when I answered
someone who husky say I love the way you roll your eyes. I would quickly put the
phone down in fear. I wasnt sure if this was a prank call or a stalker. One day as I was in
an elevator I found myself in the company of this sexual pervert who said to me: Why
are you avoiding my calls? Fear and shock gripped me as I recognised the voice. It was
the same voice that I heard on the phone I heard every morning.

I reported the incident to my editor who answered by saying: Would he really do that?
I then realised that he did not believe my story and started looking for another job. I
landed an interview at the local electronic news media organisation. After the second

interview, three of the four panellists started calling me up for lunch dates. One of them
actually said Your future is securedyou have got the job I felt like I was moving
from the frying pan to the fire. Luckily for me the sexual pervert where I was working,
retired to start a new company. After that I never experienced any form of abuse but I
started fighting abuse of other women journalists in the newsroom.

Over the years I have heard stories of women journalists who date editors. I didnt
succumb to this because back in my day I had been sensitized on issues around my rights
as a worker, through the ZCTU, so I was empowered from the word go. A few cases of
sexual harassment did take place but none ever saw the light of day. The women
journalists are not willing to take any action because they are scared they will be
labelled or will not be recommended for a permanent job.

I know of a student on attachment who was harassed sexually after a senior journalist
had offered her a lift. When the student reported the incident to me, I took up the case.
There was uproar in the newsroom and my male colleagues accused me of trying to get
the man sacked. Unfortunately the case died a natural death; I later learnt that the
student had dropped the charges and she never got the job.

At times you see young female journalists deliberately being put on assignments with
male journalists and later the men brag about their sexual exploits with these young
women.

I would recommend that FAMWZ and ZUJ take up pro active roles and nurture students
at journalism training institutions before they come to the newsroom for attachment or
work. During my yester years I was lucky I was there when journalism unions such as ZUJ
were formed, I had an input into their constitution. I also suggest that each and every
newsroom to have a focal person who can receive such reports. This person should also
be a mentor who is not necessarily a woman journalist because not every woman
journalist is sensitive to these matters.

Zimbabwe is a free country that has accorded its citizens freedom of choice when it
comes to dressing. My advice to my fellow journalists is that they should dress business
like and not wear clothes as though they are going to a jazz or fashion show.

Sexual harassment from news sources can also be dealt with by sticking to your ethics
and making sure that your conduct is professional. Above all female journalists should
report on any hint or form of harassment of any nature.
Veteran journalist and editor, Ropafadzo Maphimidze

How To Respond To Sexual Harassment
Follow The Three Rs

1. Respond: Make your feelings absolutely clear and firmly tell
the harasser to stop the unwelcome behaviour.
2. Record: Keep notes of where, when and the time the incident or
incidents occur. Try to make sure there are witnesses to the
incident.
3. Report: The incidents to your supervisor or Human Resource
Department should he/she continue after you have asked him/her to
stop and the harassment continues.
Case Study 3: I Didnt Think Anyone Would Believe Me
I DIDNT THINK ANYONE WOULD BELIEVE ME
I loved reading and I read anything and everything books, magazines, pamphlets and even
newspapers. My next favourite was writing. The idea of writing a book was not something I ever
aspired to do, when I was growing up. So I set my sights on being a journalist and from the age
of 9, thats all I ever wanted to be. I ate, drank and slept journalism, so when I finally got a job at
The Sunday Mail, I was over the moon.
Finally my dream had come true.
I would be in the office by 7:30am and get to my desk ready for work. I was willing to cover any
beat, just as long as I got to write.
I was shy and reserved so I went about my work quietly. I would try and learn from whoever I
could. The most helpful person was my news editor and he pushed me hard made me do
research, he made me prepare well for interviews and he made me rewrite articles when they
werent written well. He taught me to be a perfectionist.
I looked up to him, respected and most of all I valued his guidance and support.
So it took me by surprise when he first kissed my neck. I didnt know what to do. I respected his
talent and competence. He had always treated me well .... until then!!!
I really didnt know what to do. I was only 18-years-old and I was naive.
So I didnt do anything and he just carried on trying to kiss me always on my neck. Cornering
me in corridors and looking at me suggestively. I would find him behind me in the queue at the
canteen even though I did not always go at the conventional meal times. I was so
uncomfortable around him.
I asked one of my male friends to visit me at work and pretend he was my boyfriend. This
stopped him but only for a while.

There was no one I felt I could talk to. What was worse was that I felt ashamed. I knew it was
not my fault and I had not done or said anything for him to do this to me, but I still felt ashamed
. I dressed appropriately in fact I always dressed in pants and long tops so he could not use
that excuse. I cant explain why I felt so ashamed. That is why I could not and would not tell
anyone.
I also didnt think anyone would believe me. After all he was my boss and he was so well
respected.
I finally left work after 9 months. I left before he could do anything worse.
The writer of this testimony would prefer to remain anonymous

IMPORTANT THINGS TO CONSIDER ABOUT SEXUAL HARASSMENT

As you think about sexual harassment and other forms of
harassment in the work place it is important to keep these facts
in mind.
Sexual harassment can occur between colleagues of the

opposite sex or the same sex.
The person harassing an employee can be a supervisor, a
manager, customer, co-worker, peer or a news source. Any
person who is connected to the employee's work environment,
can be accused of sexual harassment.
Complaints received by FAMWZ and ZUJ in recent years clearly
indicate that in the newsrooms in Zimbabwe it is mostly
female interns and journalists who are being sexually
harassed by their male colleagues, bosses and news sources.
Other employees who observe or learn about the sexual
harassment can also file their own complaint:
o For example - if a supervisor is engaged in a sexual
relationship with a staff member who is in the
newsroom, other members of staff can claim harassment
if they believe the supervisor treats his or her lover
differently than they are treated.
The organisations sexual harassment policy should advise
the potential victims that if they experience harassment,
they should tell the perpetrator to stop and that his or her
behaviour is unwanted and unwelcome.
There are many employees who can harass their bosses by
being suggestive in the way they talk, walk and dress.
Employees could act provocatively and make their colleagues
uncomfortable.
When an individual experiences sexual harassment, they
should use the complaint system and recommended procedures

as specified in the sexual harassment policy. The
investigation should be conducted as spelt out in the
policy.
The employer has the responsibility to take each complaint
of sexual harassment seriously and investigate it.
Following the investigation of the harassment complaint, no
retaliation is permitted, regardless of the outcome of the
investigation. The employer must, in no way, treat the
employee who filed the complaint differently from the way
other employees are treated. If it is determined that the
employee lied, disciplinary action is necessary, however.
Case Study 4: Sexually Transmitted Marks Who is to Blame?
Southern Africa: "Sexually Transmitted Marks" - who is to blame?

Written by Sheena Magenya
Windhoek, 11 June, 2012 - The latest "trend" from institutions of higher learning is that
students and lecturers are exchanging a lot more than knowledge and information. It is
alleged' by some students that lecturers are soliciting sexual favours from students in
exchange for better academic pass marks in their respective courses. Who is responsible
for this trend, which in a doctor-patient relationship is deemed unethical?
Sex-for-marks, often dubbed "Sexually Transmitted Marks" (STM) is a well-known

phenomenon. The University of Namibia (UNAM) and Walter Sisulu University (Mthatha
campus, South Africa) made the news in 2011 with the sex-for-marks scandal. Cases
have also been reported in Malawi and Zimbabwe.
In the Namibian case, the probe conducted by the university did not yield any result, as
no students came forth with information. The university exonerated the lecturers.
The STM case in Namibia is a typical case of sexual harassment in tertiary institutions.
Research conducted by Gender Links in 2010 titled Gender in Media Education (GIME):
An audit of Gender in Journalism and Media Education and Training found out that
sexual harassment is rife in tertiary institutions. Of the 25 institutions audited in
Southern Africa 11 (44%) have sexual harassment policies while 56% do not.
UNAM for instance addresses sexual harassment in the Disciplinary Codes of Conduct
that apply to both staff and students. The document also defines sexual harassment;
sets out procedures of dealing with sexual harassment cases and the punishment to be
administered. However, the GIME research also found out that sexual harassment
policies are not well known or enforced.
The problem at stake is that lecturers involved in such relationships justify it and claim
that it involves two consenting adults having a relationship or engaging in consensual

sexual relations. Many students agree with this. However, with cultures and practises
that blur lines between what is seen as sexually appropriate behaviour still in practice,
these expressions come as no surprise.
Sexual harassment and exploitation has become normalised by a society whose culture
allows men to inappropriately touch or communicate with women, and teaches women
to quietly tolerate it.
Sadly, the sex-for-marks syndrome perpetuates the culture of silence and increases cases
of sexual harassment in tertiary institutions. Investigations have been called for, but an
air of denial still hangs.
A UNAM professor affirmed this when he pointed out that he did not see anything
wrong engaging in a relationship with his student who is of age. "We have some very
mature students here, and it is not illegal for two consenting adults to be in a
relationship. What if she's the one that proposes the relationship?"
Sheena Magenya is a freelance journalist based in Namibia. This condensed article

is part of the Gender Links Opinion and Commentary Service,
bringing you fresh views on everyday news.
Protective Policy
Zimbabwe does not have legislation that specifically deals with

sexual harassment in the workplace but it is mentioned in Section
8 of the Labour Relations Act as an unfair labour practice.
According to Section 8:
8. Unfair labour practices by employer

An employer or, for the purpose of paragraphs (g) and (h), an employer or any other
person, commits an unfair labour practice if, by act or omission, he
(g) demands from any employee or prospective employee any sexual favour as a
condition of
(i) the recruitment for employment; or
(ii) the creation, classification or abolition of jobs or posts; or
(iii) the improvement of the remuneration or other conditions of employment of the
employee; or
(iv) the choice of persons for jobs or posts, training, advancement, apprenticeships,
transfer,
promotion or retrenchment; or
(v) the provision of facilities related to or connected with employment; or
(vi) any other matter related to employment;
or

(h) engages in unwelcome sexually-determined behaviour towards any employee,
whether verbal or otherwise, such as making physical contact or advances, sexually
coloured remarks, or displaying pornographic materials in the workplace.
Victims of sexual harassment can report offences through Labour

Officers who are in charge of conciliation of employment-related
disputes and unfair labour practices. The victim may also appeal
to the Labour Court. Experience with the judiciary system in
Zimbabwe has however proved to be arduous for women, most of whom
cannot afford to pay for specialised services while the
government officers are overworked and underpaid, hence
demotivated.
A victim of sexual assault also has the right to press separate

criminal and/or civil charges against an alleged perpetrator.
There is need for Zimbabwean laws to properly protect victims of

sexual harassment, as the current laws are not adequate and are
not enforced, allowing people to be continuously victimised.
Case Study 5: Journalists Against Sexual Harassment
Speaking at a function to mark World Press Freedom Day in 2012

under the theme Journalists Against Sexual Harassment,
Superintendent Jessie Banda from the Zimbabwe Republic Police
public relations section said the police were limited when
victims of sexual abuse made reports.
We have never charged anyone with sexual harassment, because

there is no law which specifically penalises such conduct. Sexual
harassment is complex to police officers because sexual abuse
does not exist in the vocabulary of police officers, said Banda.
As a result, accused persons have to be charged under

alternatives laws. The police often have to dissect a charge from
the Criminal (Codification) Act, which was time consuming, she
said.
In most cases perpetrators of sexual offences are charged with

assault or aggravated assault, which might diminish the gravity
of the offence.
Cops Bemoan Absence Of Sexual Offences Law - The Zimbabwean, May

4, 2012
Effects Of Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment impacts negatively on both the victim and the

organisation at large. Psychologists and social workers report

that severe/chronic sexual harassment can have the same
psychological effects as rape or sexual assault.
a. Common Effects On The Victims
Psychological stress and deterioration of ones health.

Shame and guilt.
Decreased work performance as a result of stress
conditions.
Increased absenteeism because of the fear of the harassment
being repeated.
Resigning because of the fear of the harassment being
repeated and/or as a result of stress.
Being objectified and humiliated by scrutiny and gossip.
Having one's personal life offered up for public scrutiny
the victim becomes the "accused," and his or her dress,
lifestyle, and private life often comes under attack.
Becoming publicly sexualized (i.e. groups of people
"evaluate" the victim to establish if he or she is "worth"
the sexual attention or the risk to the harasser's career)
Defamation of character and reputation.
Loss of trust in environments similar to where the
harassment occurred.
Loss of trust in the types of people that occupy similar
positions as the harasser or his or her colleagues,
especially in cases when they are not supportive.
Difficulties or stress on peer relationships, or
relationships with colleagues.
It can place extreme stress upon relationships with
significant others, sometimes resulting in divorce.
Weakening of support networks, or being ostracized from
professional or academic circles as friends, colleagues, or
family distance themselves from the person being harassed.
Loss of references/recommendations.
Fatigue and loss of motivation.
Loss of confidence and self-esteem.
Most women experience it as insulting behaviour that
undermines their self-confidence and thus also their
personal effectiveness.
Victimisation e.g. being overlooked for promotion. Thus
this can hold back their career development and personal
growth.
Men or women who observe harassment going unchecked may lose
trust in their superiors and may feel threatened by the
situation.
If there is a belief that others are favoured because they
play along then other male staff may be tempted to indulge
in the same type of behaviour if that appears to be "the
rules of the game" in the media organisation.

b. The Organisation
Increased team conflict.

The knowledge that harassment is permitted can undermine
ethical standards and discipline in the organization in
general, as staff and/or students lose respect for, and
trust in, their seniors who indulge in, or turn a blind eye
to, or treat improperly sexual harassment.
If the problem is ignored or not treated properly, a
company's image can suffer. If word gets around that a
company allows sexual harassment to go unchecked, the
company's image among its staff, customers and the general
public may also suffer.
Media organisations may lose valuable staff. Many women
journalists would rather resign than go through the
unpleasantness of a confrontation.
The costs of bad decisions due to harassment are difficult
to quantify. These include costs of appointing people
because of their looks or compliance with "quid pro quo"
demands, rather than skills and competence.
Best Practices For Organisations
It is in every organisations interest to ensure a workplace that

is harassment free.
A responsible employer will want to ensure the safety of its

staff and a healthy conducive working environment. Harassment
incidents lower the productivity and morale of the victim and
staff. Organisations that do not have policies and processes in
place may be thrown into confusion and scramble blindly when an
incident occurs.
A single incident may cause ruin or severely affect the

reputation of the company and may result in the company having to
pay large settlement amounts to the victim.
It is thus important for employers to establish a zero tolerance

culture towards harassment.
1. Establish a strong written company policy that:
Explicitly prohibits sexual harassment in the

workplace.
Specifies, with examples, what constitutes sexual
harassment,
Identifies clear grievance procedures.

Specifies disciplinary action will be taken,
including termination.
Extends the definition of workplace sexual harassment
beyond the physical office space, and beyond staff
directly employed by the company.
Avoids language that may discourage complaints.
Includes a non-retaliation policy.
2. Establish clear procedures to tackle grievances and

complaints of sexual harassment
Allow employees to report to any one of several

individuals.
Process should allow employee to bypass current
superiors.
Check all complaints promptly.
Ensure strict confidentiality and impartiality in the
treatment of complaints of sexual harassment.
Provide assurance against retaliation for victims and
witnesses.
3. Training and Awareness
Provide training for managers and supervisors to

develop their skills and sensitivity to deal with
complaints effectively.
Provide regular training for staff on sexual
harassment policies.
Ensure that all employees and interns are given
copies of the harassment policy and procedures.
4. Practice What is Preached
Ensure managers and staff comply with the

harassment policy


Case Study 6: Who Should I Tell?

Who Should I Tell
I overheard my wife telling her sister how she was being sexually harassed at work. The
worst part is this creep has been at it for over a year on and off.
She's scared to go to her boss, because he's also a man around the same age. She also

doesn't want to get fired or worse, be known as "the woman who is causing problems
for everyone".
She says she has texts from when he started getting personal and some voice recordings
of his "sexual jokes". She has asked him to back off and stop, but it continues on and off.
He comes into work 45 minutes early so he can be around her.
I want to confront this creep but again my wife doesn't want the problems at work. She
loves her job but hates this creep.

Testimony is courtesy of Project Experience
Policies to Adopt to Prevent and Address Sexual Harassment
Your organisational policy handbook needs a:

general harassment policy,
gender policy,
sexual harassment policy,
policy about how sexual harassment investigations are
conducted in your company, and
it could include a policy that forbids an employee in a
supervisory role from dating a reporting employee. If an
organisation decides that a supervisor is allowed to date an
employee then the company should detail the steps required
should a relationship form.
After creating these policies, you need to train all employees

about these policies. You also need to set up a committee
empowered to deal with complaints of sexual harassment.
Information compiled by Reyhana Masters

zambezimasala@gmail.com

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IMPI

Information and Media Panel of Inquiry

April December 2014

Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services

Information and Media Panel of Inquiry (IMPI)

Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services 2014

Technologically, Zimbabwe is an information dinosaur. There has been very little

Years of adversarial and polarised relationships have levied a horrendous toll on

Institutionally, the information sector is fragmented. It is structured as if convergence

Publishers have no common forum. Editors have no cross-cutting forum. There is no

Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services December 20, 2013

Chapter 1 Media as Business, including New Media Platforms 39

Chapter 2 Information Platforms and Content of Media Products 111

Chapter 3 Polarisation, Perception, Interference 146

Chapter 4 Ethics and Standards of Professional Journalism 184

Chapter 5 Media Training and Capacity Building 219

Chapter 6 Gender, Advocacy and Marginalized Groups 285

Chapter 7 Employment and Conditions of Service 322

Chapter 8 Media Law Reform and Access to Information 349

Chapter 9 Technology Convergence in the Information Sector in

Chapter 10 Conclusions and Recommendations 417

Appendix 1 Profiles of IMPI Panellists 445

3 Polarisation, Perceptions and Interference

The study is an investigation of the representation, participation, coverage and portrayal

This submission on the convergence of technologies for information delivery, deals

Media as Business, including New Media

Information Platforms and Content of Media Products

Polarisation, Perception and Interference

Media Training, Training Capacity and Ethics

Gender, Advocacy and Marginalised Groups

Employment Opportunities and Conditions of Service

Media Law Reform and Access to Information

MEDIA AS BUSINESS, INCLUDING NEW MEDIA PLATFORMS

Report of the Thematic Committee on

Sharon Samushonga, Committee Chairperson

Programme /Research Officer

2013 (%) 2014 (%)

2013 (%) 2014 (%)

Daily News on Sunday - 2

Radio Stations listened to in the past four weeks

Total (%) Urban (%) Total (%) Urban (%)

17% 18% 18%

IMPROVE LAW AND RESPOND TO BETTER OTHER

Figure 2 Risks Associated with Investing in

As indicated earlier, the committee had challenges to obtain certain information on

5.1 Print Media

5.1.5 State of the Magazine Industry

Organisation/ Publication Title Editor Price/ Focus

Zimbabwe Tobacco Tobacco Today $2 Agriculture

Media House/Title Number of Titles Location of Date Type of Portal

Zimpapers 10 (incl. radio) Zimbabwe News site

Digital Media Products Domiciled in Zimbabwe

6.8 Conclusion and Recommendations -- New Media

Having established in the preceding sections an estimated status of current publications, it

7.6 Advertising Agencies

7.7 Outdoor Media

7.9 Film Industry

7.10 Content Producers

7.11 Book Publishers

7.12 New Media

8.1 NEWSPAPERS AND ADVERTISING PERFORMANCE

Yet some newspaper managers maintain a total of 32 pages as if it is some mandatory

This combination of factors is guaranteed to result in a decline in circulation which in turn

The Zimbabwean is a typical donor-funded newspaper. Carrying virtually no advertising