ZIMBABWE Category 2- Requests for Information The following questions were sent to the Ministry of Media, Information and Publicity: 1. How will the ministry ensure that the current media laws are aligned with the new constitution, which explicitly guarantees the access to information as a fundamental human right? 2. What role will the ministry play to ensure that there is equal coverage of all political parties in the public service broadcaster as directed by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission and the Constitution of Zimbabwe? 3. What is the role being played by your ministry in ensuring that media organisation do not spread hate speech, as a recent research by Media Monitoring project of Zimbabwe (MMPZ) has shown that of all the media organisation that are spreading hate language ZBC (a public service broadcaster) the chief culprit. What has been done by your ministry to avert this problem? 4. Will there be any further licensing of broadcasting players before the elections so that access to information is spread by private players? Part 1: Requests for written information n = 20 Yes 1. Is there an official designated to take and respond to information requests? (Please state title of officials in ‘Additional Information’) • 2. Did the institution reply within 21 days? (If less than 7 please state in ‘Additional Information’) • 3. Did the Institution respond to a request for information? • No Additional Information Information Officer (IO) • 4. Does the authority publish its procedures for dealing with information requests? 5. Did the institution provide all of the information requested? (If partially please mark ‘No’, indicate in ‘Additional Information’ how much of the information requested was supplied) • 6. Did the institution provide written reasons for the refusal of information? (If information was not refused, please contact the institution to find out what the policy is in this regard –if the institution supplies written reasons for refusal mark ‘Yes’) • • 7. Did the institution disclose information about its operations, budgets, structure etc. 8. Did the authority provide information without questioning the aims and motivations of the applicant? • 9. Did the institution acknowledge your request for information within 7 days? • 10. Was the information received clear and understandable? • Total Score: 16/20 Part 2: Oral request for information n = 20 Yes No 1. Is there an official designated to take and respond to information requests? (Please state title of officials in ‘Additional Information’) • 2. Did the institution reply within 21 days? (If less than 7 please state in ‘Additional Information’) • 3. Did the institution respond to your oral request for information? • 4. Did the person dealing with your request have a friendly and helpful attitude? • 5. Did officials provide reasonable advice and assistance when seeking information • 6. Did the institution provide all of the information requested? (If partially please mark ‘No’ and indicate in ‘Additional Information’ how much of the information requested was supplied) • 7. Did the institution provide written reasons for the refusal of information? (If information was not refused, please contact the institution to find out what the policy is in this regard –if the institution supplies written reasons for refusal mark ‘Yes’) • Additional Information Information Officer (IO) • 8. Did the institution disclose information about its operations, budgets, structure etc. 9. Did the institution acknowledge your request for information within 7 days? • 10. Was the information received clear and understandable? • Total Score: 18/20 126