Violation/issue: Charged South African company, Globecast Satellite, whose two employees were acquitted of practicing journalism without accreditation in April 2008 by a Harare magistrate, is now being charged with illegal importation of broadcasting equipment in violation of the Broadcasting Services Act (BSA). At the commencement of the trial on July 15, Globecast Satellite, which was represented by Thabani Mpofu, pleaded not guilty to charges of contravening Section 7 (1) as read with Section 7 (4) and 7 (5) of BSA which outlaws the provision of broadcasting services or operating a signal carrier without a licence. Magistrate Archie Wochiunga heard evidence from Cloud Nyamundanda, chief executive officer of Transmedia Corporation. Nyamundanda told the court that the corporation invited Globecast to provide a satellite uplink during the March 29 elections. In terms of a contract signed between Transmedia and Globecast, which was tendered in court as the first exhibit, the contract would run from March 25, 2008 to April 6, 2008. Nyamundanda testified that two Globecast engineers arrived in Harare on March 27 and subsequently interviewed the Minister of Information and Publicity, Mr Sikhanyiso Ndlovu, which was also beamed by CNN without the corporation’s knowledge in violation of the terms of the contract. July 22, 2008: The trial of Globecast Satellite continued on July 22 with the state leading evidence from an engineer with the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ). BAZ engineer Mathias Chakanyuka told Magistrate Archie Wochiunga how he had noted an interview that CNN conducted with the Minister of Information and Publicity, Dr Sikhanyiso Ndlovu, and later learnt that the interview had been beamed via a satellite uplink provided by Globecast Satellite. He was subsequently told that Globecast was not licensed. Under cross-examination by defence lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa, Chakanyuka confirmed that Transmedia, the signal carrier company which had a contract with Globecast operating from March 25 008 to April 6, 2008, was entirely to blame for not securing the licence and approvals as mentioned in the contract. • ALERT Date: July 28, 2008 Person/institutions: Munyaradzi Huni and Caesar Zvayi Violation/issue: Other Munyaradzi Huni and Caesar Zvayi, editors with the state-controlled Zimbabwe Newspapers Group (Zimpapers), have been slapped with European Union (EU) targeted sanctions, which have seen a number of senior Zanu-PF and government officials being issued with travel bans to Europe. Huni is the political editor with The Sunday Mail, while Zvayi was formerly employed in a similar capacity with The Herald, Zimpapers’ flagship national daily. MISA Zimbabwe Chairperson Loughty Dube said he was not aware of the specific reasons for the EU to proceed in that manner, adding that he could therefore not comment much on the matter but nevertheless urged journalists to operate according to media ethics and codes of the profession. • ALERT Date: August 8, 2008 Person: Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi Violation: Beaten Freelance photojournalist Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi left Zimbabwe for South Africa with his family after being assaulted by the Police and having his car impounded. Mukwazhi says the Police accused him of possessing an “improperly registered vehicle”. Mukwazhi had told MISA Zimbabwe a few days after the assault that the Police accused him of having travelled to cover the opposition MDC leader, Morgan Tsvangirayi, in the run up to the March 29 presidential elections. His domestic worker was also beaten up by the Police when they broke into his house. Tsvangirayi informed MISA Zimbabwe before he left the country that some plainclothes Police officers had come to his house on July 29 at around 05h30, broken down the main door So This Is Democracy? 2008 -148- Media Institute of Southern Africa