1.2 The right to freedom of expression is practised and citizens, including journalists, are asserting their rights without fear. ANALYSIS: Panelists were split in their opinion on this indicator and felt that there are two systems at play in Zimbabwe. One group of participants felt that ordinary Zimbabweans are willing and able to express themselves and that they are doing so without fear. They pointed out that ordinary people are giving their forthright opinions about a range of issues - economy, inflation, shortages and the president. They do this mainly in their neighbourhoods. This debate is not instantly evident because there is only one national broadcaster and ordinary people do not have access to that broadcaster. However they are freely expressing themselves on alternative media such as Studio 7 of Voice of America, SW Radio Africa and Voice of the People. The majority of panelists disagreed and stated that the atmosphere in Zimbabwe is not conducive to free expression. People voice their opinions freely only within their own group and often consider carefully where they are, who they are with and what they say under the circumstances. In rural Zimbabwe there is fear of victimisation and fear of disappearance, torture and violence when one expresses oneself. Security is everywhere and repression has become a norm which people have accepted. They fear being branded “infidels” if they disagree with the views of officialdom and so become subservient to the political status quo: “You can’t even talk about the President’s age”. Fear is further instilled by bloody images of activists, lawyers, opposition party members and ordinary citizens being assaulted by the police and the militia published in newspapers and broadcast by TV. Apart from the few alternative media which are difficult to access, there are no channels to express opinions publicly. As a result politicians are removed from what people think. Government communicates its policies through the various media under its control (The Herald, Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation television and radio) but citizens do not have the same access to these media when they want and need to express themselves. This constraint on free expression is not confined to political issues. Every issue in Zimbabwe is seen as being a political issue with a political meaning. People are generally afraid to talk and this culture of fear permeates everything. In the courts, there are certain issues that lawyers cannot talk about because they are off limits. Politicians and policy makers are even more restricted than the average citizens, as they cannot openly express their views: they make totally different statements on one and the same issue depending on whether they are in private or in public. At universities, traditionally the hotbed of free debate, lecturers are often afraid to include certain contentious topics in their course outlines or comment on them. This “culture of selfcensorship” is described as widespread and universal amongst Zimbabweans. Equally, students no longer freely debate issues without fear. So This Is Democracy? 2008 -258- Media Institute of Southern Africa