Raath and Peta Thornycroft. Financial Gazette editor Sunsley Chamunorwa was fired allegedly over a political story about a provincial governor and a series of lawsuits against the paper. The journalists were targeted for various alleged offences over accreditation and news stories that the Government disapproved. The state media remained under tight control, getting directives from the Ministry of Information on news coverage. At one time it was reported (and not denied) that George Charamba had a briefing with state editors at which he told them about the current political dynamics in Zanu PF and the Government in the context of the March 2008 elections. Charamba reportedly told the editors how to tackle issues and who to attack in the media. Charamba and the Minister of Information and Publicity Dr Sikhanyiso Ndlovu held several briefings with editors to influence their editorial policy and output. Government interference in the state media in 2007 became so blatant that even some of the most loyal state editors like Henry Muradzikwa, Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation CEO, came out in public complaining. Muradzikwa told the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport and Communications in September 2007 that political interference and censorship of news was rife at ZBC. He said the interference in ZBC’s editorial policy undermined media freedom. During the same month of the Ncube crisis, the state-controlled Media and Information Commission (MIC), the Government’s instrument of press control, gazetted prohibitive application fees for the registration of mass media services and accreditation of journalists. The weekly Financial Gazette had difficulties in getting its licence, while journalists like former Zimbabwe Independent reporter and SABC correspondent Brian Hungwe were denied accreditation on spurious grounds. The legislative environment remained inhospitable in 2007. The Government added the Interception of Communications Act to its weaponry basket to attack the media. The spying act is a vicious assault on media freedom and freedom of expression because it authorises Government snooping on communications. Although there were amendments to AIPPA, POSA and BSA in the context of political talks between Zanu PF and MDC, the changes were largely cosmetic. Like in previous years numerous legal threats were made against the media. Politicians and other top public officials always resort to litigation for alleged defamation. Nearly all newspapers were sued. The most prominent was against Caiphus Chimhete of the Standard by Reserve Bank Governor Dr Gideon Gono over a story which claimed Gono had bought a top-of-therange Mercedes Benz Brabus for US$365 000. Gono argued the story was untrue. The Standard retracted the story and apologised to him. As mentioned earlier, Chamunorwa was forced out following court action by provincial governor Ray Kaukonde. However, there have been significant victories in advancing constitutional rights and freedom of the media because several cases against journalists and other citizens collapsed. Sometimes the defamation cases take too long to conclude and therefore their impact on media freedom in 2007 is difficult to assess. There were also serious attacks on constitutionally entrenched rights. For instance, a Masvingo teacher Selestin Jengeta was arrested and detained for remarking on television that the Zimbabwe crisis would only end when President Mugabe dies. He was charged under the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act which deals with insulting the President. Similarly, Gibson Murinye and Collen Mwachikopa were arrested under the same law for singing a derogatory So This Is Democracy? 2007 -125- Media Institute of Southern Africa