• ALERT Date: November 12, 2007 Persons: Financial Gazette and Zimbabwe Independent Violation: Other On November 12 2007, the government through the National Incomes and Pricing Commission (NIPC) imposed a draconian and unviable three-month price freeze on the cover prices of the Financial Gazette and Zimbabwe Independent’s cover prices. The two companies were ordered to reduce cover prices from Z$600 000 to Z$150 000. • ALERT Date: November 9, 2007 Persons: Jacob Chisese and Raphael Khumalo Violation: Detained On November 9 2007, the chief executive officers of the Financial Gazette and Zimbabwe Independent respectively Jacob Chisese and Raphael Khumalo, were arrested on allegations of increasing the cover prices of their newspapers without approval of the state-controlled National Incomes and Pricing Commission (NIPC). The Financial Gazette publishes a weekly of the same title while Zimind publishes the Zimbabwe Independent and Standard weeklies. The two were released after they signed memorandums of understanding that they would not increase the cover prices without permission from the NIPC. • ALERT Date: October 30, 2007 Persons: Gift Phiri Violation: Victory MISA welcomed the acquittal of The Zimbabwean reporter Gift Phiri, who had been on trial since April 2007 for working as a journalist without official accreditation and “publishing false news”. Gift Phiri, Harare correspondent of the independent exile newspaper ‘The Zimbabwean’, was arrested on April 1, 2007, and detained for four days during which time he was allegedly tortured and access by lawyers and doctors was restricted. Phiri was initially accused of a number of offences, including involvement in bombings and “publishing falsehoods” in connection with his reporting on government activities. On April 5 he was charged with working as a journalist without official accreditation and publishing false news under sections 79 (1) and 80 (1) (b) of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA). On his release on bail, Phiri was hospitalised for five days to receive treatment for injuries sustained from beatings received in police custody. It was alleged that he had been tortured and forced to sign a confession. Phiri has now been acquitted. The charge of publishing false news was dropped in July, trial proceeded only on the basis that Phiri practiced journalism without official accreditation. The latter charge was then dropped on August 30. If convicted, the journalist could have faced a jail sentence of up to two years. The investigation into the torture allegations was apparently not carried out. • ALERT Date: September 21, 2007 Persons: Zimbabwe Broadcasting Holdings (ZBH) Violation: Other The chief executive officer of Zimbabwe Broadcasting Holdings (ZBH), Henry Muradzikwa, has admitted that political interference and censorship of news reports is the order of the day at the state-controlled national broadcaster. Appearing before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport and Communications, So This Is Democracy? 2007 -129- Media Institute of Southern Africa