Kembo Mohadi seeking nullification of the ban on demonstrations and political rallies imposed by the police on February 21, 2007 • ALERT Date: February 20, 2007 Persons: Robert Mugabe Violation: Censored On February 20 2007, the state-controlled Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) censored President Robert Mugabe’s interview on the eve of his 83rd birthday, deleting his comments on the simmering leadership succession crisis in the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF). According to media reports, President Mugabe accused Vice President Joice Mujuru of plotting with former Zanu PF secretary-general Edgar Tekere and publisher Ibbo Mandaza to undermine him, through Tekere’s autobiography, “A Lifetime of Struggle”, as part of a strategy to promote her presidential ambitions. He also reportedly spoke in glowing terms of Mujuru’s arch-rival in the Zanu-PF succession race, Emmerson Mnangagwa. The comments were, however, conspicuous in their absence when the interview was finally broadcast by ZBC. The privately owned weekly “Zimbabwe Independent”, in its February 23 edition, said George Charamba, the secretary for information and publicity, did not deny that certain sections of the interview had been censored. Charamba said it was within the ZBC board’s rights to “delete, retain, or postpone or archive” any material as that was the “essence of journalism”. “As the president’s press secretary, I’m more than satisfied that the drift of the president’s message was achieved,” said Charamba. • ALERT Date: January 31, 2007 Persons: Bill Saidi Violation: Threatened On January 31 2007, Bill Saidi - the acting editor of the privately-owned “The Standard” - received a brown envelope containing a bullet and a threatening message warning him to “watch out”. Iden Wetherell, the projects editor of Zimind Publishers, which publishes “The Independent” and “The Standard”, confirmed the incident to the MISA-Zimbabwe, saying a report had already been made to the police. Saidi could not be immediately contacted for comment. The envelope also contained a press cutting of a cartoon that was carried by “The Standard” in its January 28 edition and a message that read: “Watch out, Mr. Editor.” The cartoon depicted a group of baboons having a good laugh after picking up a payslip belonging to soldiers of the Zimbabwe National Army, who are reportedly lowly paid. The cartoon followed a story carried by the paper in recent weeks revealing that there had been mass resignations and desertions from the armed forces as a result of poor pay and working conditions. The paper said many soldiers quitting the army had sought employment in neighbouring countries and others vanished without a trace into the countryside. • ALERT Date: January 26, 2007 Persons: Leo Mugabe Violation: Legislation On January 26 2007, a leading Zimbabwean politician warned journalists from forming an independent media council without the approval of the government, which has closed newsSo This Is Democracy? 2007 -138- Media Institute of Southern Africa