SECTOR 1 Scores: Individual scores: 1 Country does not meet indicator 2 Country meets only a few aspects of indicator 3 Country meets some aspects of indicator 4 Country meets most aspects of indicator 5 Country meets all aspects of the indicator Average score: 4.0 (2012 = 3.0; 2010 = 1.4; 2008 = 1.2; 2006 = 1.0) 1.7 Public information is easily accessible, guaranteed by law, to all citizens. Section 62 of the constitution guarantees access to public information by stating that “Every Zimbabwean citizen or permanent resident, including juristic persons and the Zimbabwean media, has the right of access to any information held by the State or by any institution or agency of government at every level, in so far as the information is required in the interests of public accountability.” In practice, however, information is not accessible. “If you try to get information from a public office, for example, they’ll quote AIPPA and tell you to send a letter of request. It will then take 90 days to get this information, and by that time it is out-dated for the purpose it was being sought.” One panellist noted, “Citizens are guaranteed access to information, but those in possession of that information are not compelled to give out that info”. In addition to the difficulty of gaining information as a journalist or a citizen in general, Zimbabwe also has an Official Secrets Act which limits the ease of obtaining information. “We have these hierarchies of freedoms, where, for example, freedom of the press can’t override state security. You can only enjoy media freedom after state security is guaranteed. The two freedoms are not on par.” AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER ZIMBABWE 2015 19