African Media Barometer Zimbabwe 2015 Summary Zimbabwe adopted a new constitution in 2013 after an outreach programme, effectively putting an end to the Lancaster House constitution that acted as the country’s supreme law since 1980. The “inclusive government” formed by the Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) and two formations of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) negotiated the Constitution, which guarantees several ‘first generation’ political and civil rights, including the freedom of expression and of the media. Despite adoption of a Constitution seen as progressive, the media operating environment has not transformed. Repressive laws such as the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA), Public Order and Security Act (POSA), Official Secrets Act (OSA) remain on the statute books. There is no effort by the government to align these pieces of legislation with the Constitution. The environment for freedom of expression remains restrictive and marked by existing harsh laws the state can invoke anytime. Although journalists and citizens do practice their right to freedom of expression to a certain extent, they do this with a high-level of fear. The mysterious disappearance of human rights activist Itai Dzamara in March 2014 and the random arrest of journalists justify the fear that permeates society. Zimbabwe remains polarised along political lines. This polarisation manifests itself more strongly in the media and characterised by sharp divisions about how the media cover political and economic issues. This has compromised the media’s democratic role and created a credibility crisis for the media. The continued media polarisation is without doubt the result of Zanu-PF’s stranglehold over the state media, which propels propaganda for the ruling party. For instance, the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC), often gives the First Lady Grace Mugabe, who is also the Chairperson of Zanu-PF Women’s League, huge amounts of airplay on its news platforms. This control of the ZBC is enabled by a partisan ZBC Board which the Minister of Information appoints, without any public involvement in the nomination process. Similarly, the Minister of Information, with the approval of the President, appoints the board of the country’s broadcasting regulatory body, the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ). The private media has also exacerbated the polarisation by adopting journalistic practices that promote opposition politics. AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER ZIMBABWE 2015 7