SECTOR 2 cent owned by private companies. The shareholders form the Zimbabwe Mass Media Trust which was established in 1981 specifically to act as a buffer to protect the editorial independence of Zimpapers’ numerous publications from any political interference by the government of the day. ZMMT is regarded as a public trust and the trustees are supposed to appoint the board of the company. In fact, however, appointments to the board have always been made by the Minister in charge of information. The current board was appointed in October 2009 by the ZANU PF Minister of Media, Information and Publicity, Webster Shamu, and contested almost immediately by media organisations. The minister’s deputy, Jameson Timba (MDC) and his party complained that they had not been consulted and promised that the decision would be reviewed. This had not happened by April 2010. Zimpapers’ board appoints the boards of the various publications which in turn formally appoint editors and other top-level staff. All media have to follow the stable’s proclaimed mission “to protect the interests of the government of the day”. This was emphasised in a speech by government spokesman George Charamba (ZANU PF) in October 2009 when he referred to the media as being based on “two pillars” (i.e. independent and government): “Whichever part of the world you turn to, the media are organised along partisan lines”. Over the years Zimpapers publications have come under the direct control of the Ministry of Information and specific government officials and they are still regarded as the mouthpieces of ZANU PF.vi 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: 1.1 (2008: 1.1 ; 2006:1.0) vi Concurrently to the panel meeting the Financial Gazette reported that during negotiations in April 2010 between the political parties in the Inclusive Government all sides agreed that the public media (i.e. Zimpapers) should be directed to support all agreed government policies and programmes, support all ministers and “refrain, desist and cease all attacks on government ministers when such ministers implement agreed government policies”. AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER ZIMBABWE 2010 35