SECTOR 1 or insulting the President”. This includes statements likely to engender “feelings of hostility towards” the President, cause “hatred, contempt or ridicule” of the President, or any “abusive, indecent, obscene or false statement” about his person or office. Dozens of people have been charged under this provision. The Criminal Law also forbids the publication or communication of “false statements prejudicial to the state” (section 31). Although the provision directly targets journalists and the mass media, its ambit is wide enough to include citizens generally. A convicted offender can be jailed for a term of up to 20 years. According to section 33 it is an offence to make a statement about the President of Zimbabwe with the intention of, or knowing that there is a risk of, “undermining the authority of or insulting the President”. This includes statements likely to engender “feelings of hostility towards” the President, cause “hatred, contempt or ridicule” of the President, or any “abusive, indecent, obscene or false statement” about his person or office. The offence attracts imprisonment for up to one year. 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: 1.5 (2010:1.6; 2008:1.1; 2006:1.3) 1.4 Government makes every effort to honour regional and international instruments on freedom of expression and the media. The international and regional instruments that Zimbabwe has acceded to, among them the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, signed provide the foundation for ideal media freedoms and freedom of expression. Government has been slow, however, in taking them up and reforming its national legislation accordingly. No effort has been made to amend offensive clauses or repeal repressive laws. 16 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER ZIMBABWE 2012