State of the media in Southern Africa - 2004 Depear and Martin Smith - from Britain to leave the country, saying it had entered the country illegally without observing accreditation laws. In London, “Sky” said it had not tried to enter the country clandestinely and believed it had clearance to send a two-man crew from Johannesburg to film matters related to cricket. It emerged a week later that the team had in fact been invited by the ruling, Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front (Zanu PF) party through the country’s Ministry of Information. • ALERT Date: April 30, 2004 Persons/Institutions: Media in Zimbabwe Violation(s): Threatened On April 30 2004, Minister for Information and Publicity Professor Jonathan Moyo threatened to arrest Zimbabwean journalists who report for foreign media houses. Addressing journalists at a press conference in Zimbabwe’s second city of Bulawayo, Minister Moyo said there was enough space in Zimbabwe’s prisons for journalists caught dealing with foreign media houses. He added that after dealing with corrupt financial businesses the government would deal with the journalists. • ALERT Date: May 4, 2004 Persons/Institutions: Desmond Kwande Violation(s): Detained On May 4 2004, Desmond Kwande, a photographer with the “Daily Mirror”, was detained for one hour by the police for attempting to take a picture of a banner at a school that was under police guard. Kwande visited Eaglesvale High School, which is one of the 45 schools closed by the government over unauthorized hiking of school fees. Kwande was about to take a photo of a banner at the school when a police officer, identified only as Constable Chirenje, approached him demanding to know why he wanted to take the picture. The police officer allegedly informed Kwande that he could not take the pictures as it might result in the officer losing his job. When told that the picture had nothing to do with him, the officer insisted that Kwande’s fate could only be determined by his superiors. The photographer was released after the arrival of the officer in charge of Marimba police station, situated in a suburb of the capital Harare. • ALERT Date: May 12, 2004 Persons/Institutions: Davies Guzha (Rooftop Promotions) Violation(s): Censored On May 12 2004, the Censorship Board banned a satirical play, Super Patriots and Morons, performed by Rooftop promotions. The play portrays an unnamed African country which is ruled by an out-of-touch president. • ALERT Date: May 21, 2004 Persons/Institutions: Bornwell Chakaodza, Valentine Maponga Violation(s): Others (legislation) The editor of “The Standard” newspaper Bornwell Chakaodza and reporter Valentine Maponga, were arrested on May 21, 2004, for contravening section 15 of the Public Order and Security Act (POSA). Allegations against the two journalists arose on May 16 2004, when they published a story headlined “The family of slain mine boss blames government officials.” The story read that the family of slain Trojan Mine boss, Dr Leonard Chimimba, was blaming government So This Is Democracy? 2004 147 Media Institute of Southern Africa