The move was widely condemned as vindictive as it came after the Herald’s publisher, a ruling party MP and journalist, Kindness Paradza, attacked AIPPA in parliament as an undemocratic law. Hundreds of journalists and other media workers lost their jobs as the third national newspaper was forced to close under the repressive weight of AIPPA. Unlike other countries elsewhere in the region, where heads of state and government meet with senior media practitioners, similar meetings, which President Robert Mugabe used to convene annually, were abandoned a long time ago. One would have to scratch one’s head to remember when President Mugabe last called a news conference with local journalists to discuss issues of national importance. “Absolute control” Instead, the media environment saw Moyo entrenching his absolute control over all state media apparatus following dubious but far-reaching restructuring exercises which saw experienced journalists and media workers being thrown into the streets to make way for pliable professionals who were at Moyo’s beck and call. His perceived enemies within and without the ruling party were shut out of the mainstream government-controlled media, leaving the ordinary Zimbabwean lost as to what exactly was going on in government circles and who was in control where it concerned policy formulation and government socio-economic and political ideology. Moyo achieved this media black-out through the aid of anti-media freedom and freedom of expression laws such as AIPPA, Public Order and Security Act (POSA) and the Broadcasting Services Act (BSA). Tightening the noose To ensure the government’s free reign in the conduct of national affairs without intrusion from its perceived enemies, the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Bill was introduced in Parliament for the purpose of tightening laws such as POSA, which pose serious impediments to freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, association and movement. So This Is Democracy? 2004 136 Media Institute of Southern Africa BOTSWANA LESOTHO MALAWI MOZAMBIQUE Almost all private newspapers were either warned or threatened with closure. These incessant threats culminated in the closure of the Tribune in June. NAMIBIA The threat of closure SOUTH AFRICA Because of the ambiguity and contradictions in the law, the excuses used to threaten newspapers were never in short supply. SWAZILAND The MIC, a statutory regulatory body established under AIPPA, consistently and persistently attacked the private media, threatening them with closure whenever they were perceived as having stepped on the government’s toes. TANZANIA The Government, through the Department of Information, accused private newspapers of serving the “imperialist interests” of the British and United States governments. Zimbabwe has always maintained that the two countries are fighting to reverse the gains of the controversial statesanctioned occupations of prime commercial farmland. ZIMBABWE ZAMBIA Relations between the government and the private media have never been cordial - not that they necessarily should be - but the situation deteriorated even further during 2004. ANGOLA State of the media in Southern Africa - 2004