Zimbabwe Stanley Gama was subpoenaed to appear in court on 6 May 2010 together with four journalists from the weekly Standard newspaper. The journalists will be state witnesses in the criminal defamation case against Harare Mayor Muchadeyi Masunda and eight councillors on allegations of defaming businessman Philip Chiyangwa. May 10, 2010: Harare magistrate Olivia Mariga on 6 May 2010 postponed to 26 May 2010 the case in which five journalists are state witnesses in the trial of Harare mayor Muchadeyi Masunda and eight councillors on allegations of criminally defaming businessman Philip Chiyangwa. 23 June 2010: The trial of Harare mayor Muchadeyi Masunda and eight councillors on allegations of criminally defaming businessman Philip Chiyangwa in which five journalists will appear as witnesses was on 22 June 2010 moved to 23 September 2010 by Harare magistrate Olivia Mariga. September 23, 2010: Harare magistrate Olivia Mariga on 23 September 2010, issued out a warrant of arrest against Harare Mayor Muchadeyi Masunda after he failed to appear in court. Alert Date: April 9, 2010 Person/institution: Mashundu Netsianda, The Chronicle Violation/ issue: Detained Mashundu Netsianda a correspondent with a regional daily publication The Chronicle who is based in Beitbridge was on 8 April 2010 arrested in the 122 2010 southern border town over a story involving a shooting incident in which a Zimbabwean Man based in South Africa shot at police while they tried to search him.. Communiqué Date: April 14, 2010 Person/ institution: ZBC Violation/ issue: Victory The Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation will on 1 May 2010 launch its second television station Channel 2. State owned newspaper, The Herald reported on 13 April 2010 that ZBC public relations manager Sivukile Simango said Channel 2 would be available to viewers within an 80km radius of Harare. Communiqué Date: May 12, 2010 Person/ institution: MISA-Zimbabwe Violation/ issue: Victory MISA-Zimbabwe held belated World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) celebrations throughout the country on 8 May 2010 which were attended by members of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Media, Information and Communication Technology. May 12, 2010: MISA-Zimbabwe on 10 May 2010 partnered with Artists for Democracy in Zimbabwe Trust (ADZ Trust), Savanna Trust and Media Alliance of Zimbabwe (MAZ) in staging a concert titled “Free our Media Now! The concert was held at Machipisa shopping centre in Highfield, Harare, was attended by more than 1 300 people in line with MISA-Zimbabwe’s 2010 Word Press Freedom Day (WPFD) theme: Media Freedom & Access to Information should be Constitutional Rights. Alert Date: May 18, 2010 Person/ institution: Golden Maunganidze, The Masvingo Mirror Violation/ issue: Threatened Golden Maunganidze the editor of The Masvingo Mirror was on 10 May 2010 summoned to Harare Central Police Station where he was interrogated for six hours following publication of a story that allegedly criminally defames Walter Mzembi, the Minister of Tourism. Communiqué Date: May 18, 2010 Person/ institution: Zimbabwe NGO Human Rights Forum Violation/ issue: Other The Zimbabwe NGO Human Rights Forum on 14 May 2010, raised concern over the continued human rights violations a year into the formation of the country’s inclusive government. Alert Date: June 23, 2010 Person/ institution: Simba Makoni, MKD, ZBC Violation/ issue: Censorship Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn (MKD) party leader Simba Makoni attacked the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) for not airing an interview that was recorded in 2009 with Super Mandiwanzira under the statecontrolled broadcaster’s Talking Business programme. Alert Date: June 28, 2010 Person/ institution: Nkabazwe Community Radio Violation/ issue: Banned Gweru based Nkabazwe Community Radio Initiative was on 24 June 2010 denied police clearance to hold a road show for the third time in a space of less than two months because it is not licensed to broadcast. Communiqué Date: July 15, 2010 Person/ institution: Robert Mugabe Violation/ issue: Legislation President Mugabe announced that the Media Practitioners’ Bill, which was on the cards for more than a year following recommendations of the All Media Stakeholders Conference held in Kariba in May 2009, was among the 23 Bills constituting the legislative agenda of the next parliamentary session. Alert Date: July 23, 2010 Person/ institution: SEC, Journalists Violation/ issue: Other Journalists and media organisations have denounced the move by the Securities Commission of Zimbabwe (SEC) to register financial journalists as security investor advisers in terms of the Securities Act of 2004. Communiqué Date: August 4, 2010 Person/ institution: The Voice of 2010 123