Way Forward in 2014

Conclusion

Media Violations Statistics: 2013

v Introduction
The advent of Zimbabwe’s new constitution back-to-back with the outcome of the 31 July 2013 elections
will have a bearing on the country’s socio-economic and political future and democratic practice.
In the mix of these historic events was the return of Professor Jonathan Moyo as the Minister of
Information, Media and Broadcasting Services. Moyo’s return is of great significance in that he is widely
believed to be the architect of draconian media laws such as the Access to Information and Protection of
Privacy Act (AIPPA).
The Daily News, Daily News on Sunday, The Tribune and Weekly Mail, were closed under AIPPA which he
defended ferociously during his preceding tenure as Minister of Information. His ‘second coming’ cannot
therefore be dismissed as a mere political event considering that the Daily News only returned to the
streets in 2009 during his absence from government.
v Socio-politico environment
Zimbabwe held its landmark elections on the 31st of July 2013 with ( President) Robert Mugabe of Zanu PF
winning 61% of the presidential vote against Morgan Tsvangirai of the MDC – T’s 34%.
President Mugabe then proceeded to appoint a Cabinet in which he retained the majority of his pre-2008
elections ministers with a sprinkling of new faces - the majority of whom are deputy ministers. Reference is
made here to the retention of the same ministers given that the Zanu PF leader once described this same
line-up as the worst Cabinet ever.
Given the president’s reservations then, the question is will the new government deliver on the envisaged
socio-economic and political reforms?
This apprehension is not without foundation for it is the very same retained ministers who in 2007 were
duped by the abracadabra antics of a Grade 3 school dropout spirit medium into believing that pure diesel
had been discovered gushing from some boulders in the country’s Mashonaland West Province.

Select target paragraph3