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Advocates for media reform in Zimbabwe and elsewhere lament the unity government’s failure to open up the country’s airwaves. Despite pressure from the Southern African Development Community, plans to democratize Zimbabwe’s media remain stalled.

By Tawanda Karombo

Harare, Zimbabwe -- The prospects that Zimbabwe’s broadcast sector will be liberalized any time soon have all but dimmed following the lapse of a deadline for the full implementation of an agreement to reform the broadcast media sector.

As one of a raft of about 24 issues agreed to by Zimbabwe’s coalition government, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) had asked for the government to “enhance the work on reform and democratization of the media.”

The SADC regional bloc met in Namibia in August for an extraordinary general meeting where it decided to give the fractured unity government 30 days to implement the agreed issues, which include freeing up the airwaves. This is seen as necessary to lead the nation down a path to free and fair elections – due to be held next year or in 2012 – which will usher in a new administration based on sound democratic principles and institutions.

In a communiqué issued after the Nairobi meeting, Tendai Biti of the SADC described the specific actions the government was supposed to follow to implement media reform. Biti said Mugabe, Tsvangirai and Mutambara were to agree on “the appointment of the board of the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ).” Additionally, the government is supposed to address the issue of hate speech in public media.

BAZ will handle applications and give licenses for private radio and television stations. Information at hand suggests that the BAZ body will act as an independent authority, much like the Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) which has now licensed a handful of print media players.

Unity Government Not Unified on Reforms

Some believe the looming elections may be distracting government leaders from focusing on other matters of public interest, like media reform. Formed more than two years ago to bring democracy to this devastated Southern African state, the unity government has governed Zimbabwe out of a worrying political and economic crisis that enabled a clampdown on the freedom of information and media freedom. Despite this achievement, the unity government -- led by President Robert Mugabe of the Zanu PF party, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara, of different factions of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) -- has stalled on the implementation of crucial reforms and other measures set out by its SADC facilitators.

Tsvangirai, Mutambara, as well as lobby groups and the international community blame Mugabe and his previous administration for the woes that have afflicted Zimbabwe over the last couple of years. They also say Mugabe and Zanu PF are opposed to a free and thriving broadcast sector that will end the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC)’s monopoly over the airwaves.

Calls for Media Freedom

It is now more than two weeks since the 30-day deadline elapsed and there appears to be no plan or action for the implementation of the agreed issues. This has riled media activists, practitioners and lobby groups, who accuse Mugabe of lacking the commitment to fully implement the crucial media reforms. They argue that Mugabe and Zanu PF are opposed to a free and thriving broadcast sector that will bring to an end the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC)’s monopoly over the airwaves.

“This is a deliberate slowdown of the whole process to fully bring the reforms that have stifled the broadcasting area for long,” said a broadcast practitioner who requested anonymity. Several other broadcasters now work for international radio stations such as Shortwave Radio and Voice of America that broadcast into Zimbabwe from foreign countries.

An exiled female journalist curtly said: “That (opening up of the airwaves) will happen in your dreams; there is no commitment to that effect.”

Last month, the press freedom group Reporters Without Borders called on the government to open up the airwaves. “The relaxation seen in the print media is clearly not in the cards for the broadcast media. We urge the national unity government to clarify this situation without delay and to guarantee the right of access to information,” said the international media freedom group based in France.

The Zimbabwe chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) has just launched a “free the airwaves” campaign to lobby for the support of Zimbabwean citizens to pressure the government to open the airwaves.

"The campaign is motivated by the slow-paced manner in which the coalition government is attending to reforms in the broadcasting sector. Beyond isolated rhetorical promises of broadcasting reforms there hasn't been demonstrable commitment to urgently democratise the sector and enhance access to information, as well as citizens' participation in transitional processes," said Nhlanhla Ngwenya, Zimbabwe director for MISA in a recent statement to mark the start of the “free the airwaves” campaign.

Photo Credit: Community Radio Harare

Tawanda Karombo is a freelance journalist living in Zimbabwe. He can be reached at tawakarombo (at) yahoo.co.uk