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ZANU PF Affairs
Media Monitoring Project Zimbabwe (MMPZ)
Extracted from Weekly Media Update 2005-2
Monday January 10^th – Sunday January 16^th 2005

PROFESSIONAL passivity and sheer partisan reporting characterized the government media’s generous coverage of the circumstances surrounding the ruling party’s primary elections to select candidates for this year’s parliamentary elections.

These media carried 63 reports on the issue. But their charitable coverage of the matter did not translate into critical, independent analysis of the in-house skirmishes and general chaos that typified the selection process.

This was left to the private media, which carried 39 stories on the matter, all exposing the internal bickering and thereby contradicting the impression created by the government media that the ruling party’s elections had been democratically held under an enabling environment. They also pointed out, contrary to official claims that the selection process demonstrated ZANU PF’s democratic nature, that the regulations were meant to purge dissenting voices, especially those involved in the Tsholotsho fiasco.

The government media’s biased reporting was also reflected in its over dependence on ZANU PF voices for comment almost to the exclusion of other observers, as exemplified by ZBH (ZTV and Radio Zimbabwe)’s sourcing patterns versus that of private radio stations. (See Fig. 1). 

Fig. 1 Voice Distribution by ZBH and Private Radio Stations

This meant that these media’s presentation of developments in the ruling party, unlike those from the private media, were always one-sided. Moreover, although ZBH categorized Chen Chimutengwende as one of its alternative voices representing Global Africa Network, the former Information Minister is actually a ruling party MP for Mazowe East.

The same sourcing pattern was mirrored in the way the government and Private Press reported on the issue as shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 Government and Private Press voice distribution.

Notably, although the private Press’ sources were also predominantly ZANU PF (39 voices or 64%), they spiced their stories with comments from diversified backgrounds.

Meanwhile, the government media’s preoccupation with the political activities of ZANU PF resulted in them paying scant attention to other political developments, particularly those involving the opposition MDC.

This was illustrated by the fact that these media carried only six stories on the MDC. Half the reports portrayed the party in bad light, one was on MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s trip to Zambia, while the other two quoted Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku blaming the opposition party for the delays in the finalisation of their court petitions in which they are challenging some of the 2000 parliamentary election results.

The private media accorded greater publicity to the opposition. For example, the private radio stations Studio 7 and SW Radio Africa together carried seven stories on the MDC’s election preparations. Their reports however, were biased because they were based exclusively on MDC sources.

Notwithstanding this, SW Radio Africa (10/1 and 12/1) aired four stories that recorded four incidents of politically motivated violence and intimidation against MDC activists and commercial farmers. Those responsible for the crimes were reported to be ZANU PF supporters and traditional chiefs. But all the stories lacked official corroboration.

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