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Political developments and Murambatsvina
Media Monitoring Project Zimbabwe (MMPZ)
Weekly Media Update 2005-29
Monday August 1^st – August 7^th 2005

THE extent of Zimbabwe’s political crisis, which seemingly regained momentum by Murambatsvina, also remained largely untold in the government media.

As a result, those who rely on these news sources remained ignorant of renewed efforts by South Africa, the African Union and the UN to revive talks between ZANU PF and the MDC as a first step to resolving Zimbabwe’s political and economic crises. This only appeared in the private media.

The government papers only carried two stories on the talks while ZBH carried three. Even then, the reports were not aimed at apprising their audiences of growing international concern over Zimbabwe’s crises, but were based on pre-empting such plans.

For example, The Herald, the Chronicle (1/8), and ZBH (1/8, 6am) merely focussed on President Mugabe’s rejection of talks without balancing it with the international community’s calls for dialogue between the rival parties, a recommendation that was also made by UN special envoy Anna Tibaijuka in her Murambatsvina report.

The government media quoted Mugabe saying he had only invited UN Secretary General Koffi Annan " to assess the aftermath of the clean-up and not to superintend our political relations with the MDC", adding, "Anyone who seeks to foster relations with the MDC will be going against our own democratic principles and we shall resist that stance from whomsoever."

The private media revealed that despite Mugabe’s angry rejection of talks, the international community was unrelenting in its resolve to find a solution to the Zimbabwean crisis. Studio 7 (3/8) for example, reported that the AU had appointed former Mozambican president Joachim Chissano as its special envoy to Zimbabwe, in an effort to address the country’s problems.

The station, The Daily Mirror (2 & 5/8) and the Independent also reported that SA was using Zimbabwe’s request for US$1 billion loan from that country as leverage to force Mugabe to the negotiating table.

Studio 7 (4&6/8), The Daily Mirror and The Financial Gazette (4/8) also quoted MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai expressing his readiness to meet Mugabe, emphasising the importance of dialogue in solving the political stalemate.

The government media shied away from these issues. Instead, they diverted attention from Tibaijuka’s recommendations with glowing stories on the purported achievements of Operation Garikai. The government Press carried 10 such stories while 21 appeared on ZBH.

None of them provided a comprehensive picture of the operation’s achievements. Instead, they simply regurgitated official comment. For example, The Herald (5/8) quoted a spokesman of a government team appointed to assess the progress of Garikai in Mashonaland West, Vincent Hungwe, praising the "progress" made in Chinhoyi, Chegutu, Karoi and Kariba and bemoaning the "challenges" facing reconstruction in Kadoma and Murombedzi. He did not elaborate on the ‘challenges’ nor was he asked to.

This unquestioning nature was also apparent in ZBH’s reports. Almost all its 21 stories on Garikai were passive commentaries on ministerial tours of construction sites in various parts of the country. The officials were quoted expressing satisfaction with the reconstruction programme.

However, the private media presented a different picture in 11 stories they carried on Garikai. The stories, as illustrated by The Standard’s story, Operation Garikai a ‘pie in the sky’, reported that nothing much had materialised under the programme.

The paper revealed that government’s target of building 5 000 houses by August 31^st was unlikely since little progress was being made on the ground. As an example, the paper noted that at Whitecliff Farm, where a total of 20 477 people were allocated stands, "only 50 small houses have been constructed to roof level".

In addition, it quoted MDC MP for Harare North, Trudy Stevenson claiming that there was "virtually no construction progress" at Hatcliffe Extension where more than 300 families were allocated stands. She told the paper: "Massive construction of houses under Operation Garikai is only taking place on television."

The Independent exposed the anarchy surrounding Garikai’s implementation when it reported that ZANU PF supporters "violently evicted registered traders allocated stalls" at Mbare Msika market saying the stalls would be "reallocated to ruling party supporters."

Studio 7’s eight reports exposed the continued human suffering caused by Murambatsvina, the clergy’s efforts to assist the victims, and the ongoing demolitions in Chiredzi and Epworth in contravention of UN calls for them to be stopped immediately.

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