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State
of the Media Report 2006
MISA-Zimbabwe
December 19, 2006
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Introduction
- 2006 socio-political environment
Zimbabwe's unmitigated socio-economic and political meltdown
riding on the back of a hyper-inflationary environment continued
in a year, during which the ruling Zanu PF government employed desperate
measures to cling to power amid growing disaffection with its mismanagement
of the once vibrant economy.
The country's
current woes took root when the government embarked on a controversial
land reform programme six years ago. Since then, the economy has
continued on its downward spiral amid projections that inflation
could rise to 3 000 percent during the first quarter of 2007.
Shortages of
basic commodities such as fuel, electricity, water cuts, cooking
oil, sugar and drugs spawned by acute shortages of foreign currency
characterised the worsening economic hardships during the year 2006
as the government resorted to knee-jerk fire fighting in an attempt
to bandage the open wounds of its skewed macro-economic policies.
The government's Look East policy drafted in the wake of targeted
Western sanctions against ruling Zanu PF and government officials
failed to create the touted economic growth and wealth through meaningful
direct foreign investment as unemployment remained pegged at more
than 80 percent.
The poverty
datum line for an average family of six was pegged at US$ 834 in
November 2006 in a country where the average monthly wage is about
Z$ 37 500 (US$ 150), making it the lowest in the Southern African
Development Community and way below the Poverty Datum Line (PDL)
.
These efforts
which included the introduction of new currency as glorified and
espoused through Reserve Bank Governor Dr Gideon Gono's elaborately
crafted and high sounding monetary policies came to nothing amid
reports of unprecedented corruption in high places and continued
price increases .
Inflation which had come down from 600% to below 200% in 2004, is
now over 1 000% as of end of 2006. Faced with the growing tide of
disaffection as disposable incomes suffered inflation-induced erosions
through the government's jaundiced micro-macro economic policies,
the state's machinery, resources and energies were directed
at crushing all forms of protests.
Marches and
demonstrations organised by civic bodies such as the National
Constitutional Assembly to push for a new constitution, Women
of Zimbabwe Arise (WOSA), Zimbabwe
National Students Union, theatre groups and the Zimbabwe
Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) were ruthlessly dealt with.
The panicky
state of the government came to the fore following the brutal attacks
in condemned police cells of the leaders of the ZCTU on 13 September
2006 ahead of planned nationwide marches to protest the worsening
economic hardships.
The attacks
were so brutal that ZCTU secretary-general Wellington Chibhebhe
was hospitalised after sustaining serious head injuries following
the assaults perpetuated at Matapi Police Station whose cells were
condemned as inhuman and degrading by the Supreme Court. In a foretaste
of what the future holds for Zimbabwe, President Robert Mugabe remains
ambivalent if not unequivocal as to his retirement plans to which
his party, ZANU PF has hinted that he might go on till 2010. President
Mugabe's current term ends in 2008. The latest move by ZANU
PF to extend President Mugabe's term, without the people's
mandate, is yet another indication of desperate measures to hold
on to power regardless of the socio-economic and political ramifications.
This move is buttressed by the brutal clampdown on all forms of
protest meant to silence dissenting voices.
In fact President Mugabe himself gave an indication of the government
and ruling Zanu PF's collective ideological framework when
commenting on the attacks on the ZCTU leaders.
"We cannot
have a situation where people decide to sit in places not allowed
and when the police remove them, they say no. We can't have
that, that is a revolt to the system. When the police say move,
move. If you don't move, you invite the police to use force,"
said President Mugabe defending the police actions .
The President's
shocking remarks helped in revealing that the police actions were
sanctioned at the highest decision-making levels because contrary
to the President's assertions, the assaults did not take place
on the streets but in police cells after the arrests of the ZCTU
leaders well before the march had even taken place.
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