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State media underplays reports of violence and cholera
Extracted from Media Update 26/2008
Media Monitoring Project Zimbabwe (MMPZ)
September 07, 2008

There was little information in the government media about politically motivated violence, reported to be continuing in some parts of the country despite efforts to reach a negotiated political settlement.

They carried three stories, recording one fresh incident of violence.

The case emanated from the alleged violent behaviour by three MDC-T MPs in Makoni [The Manica Post (5/9)]. The paper reported the MPs, Pishai Muchauraya, Prosper Mutseyami and John Nyamande, as having "displayed yet another disgraceful act" by "invading and disrupting" a swearing-in ceremony of Makoni Rural District Council councillors "before being embarrassingly ejected" from council chambers by the police. The Manica Post's news story, which was littered with editorial comments, accused the MPs of "displaying anarchism . . . characteristic of their party since its inception nine years ago". The paper made no attempt to honestly explain the reasons behind the legislators' alleged behaviour. Neither did it seek comment from the MDC.

The rest of the reports on the subject were follow-ups to the arrest of five MDC legislators the previous week and their court appearances mostly on charges of political violence in the run-up to the June 27 run-off.

In contrast, the private media featured nine stories on the subject, including four new incidents. They blamed rising tensions between ZANU PF and the MDC, as illustrated by the opposition's heckling of Mugabe during his speech officially opening Parliament, for the increase in the violence.

Contrary to official media claims, the private media reported ZANU PF activists and the police as having disrupted the swearing-in of councillors in Rusape. Studio 7 (2/9), the Gazette & The Zimbabwean (4/9), for example, quoted the MDC saying three of its MPs were ejected from the event, while hundreds of party supporters who had come to witness the occasion were assaulted by ZANU PF militias and the police. In another report, The Zimbabwean reported ruling party supporters as having set ablaze homes of two MDC supporters, Shepherd Maisiri and Norman Chitovhoro, in Headlands.

However, these reports lacked police comment or independent corroboration.

Figs 1-2 show the sourcing patterns of the government and private media.

Fig 1: Voice distribution in the official Press

Fig 2: Voice distribution in the private electronic media

Cholera outbreak

The official media failed to provide in-depth coverage of a cholera outbreak in Chitungwiza, which reportedly claimed the lives of at least four people during the week. Instead of critically informing the public about the causes of the outbreak and independently examining the reasons for its presence, the government media merely amplified official statements downplaying its impact.

Consequently, they did not view the outbreak as a symptom of systemic infrastructural decline, resulting in persistent shortages of clean water in most urban areas. Neither did they link the problem to poor government policies, including its decision to take-over the provision of water and sewer management from municipalities.

The official media carried 13 stories on the matter.

The Herald (4/9), for example, simply announced the outbreak of the disease from the authorities' perspective, citing Chitungwiza town clerk Godfrey Tanyanyiwa attributing it to "burst sewer pipes and unprotected water sources". This raised no inquiry from The Herald's reporter.

The next day, the paper and ZTV (4/9,7am) gave the impression that government was working flat out to control the outbreak, approvingly reporting that a "high-powered Government delegation" had visited the town to "assess the situation". Instead of investigating why the people of Chitungwiza were seeking water from unprotected sources, the government media organizations sheepishly avoided questioning the statement from Water Resources Minister Munacho Mutezo saying his ministry was "mobilizing resources and equipment to ensure a long -term solution to sewage and water reticulation problems facing the town".

The Herald report (8/9) headlined: Cholera outbreak under control summed up the government media's supine handling of the issue. The paper did not only praise government's "swift intervention" but relied solely on official pronouncements that the disease had been eliminated without conducting any investigation of its own.

Only the private media gave a more holistic picture of the outbreak, linking it to deteriorating service delivery in Zimbabwe.

They reported the problem as not only limited to Chitungwiza but also other parts of the country. And contrary to official media reports, Studio 7(4/9) & SW Radio Africa (5/9) quoted unnamed sources saying at least 10 people had succumbed to the disease, which broke out because of persistent water cuts and sewage spills in the town. SW Radio Africa (4/9) recorded Combined Harare Residents' Association blaming government for the crisis and urging it to hand back water and sewer management to urban councils. This report was part of six stories the private media carried on the issue.

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