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Power sharing and cholera dominate the media
Extracted from Media Update 36/2008
Media Monitoring Project Zimbabwe (MMPZ)
November 09, 2008

Regional efforts to resolve the power sharing dispute the cholera outbreak and the country's food crisis also dominated ZBC and private radio stations' news coverage.

Fig 3: Stories on ZBC and private stations

However, ZBC's reports on these subjects simply magnified official statements that either downplayed the gravity of the problems or narrowly blamed the MDC and its alleged Western sponsors. For example, the national broadcaster continued peddling ZANU PF claims that MDC-T was responsible for the talks deadlock without balancing them with the MDC's own views. Neither did it provide any independent analysis of SADC's capacity to unlock the stalemate. Instead, its stations quoted commentators calling on the rival parties to "put Zimbabwe first" and - the ZANU PF mantra - to "guard against Western interference," ahead of the summit (ZBC, 6, 8 &9 /11, 8pm).

In its reports on the cholera epidemic ZBC made no effort to verify whether official reports of those who had fallen victim to the disease were accurate, nor did they provide their audiences with a national perspective of its prevalence. ZTV (5/11, 8pm) only quoted City of Harare Health Services director Stanley Mungofa glossing over the issue, saying there had been a "slight decrease in the number of patients" seeking treatment "compared to last week".

Such professional docility also manifested itself in ZBC failing to conduct its own audit of the scale of the country's food shortages. For example, Radio Zimbabwe (8/11, 8pm) only reported on the death of three people due to hunger in Dotito in the context of Vice-President Joice Mujuru's promises that government would expedite the distribution of food aid to affected areas.

The privately owned radio stations provided more accurate analysis of all these issues. For example they questioned SADC's capacity to resolve the ZANU PF/MDC dispute, especially after its failure to caution ZANU PF over its violation of the spirit of the deal by tampering with the terms of the September 11 agreement and its alleged resumption of violence against its opponents.

However, like the private papers, none of the electronic media thought to question Chinamasa over claims by MDC official Welshman Ncube (in an interview on SW Radio Africa) that he had admitted to unilaterally amending the agreement in ZANU PF's favour.

The private radio stations recorded three incidents of politically motivated violence. Except for the alleged abduction of two MDC activists in Chinhoyi by suspected security agents, the rest of the stories related to those in the private Press.

The stations also highlighted Zimbabwe's crumbling health service delivery, deteriorating living standards and acute food shortages, which they viewed as symptomatic of government's failed policies.

ZBC's discriminatory coverage of the MDC and its reluctance to accommodate alternative views in its coverage of these subjects was reflected in its sourcing pattern as shown in Fig 4.

Fig 4: Voice distribution on ZBC and private stations

What they said . . .

"The role which Jonas Savimbi played on behalf of imperialism, the role which Savimbi inherited from Moises Tshombe and Mobutu Sese Seko, is now to be filled by Laurent Nkunda and Morgan Tsvangirai" - Tafataona Mahoso depicting MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai as an agent of Western imperialism. The Sunday Mail, 9/11.

"He does not tell us the truth, which is that the violence was orchestrated by MDC-T against ZANU PF supporters" - Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa reacting to Botswana President Ian Khama's call for fresh elections in Zimbabwe.

"It is one of the survival tactics, which has been used since time immemorial" - Agriculture Minister Rugare Gumbo portraying the eating of wild fruits by starving Zimbabweans as normal. The Financial Gazette, 6/11.

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