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Critical Reflections on the Media Reform Trajectory in Post-Mugabe Zimbabwe

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Critical Reflections on the Media Reform Trajectory in Post-Mugabe Zimbabwe International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) |Volume V, Issue VI, June 2021|ISSN 2454-6186 Democratic Transition or Change without Change? Critical Reflections on the Media Reform trajectory in Post-Mugabe Zimbabwe Tongai Jonhera Zimbabwe Open University Abstract: The Post-Mugabe government is confronted by a crisis Despite the global emphasis on press freedom, in a of expectations. The Zimbabwean citizenry and the world at Zimbabwean context, the notable reality is that, the country large, expect the Emmerson Mnangagwa led “new dispensation” has not enjoyed meaningful press freedom since the country to usher democratic reforms not only in the media sector but in gained independence and Robert Mugabe assumed power in all political, economic and social spheres . The media sector is 1980. In the Mugabe era, Zimbabwe could be described as an under spotlight and is certainly one of the key sectors that the international community is going to employ as a barometer, to authoritarian state that radically stifled communication spaces gauge the extent to which the “new dispensation” has departed (Chitagu,2018) The Mugabe led government did so by from the Mugabe era human rights violations. This paper gives emasculating the mainstream national media, attempting to therefore utilises the political economic approach and the influence public opinion in its own favour by manipulating the polarised pluralist model as theoretical lenses to critically reflect state owned media to dish out government propaganda, by on the progress,that has been made in instituting media reforms regulating the flow of information in the country and in Post-Mugabe Zimbabwe.The study is based on mixed muzzling the private press. Although the shrinking of the methodology comprising of qualitative in depth interviews, Zimbabwean public sphere can be traced as far back as the document analysis and an ethnographic study of the early years of independence, it became even more pronounced Zimbabwean media environment. In light of the findings, the paper argues that although, the Post-Mugabe government has around 1999,when a major opposition party, the Movement started instituting media reforms, no meaningful progress has for Democratic Change(MDC) was formed and the political been made as yet. The current media environment therefore, environment became even more polarised. It can be argued largely depicts a continuity from the Mugabe era or what this that, since the birth of a major opposition party in 1999, the paper has dubbed “change without change”. Thus there is still Zanu PF government has been trying to sustain a need for sincerity and political will, „domineering‟ and „hegemonic‟ narrative, resulting in a Keywords: Transition, Media reform, Trajectory, new shrinking media space. As (Mabweazara and White, 2018) dispensation argue, in post-2000 Zimbabwe, the state‟s tactics of repression assumed both legal and extra-legal dimensions, as the state I. INTRODUCTION sought to crush increased political dissent. ress freedom is an essential constituent of democracy” The land reform programme created a situation that led to a “P (Holtz-Bacha, 2004). The essential role played by a violation of basic rights including information rights. This free press in promoting democracy has been acknowledged by crackdown was supported by a number of harsh legal various scholars Smith(2007:40) aptly sums up the central provisions such as the Public order and Security Act (POSA), role that a free press plays in a democracy by asserting that, the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy “A free press is essential for exposing corruption, the Act(AIPPA) and the Broadcasting Services Act(BSA). As purchase of favours, unwarranted secrecy, abuse of office, and Manganga (2012) advances, with the enactment of legislation violations of human rights”. It is important to note that press such as the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy freedom has achieved global recognition as being one of the Act (AIPPA) and the Public order and Security Act (POSA) foundations of human rights. Since press freedom is viewed since 2002, freedom of the press has been under threat in as a foundational human right it is internationally protected, Zimbabwe.AIPPA ,was described by the then chairman of the in various human rights instruments. Article 19 of the Legal Parliamentary Legal Committee and one of the sharpest Universal declaration of Human Rights provides that legal minds to ever emerge out of Zimbabwe,the late Eddison “Everyone has a right to freedom of opinion and expression, Zvobgo,as “the most calculated and determined assault on this right includes freedom to hold opinions without our (constitutional)liberties,in the 20 years I served as cabinet interference and to seek, receive and impart information and Minister”(Parliamentary Debates volume 28,No 46) ideas through any media, regardless of frontiers”.(http:www.un.org/en/documents/idhr, accessed 3 The repression of the press under Robert Mugabe persisted January 2020) right up to the November 2017 military coup or what has been officially labelled as a „military assisted transition‟ or www.rsisinternational.org Page 619 International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) |Volume V, Issue VI, June 2021|ISSN 2454-6186 „operation restore legacy‟, that dramatically toppled the late identifying,retrieving and analysing documents for their African Strongman, after 37 years of Uninterrupted rule. The relevance,significance and meaning.The researcher carried out ouster of Robert Mugabe and his subsequent replacement by a document analysis of newspapers such as The Herald and his erstwhile deputy, Emmerson Mnangagwa, was celebrated The Chronicle,Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA- by the media fraternity as it was widely expected to herald a Zimbabwe) reports,Veritas-Zimbabwe reports among new era for freedom of expression in Zimbabwe. others,to acquire vital information on the Post-Mugabe However,three years down the line it has become apparent Zimbabwe media environment.The document analysis that the media fraternity celebrated „a cloud that does not bear focused on issues such as the treatment of journalists,the water‟. The harsh media laws, intimidation, harassment of legislative environment and the Post –Mugabe media reform journalists and other tactics that were used by Mugabe to trajectory in general.The researcher also conducted an curtail media freedom are sadly still in place. One of the ethnographic study of the current Zimbabwean media major features of these repressive tactics is the capture of vital environment.In other words,the researcher made an effort to state institutions such as the Zimbabwe Broadcasting experience the daily life (Garcia etal,2009 )of the Corporation (ZBC) by the hegemonic ruling elite. It is against Zimbabwean media by carefully observing and studying the this background that, this paper seeks to critique the state of operating environment experienced by media practitioners, the media in Post-Mugabe Zimbabwe.It shall start by newspapers, broadcasting stations(both state and privately outlining the methodology as well as theoretical perspectives owned) and even the new media technologies such as Social of the paper.The analysis will be kick started by focusing on media,in Post-Mugabe Zimbabwe.This ethnographic approach the legislative environment, with particular emphasis on informs some of the assertions advanced in this paper. legislative reforms and then go on to focus on the treatment Theoretical Perspective of journalists. The paper shall also plunge into the liberalisation of the airwaves debate and in the process focus The paper‟s analytical perspective is largely informed by the on the controversy surrounding the licensing of broadcasting ideas propounded by the political economic approach to the stations. It will further interrogate the diversity and plurality media(Golding and Murdock 2005;McChesney 1952).This of the Zimbabwe print media in the “new dispensation”. The approach studies the powerful influence exerted by paper will also examine the issue of media polarisation, politics,ownership patterns and advertisers on media another thorn in the flesh for the Zimbabwean media. Last operations.The question of power-who is dominant ? and what but not least the paper will focus on the interesting subject of is the impact of that dominance on the media environment? Is the social media and the political transition. pivotal to this study. This paper submits that, the media policies of the Post-Mugabe government and their II. METHODOLOGY AND THEORETICAL implications on the operations of the media should be PERSPECTIVES understood within the political economic approach to the Methodology media.The capture of the media by political and economic forces and the resultant polarisation,arguably locates This paper is a product of intensive research carried out Zimbabwe‟s media system within Hallini and Mancini through mixed methodology, comprising of in-depth „s(2004)Polarised Pluralist model. The notion of political interviews,document analysis and an ethnographic study of pluralism stems from Hallini and Mancini‟s comparative the Zimbabwean media environment.The study heavily relied study of media systems between western and southern on qualitative in-depth interviews and the following key European countries.They advanced that a „Polarised Pluralist‟ informants were interviewed:2 media experts (1 Media media model is to a greater extent characterised
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