Violence in Zimbabwe ‘will make free elections difficult’

JOHANNESBURG – A high level of violence and intimidation in Zimbabwe has made it “increasingly difficult” for citizens to participate freely and fairly in elections next year, the Media Institute of Southern Africa (Misa) said yesterday.

“The level of violence has made it increasingly difficult for people to participate in electoral processes in a manner that truly reflects their wishes on who should govern the country,” Misa said in a report compiled after a fact-finding mission to Zimbabwe in June. “Because of the high level of violence and intimidation, people cannot freely express themselves as members of supporters of one political party for fear of retribution just in case it happens to be the wrong party.”The aim of the Misa visit was to determine whether the present state of the media in Zimbabwe is conducive to free and fair elections in March next year.It said the trip took place in a “very hostile” environment and that members of the fact-finding mission were accused of “demonising the government”.It concluded that “with the current media landscape the grounds to hold free and fair elections are limited” and that the “media landscape is uneven” and “cannot be utilised as a watchdog of the public”.”Abuse of power and interference by the political leadership will intensify as the country nears the elections,” the report stated.It found that the Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF) government controlled television, radio and the main daily newspaper while the opposition Movement for Democratic Change rarely has the opportunity to express its views in the media.”Violence seem to be encouraged by what was described as hate messages that are carried out in the state media, particularly the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation and the country’s main daily paper, The Herald.”The state media hardly makes mention of any activities carried out by the opposition, and when it does, it is invariably in derogatory terms, projecting opposition leaders and their supporters as unpatriotic, sell outs… and instigators of violence.”The government’s Media and Information Commission has closed down three independent newspapers in the past year.- Nampa-AFP”Because of the high level of violence and intimidation, people cannot freely express themselves as members of supporters of one political party for fear of retribution just in case it happens to be the wrong party.”The aim of the Misa visit was to determine whether the present state of the media in Zimbabwe is conducive to free and fair elections in March next year.It said the trip took place in a “very hostile” environment and that members of the fact-finding mission were accused of “demonising the government”.It concluded that “with the current media landscape the grounds to hold free and fair elections are limited” and that the “media landscape is uneven” and “cannot be utilised as a watchdog of the public”.”Abuse of power and interference by the political leadership will intensify as the country nears the elections,” the report stated.It found that the Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF) government controlled television, radio and the main daily newspaper while the opposition Movement for Democratic Change rarely has the opportunity to express its views in the media.”Violence seem to be encouraged by what was described as hate messages that are carried out in the state media, particularly the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation and the country’s main daily paper, The Herald.”The state media hardly makes mention of any activities carried out by the opposition, and when it does, it is invariably in derogatory terms, projecting opposition leaders and their supporters as unpatriotic, sell outs… and instigators of violence.”The government’s Media and Information Commission has closed down three independent newspapers in the past year.- Nampa-AFP