· · · Public service broadcasters should, like broadcasting and telecommunications regulators, be governed by bodies which are protected against interference. The public service mandate of public service broadcasters should clearly defined. The editorial independence of public service broadcasters should be guaranteed, among others. Against this backdrop, it is important that ZEC takes measures to ensure fair and equal coverage of all political actors and activity and thereby engender the holding of a democratic election in Zimbabwe. Problem Statement The coverage of political parties' activities by ZBC ahead, during and after the general elections has always been the main bone of contention among political contestants. The broadcaster's skewed coverage has also been called out in several observer mission reportsand the recent Constitutional Court Judgmentbut with no change in approach. This repeated violation of the broadcaster's public service mandate is also in discord with the SADC Guidelines and Principles on the Conduct of Democratic Electionswhich emphasizes the need for ZBCto ensure that political parties or candidates are given space to give direct and indirect access to contesting parties. It enjoins the broadcaster to reserve airtime for parties to present their election manifestoes and policies as well equal allocation of advertising time. It further violates the provisions of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, section 155 (d) which states that, “provides all political parties and candidates contesting an election or participating in a referendum have fair and equal access to electronic and print media, both public and private…” The major challenges has been the lack of clear mechanisms by the institutions administering elections to ensure adherence to both the domestic and regional laws and instruments respectively by the public media in promoting equal access and ethical reporting during the elections. In the 2013 elections for example, the ruling party dominated prime time broadcast on ZTV with a whooping 100% positive coverage on its campaigns while 89% of the stories covering the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) T portrayed the party in negative light. Television and radio broadcasting airtime is expensive and punitive, hence the need for the leveling of access to the state broadcaster among all political parties through meeting agreed upon quotas. In the 2013 elections, the opposition, MDC-T publicly requested the state broadcaster to reimburse its money after it charged them for advertising airtime but refused to flight the party's materials. Reclaiming Public Media ahead of 2018 Elections info@zesn.net zesn2011@zesn.net www.zesn.org.zw