political horse-trading between ZANU-PF and MDC.59 Judging from those who were named, the appointment process seemed to be based more on political affiliation than professional experience, which raises questions about the ability of this group to oversee independent media.60 According to the deputy minister for media, information and publicity, Jameson Z. Timba of MDC, the ministry’s head, Webster Shamu of ZANU-PF, unilaterally made appointments (in violation of GPA stipulation that such appointments would be made only with the approval of the MDC) to various other media regulation boards—staffing them with retired military personnel and other ZANU-PF allies.61 Notably, the minister controversially appointed Tafataona Mahoso to head the new Broadcasting Services Authority of Zimbabwe Board. Mahoso is a ZANU-PF stalwart and former chair of the now disbanded Media and Information Commission, which banned several newspaper publications, including The Daily News, in 2003.62 As noted earlier, Mahoso is on the EU targeted sanctions list, and his appointment seems to reflect ZANU-PF’s disinterest in media reform and its unwillingness to change.63 The MDC has rejected these appointments, but to date the government has not taken action to rescind them.64 ZANU-PF presents the token media reforms as among its milestones in the protection and promotion of human rights in Zimbabwe. At its congress in December 2009, the party reaffirmed its “commitment to promote access to information, media freedom, [and] freedom of expression...”65 On March 3, 2010, addressing a high-level segment of the 13th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Minister of Justice (ZANU-PF) Patrick Chinamasa cited the appointments of the Zimbabwe Media Commission, as well as the 59 Human Rights Watch interview with Tabani Moyo, MISA-Zimbabwe advocacy officer, Harare, February 5, 2010; and with two candidates interviewed for appointments to the Zimbabwe Media Commission, A.B. and R.K., Harare, February 4, 2010. See also Violet Gonda, “Mutsvangwa who came 19th was on the final list,” SW Radio Africa, January 22, 2010. 60 Human Rights Watch interviews with media law expert Wilbert Mandinde, Harare, February 11, 2010; and with media analysts Abel Chikomo and Pedzisai Ruhanya, Harare, February 11, 2010. 61 Human Rights Watch interview with Jameson Z. Timba, deputy minister for media, information and publicity (MDC), Harare, February 8, 2010. 62 Media Monitoring Project Zimbabwe, “The Propaganda War on Electoral Democracy: A Report on the Media’s Coverage of Zimbabwe’s 2008 Elections, Harare,” MMPZ, 2009, p. 34. See also Human Rights Watch, All Over Again: Human Rights Abuses and Flawed Electoral Conditions in Zimbabwe’s Coming General Elections, vol. 20, no. 2(A), March 2008, http://www.hrw.org/node/62313, p. 30. 63 Statement by the Federation of African Media Women Zimbabwe (FAMWZ) quoted in Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, “A Year after the January 2009 Special Summit on Zimbabwe: Whither the Inclusive Government of Zimbabwe? A Compendium of Civil Society Views,” January 2010, p. 31. 64 Human Rights Watch interview with Jameson Z. Timba, Harare, February 8, 2010. 65 The resolutions of the (Zanu PF) party held at its 5th Ordinary National People’s Congress at the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC), in Harare, from December 9 – 13, 2009. 19 Human Rights Watch | April 2010