IX. Violations of Media Freedom As a daily source of information in Zimbabwe, there is still no alternative to the staterun broadcaster the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) and the state-run Herald newspaper. On January 11, 2008, amendments to AIPPA came into force. AIPPA is a law that Human Rights Watch and other local and international organizations have argued limits Zimbabweans rights to freedom of expression and information.78 The government has claimed that in the run up to the 2008 elections the amendments to AIPPA significantly open up the space for free media and information throughout the country. Human Rights Watch has analyzed the amendments and has also spoken to several media experts and lawyers, and argues that the amendments do little to improve the state of media freedom in Zimbabwe. Among other things, the amendments reconstitute the Media and Information Commission (MIC), the body in charge of media regulations, into the Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC). But although the amendments to AIPPA should have effectively dissolved the MIC—which was widely perceived to be partisan and not independent—in practice the ZMC has not yet been put into place and the MIC continues to regulate the media.79 In any case, members of the renamed commission would still be appointed by the president from a list of persons provided by the Parliamentary Committee on Standing Rules and Orders,80 and MIC chair Tafataona Mahoso—who is widely perceived as partisan by independent journalists and media organizations—remains in charge. The amendments to the act abolish the offense of “journalism without accreditation,”81 but it remains a criminal offense for a journalist without accreditation to cover official events such as the elections or to talk to election officials. Under the amendments unaccredited journalists will be barred from full78 Human Rights Watch interviews with Abel Chikomo, advocacy coordinator, MMPZ, Harare, February 4, 2008, and Wilbert Mandinde, legal officer, MISA Zimbabwe, Harare, February 5, 2008. 79 Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Amendment Act, 2007 (distributed by Veritus Trust), clause 3. 80 Ibid. 81 Ibid., clause 18. All Over Again 30