on criminal defamation or publicly making statements that may cause feelings of hostility towards or cause hatred, ridicule, or contempt of the president—whether in person or in respect of the office of president. The ZANU-PF minister for media, information, and publicity unilaterally and controversially constituted the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ), which has since issued two private commercial radio licenses as part of the commitment to free up the airwaves.17 The first commercial radio station, Star FM, is owned by Zimpapers—a state-owned company that publishes all state-owned newspapers, including the ZANU-PF-aligned Herald daily newspaper. The only other private commercial radio license was awarded to AB Communications to run ZiFM Radio.18 There is concern that the independence and impartiality of the two radio stations is compromised by their close links to Mugabe and ZANU-PF. For instance, Supa Mandiwanzira, the founder and chief executive officer at ZiFM Radio, is the ZANU-PF treasurer for Manicaland province.19 Despite the provision in the roadmap to elections that new, independent boards for the Mass Media Trust and the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Company should be appointed to make state-owned broadcasting and print media politically neutral, this has not happened.20 In March 2009 the unity government set up the National Security Council (NSC), comprising top government officials from all three political parties and all heads of Zimbabwe’s security sector, to provide civilian oversight of the security sector.21 Key functions of the NSC, which was required to meet at least once each month, included 17 On February 8, 2012, Prime Minister Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara in a press statement called for the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe to be reconstituted and for the licenses issued by BAZ to be revoked. Since then, no action has been taken either to reconstitute BAZ or to revoke licenses issued by BAZ. 18 “ZiFM hits the airwaves,” The Herald, August 14, 2012, http://www.herald.co.zw/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=49753:zi-fm-hits-theairwaves&catid=43:entertainment&Itemid=135 (accessed September 15, 2012). 19 “ZiFM begins live broadcasts,” New Zimbabwe News, August 14, 2012, http://www.newzimbabwe.com/news/printVersion.aspx?newsID=8764 (accessed September 22, 2012). 20 “Constitution Watch 2012,” Veritas, October 5, 2012. See also, “Zimbabwe Elections Roadmap with Timelines,” July 6, 2011. 21 National Security Council Act, 2/2009, March 4, 2009. RACE AGAINST TIME 12