The Baz survey shows that ZBC provided live coverage for
all the eight Zanu PF campaign rallies, which amounted to 630 minutes of
airtime, but the public broadcaster did not do any live coverage of opposition
party political rallies, including those that contested the by-elections.
It further states that in ZBC news bulletins, Zanu PF
accounted for 90% of airtime, which is 222 minutes, with the opposition parties
sharing only 23 minutes.
This, according to Baz, was a violation of section 4 of the
Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) regulations that provide for the electronic
media to ensure that all contesting political parties or candidates are treated
equitably in the allocation of airtime during broadcasting of electoral issues.
“It was observed that the public broadcaster ZBC, which
consists of a television station and four national radio stations, covered the
by-elections mainly through news bulletins,” the Baz report read.
“The ruling Zanu PF party that was allocated most of the
airtime; for example, for the flagship ZBC-TV, out of the 245 minutes of its
news coverage, Zanu PF got 222 minutes, which is 90% of total news coverage,
with other parties and candidates sharing 23 minutes which makes the 10%
remainder. There were fewer debates, interviews and manifestos, with manifesto
programmes for all the contesting candidates broadcast on Thursday March 24,
two days before the by-elections.”
Section 155 of the Constitution compels the State media to
provide all political parties and candidates contesting an election fair and
equal access to air and print space.
But opposition parties, mainly Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), have complained of lack of access to the State media, which it said compromised the holding of a credible poll. Newsday
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