Sources said Mugabe and Tsvangirai agreed that a new board should be set up since the unilateral appointment of the current members by Information and Publicity minister Webster Shamu two years ago violated the Global Political Agreement (GPA).
Zanu PF apologist and known opponent of a free media, Tafataona Mahoso chairs the BAZ board.
Last week the authority invited applications for two commercial radio licences, a move that was described as piecemeal by free media lobby groups. The groups questioned why applications were not being called for community radio and television licences.
Tsvangirai’s spokesperson Luke Tamborinyoka Friday confirmed that the PM and Mugabe had agreed that a new board must be appointed so that it can open up the broadcasting industry where the partisan Zimbabwe Broadcasting Cooperation enjoys a monopoly.
Tamborinyoka also accused Zanu PF of trying to fool Sadc by pretending to be implementing media reforms.
Sadc will convene a special summit on Zimbabwe early next month to discuss a proposed election roadmap that also calls for urgent media reforms.“This is unbridled pretence and cheap political drama on the eve of the Sadc summit,” he said.
“It is a ruse to hoodwink Sadc and the people of Zimbabwe that there are genuine media reforms in line with the GPA.
“We all know that this illegal board has failed to free the airwaves and it can’t suddenly do so on the eve of the Sadc summit.”
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BAZ has in the past called for applications for radio licences but none have been licenced. In 2007 BAZ said none of the applicants had met the “stringent” criteria.
