The just ended 21st February Movement gala held over the weekend was yet another opportunity to ponder over media reforms in the country and commitments made in the GPA about this and other issues pertaining to easing the stranglehold on media plurality. For starters, it recalled the abuse of the national broadcaster by political elites who remain the same people who made commitments under the GPA to ensure equal representation. The gala “pungwe” which stretched well into Sunday midday indeed rekindled the debate over where does Zimbabwe draw the line between State/public media?  Then Deputy Minister of Information Jameson Timba is on record saying Zimbabwe has the capacity to have more than 10 broadcast stations at the least, and this is exactly the same stuff that gives relevance to complaints why viewers who are expected to pay licences have to endure watching the gala when in fact they can switch channels. And not SABC channels as presently is the case with many who cannot afford DSTV but their own. It is no wonder then that MISA-Zimbabwe is being taken to task about its programmes concerning community broadcasting: the media czars know too well that this is a sector they cannot “forfeit” to the masses as this just what the democratic processes demand, and as one of their own said not so long ago, it would be equal to legislating oneself out of power!

About the gala, someone asked who finances these pseudo-Woodstocks, if space is bought from ZBC, how much the Machesos are paid, how much the organisers sell a pint of lager, and just how this whole business works for viewers to be subjected to that mass buffoonery as adults both on and off the stage play make believe singing songs of praise when everyone knows better. But these are questions that have been rationalised into the psyche of many here, and a wisecrack actually noted that the naivety of doctors of spin knows no bounds: the numbers of these gyrating gala guests do not necessarily translate into votes! If only. And this in light of the President’s speech reminding the people from that region that it was time to claim the vote lost to the MDC-T in previous polls.

Also worth mentioning were these stupendous promotions being run alongside the gala and an interesting caveat apparently betrayed the whole farce: the promoters had the right to suspend the competition without warning, meaning they could take the money and run, after all this was the military running the show, so hey, they could do as they pleased! We will obviously watch the space to follow-up on the winners of those holidays for two and incredible spending money.

Late yesterday morning, I got an SMS from the MDC announcing an MP feedback meeting in Harare that evening. Finance Minister Tendai Biti, co-Home Affairs Minister Theresa Makone, Minster of State in the PM’s Office Jameson Timba and Deputy Justice Minister Obert Gutu were slated to attend.

Coincidentally our newsletter headline that same morning had been “Seen your MP lately?” And when I got the SMS, I was pleased with this example of Ministers making themselves available to the public.

But I was also frustrated to have gotten the announcement at such short notice – which made it harder to share with others and encourage more people to attend. But I put it up on Twitter and Facebook in the hopes of inspiring at least a bit of participation – only to learn later that it had been cancelled, at even shorter notice.

Nine people attended, the speakers never appeared, and one of the participants finally phoned a different MP, who told them the meeting had been cancelled.

So why announce a meeting you don’t intend to have? And why announce with such little turn around time that hardly anyone hears about it and even fewer people can attend? It left me cynical and sceptical. Do the MDC Ministers actually want to be seen – and heard, and to see their constituents and hear what they might want to say? That is do they actually want to deliver or receive the feedback? Or do they just want the kudos of being seen to engage the public, without any of the hard work of actually having to organise, listen, or discuss?