ZBC CAPTURED: ZANU PF YOUTH LEAGUE FIGURE TAKES OVER NATIONAL BROADCASTER

In yet another sign of worsening media freedom in Zimbabwe, Charles Mungasa—a prominent Zanu PF Youth League figure—has been appointed acting chief executive of the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC). This appointment is more than a reshuffle. It is a calculated political move that deepens the control of Zanu PF over what is supposed to be the country’s national public broadcaster.

Mungasa is not new to ZBC. He previously served on the broadcaster’s board and is currently the Zanu PF Masvingo provincial Youth League secretary for administration. His new role at the top of ZBC adds to growing concerns that the ruling party is no longer just influencing the media—it is openly capturing it. The board he now answers to is led by Helliate Rushwaya, who is related to President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

This latest development follows a string of changes in ZBC’s leadership. Mungasa takes over from Assael Machakata, who briefly held the position after the suspension and eventual resignation of Adelaide Chikunguru. But each appointment seems to move ZBC further away from journalistic independence and closer to becoming a full-blown mouthpiece of the ruling elite.

Zimbabweans should be deeply alarmed by this trend. The appointment of a partisan political figure to the helm of the national broadcaster removes any illusion that ZBC can still act as an impartial source of news. It is now clearer than ever that ZBC is being weaponized to push Zanu PF’s agenda.

Media capture like this is a deliberate strategy. It is how authoritarian regimes keep the public in the dark while painting a false image of stability, development, and control. Control over the airwaves means control over the narrative. This is exactly what Zanu PF wants ahead of any future elections. And it is precisely what democracy does not need.

ZBC is funded by taxpayers, yet it no longer serves the public. It is being turned into a propaganda machine where the truth is filtered, opposition voices are silenced, and government narratives are blindly repeated. What should be a space for national dialogue, balanced reporting, and diverse views has become a tool of manipulation and misinformation.

This is not just about one appointment. It’s about a systematic assault on freedom of expression. Through regulatory control, biased advertising contracts, and politically motivated staffing decisions, Zanu PF is turning state media into state propaganda. Even some private media outlets are not safe from this type of pressure.

At the heart of journalism is a duty to inform the public truthfully and fairly. When this duty is hijacked by political actors, what remains is not journalism—it’s deception. It leaves Zimbabweans with no access to trustworthy information, no platform for real debate, and no media institution to hold those in power accountable.

The consequences for democracy are severe. Free and fair elections depend on voters having access to independent, accurate, and timely information. When a state broadcaster becomes an echo chamber for the ruling party, the playing field is no longer level. Voters are misled, and opposition voices are buried under state-sponsored noise.

As Mungasa begins his tenure, there is little hope that ZBC will reclaim its independence. Instead, Zimbabwe drifts further away from democratic norms. The capture of ZBC is a warning to all who care about freedom in this country. A media house that cannot speak truth to power is not serving the people—it is betraying them.

Zimbabwe deserves better. A true public broadcaster should serve all citizens, regardless of political affiliation. It should ask hard questions, expose corruption, and hold leaders accountable. As long as ZBC remains in political chains, these goals remain a distant dream.

The people must demand a change. The longer ZBC is allowed to operate as a party tool, the harder it becomes to build a democracy that works. The line between journalism and propaganda has been crossed. And unless there is pushback, it may never be redrawn.