Democratic Transition or Change without Change? Critical Reflections on the Media Reform trajectory in Post-Mugabe Zimbabwe

The Post-Mugabe government is confronted by a crisis of expectations. The Zimbabwean citizenry and the world at large, expect the Emmerson Mnangagwa led “new dispensation†to usher democratic reforms not only in the media sector but in all political, economic and social spheres . The media sector is under spotlight and is certainly one of the key sectors that the international community is going to employ as a barometer, to gauge the extent to which the “new dispensation†has departed from the Mugabe era human rights violations. This paper gives therefore utilises the political economic approach and the polarised pluralist model as theoretical lenses to critically reflect on the progress,that has been made in instituting media reforms in Post-Mugabe Zimbabwe.The study is based on mixed methodology comprising of qualitative in depth interviews, document analysis and an ethnographic study of the Zimbabwean media environment. In light of the findings, the paper argues that although, the Post-Mugabe government has started instituting media reforms, no meaningful progress has been made as yet. The current media environment therefore, largely depicts a continuity from the Mugabe era or what this paper has dubbed “change without change†. Thus there is still need for sincerity and political will, .