THE SA National Editors’ Forum is concerned at a new clamp down on foreign and local media in Zimbabwe despite promises by the government that the country’s repressive media laws were under review and would be amended to restore media freedom, according to a media release.
Several incidents of repression and harassment of journalists and other association with the media have occurred since the beginning of the year.
A Mexican journalist, despite have been given appropriate accreditation by the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority, was arrested by state security agents on February 12 while attempting to film tourist attractions in the town of Masvingo. He was reportedly released after the Tourism Minister intervened.
On January 18, freelance journalist Andrison Manyere was reportedly arrested while covering a demonstration for better education by the organization Women and Men of Zimbabwe (WOZA) though he was released the same day.
On February 11, action was taken against the distributors in Zimbabwe of the independent Zimbabwean newspaper based in London. Two directors of the Zimbabwean’s new distribution company, Adquest, were arrested for publishing ``false statements’’ allegedly contained in an article in an edition of the paper published in January. They were charged under Section 31 (a) (iii) of the Criminal Law (Codification & Reform) Act, Chapter 9:23, with publishing falsehoods prejudicial to the State. Earlier they had been detained but after questioning and producing papers showing the paper had been legally imported were released. No date has been set for their appearance in court.
On February 16 Lovemore Manjonjo, a staff writer of the African Workers Organiser, a monthly produced by a communist activity group in South Africa, was arrested in Harare and copies of the publication he had in his possession were confiscated. He was released and warned to appear in court on February 22 on a charge of assaulting a policeman. He claimed he had been manhandled.
Another journalist, freelancer Stanley Kwenda, who received a death threat from a man claiming to be a police officer fled the country. The death threat, according to the Zimbabwean newspaper, was linked to an article published in that paper.
Sanef protests at these attempts by the Zimbabwean authorities to stifle reporting and the flow of information about the country both internally and for foreign consumption. It calls on the Zimbabwe government to respect the principles under which the unity government was formed – one of those being the removal of restrictions on the media and the restoration of Press Freedom – and to end the persistent harassment of the media.
-Journalism.co.za
Monday, February 22, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
Anger over journalist’s arrest
The arrest of a foreign journalist in Masvingo last week has prompted an angry reaction from press freedom groups and the government, with Tourism Minister Walter Mzembi lashing out at the police.
Mzembi was left embarrassed after the Mexican journalist, who was travelling with the Minister, was arrested last Friday by state security agents, despite having special permission to be in the country. The journalist had been accredited by authorities to make a documentary on tourist sites in Zimbabwe, ahead of the football World Cup, set to get underway in South Africa in June.
“The same journalist with my driver, my car, and a government letter, was arrested,” Minister Mzembi said. “We cannot attract tourists if we do not look at our law and order.” The International Press Institute (IPI) has also reacted with anger to the arrest of the journalist, who was only released after the Minister’s intervention later the same day. IPI director David Dadge criticised the unity government for failing to implement proper media reforms, which has resulted in the arrests and intimidation of at least three journalists this year.
“While there has been much talk of improvement to the press freedom climate over the past year, the Zimbabwean government still needs to sensitize police and intelligence agents to the rights of journalists,” Dadge said in a statement. “It is unacceptable for criminal and security legislation to be used as tools for jailing reporters.” On 18 January freelance journalist Andrison Manyere was arrested while covering a demonstration calling for better education, by the pressure group Women of Zimbabwe Arise. He was released the same day. Earlier that same week, freelance journalist Stanley Kwenda was forced to flee the country after receiving a death threat. The caller, allegedly a police officer, warned Kwenda that he would not survive the weekend if he didn’t leave.
The Zimbabwe chapter of pressure group Restoration of Human Rights (ROHR Zimbabwe) has also expressed concern about the actions of the country’s security forces, after the arrest of an MDC official over the weekend. Godfrey Chimombe, the MDC provincial vice chairman for Mashonaland Central, was arrested for allegedly ‘insulting the president’ at a political rally earlier this month. He was released on Tuesday pending a court date on March 6. He faces a jail sentence of up to two years if convicted. Bindura police said Chimombe ‘insulted the office of the president’ by shouting the slogan: “Mugabe Mudenga muroverei pasi” - an MDC slogan suggesting the party can bring Mugabe ‘down’ from power. He was addressing an MDC rally at Mapfura stadium in Mt Darwin.
ROHR Zimbabwe’s spokesperson Ronald Mureverwi told SW Radio Africa on Wednesday that these ongoing arrests “undermine all efforts being made to bring peace and stability to our country.” He said the ‘selective application of the law’ was one of the biggest threats to change in the country. “The actions by the security forces and police make it impossible for people to so much as criticise the government, and this is not a free country,” Mureverwi said.
-SW Radio Africa
Mzembi was left embarrassed after the Mexican journalist, who was travelling with the Minister, was arrested last Friday by state security agents, despite having special permission to be in the country. The journalist had been accredited by authorities to make a documentary on tourist sites in Zimbabwe, ahead of the football World Cup, set to get underway in South Africa in June.
“The same journalist with my driver, my car, and a government letter, was arrested,” Minister Mzembi said. “We cannot attract tourists if we do not look at our law and order.” The International Press Institute (IPI) has also reacted with anger to the arrest of the journalist, who was only released after the Minister’s intervention later the same day. IPI director David Dadge criticised the unity government for failing to implement proper media reforms, which has resulted in the arrests and intimidation of at least three journalists this year.
“While there has been much talk of improvement to the press freedom climate over the past year, the Zimbabwean government still needs to sensitize police and intelligence agents to the rights of journalists,” Dadge said in a statement. “It is unacceptable for criminal and security legislation to be used as tools for jailing reporters.” On 18 January freelance journalist Andrison Manyere was arrested while covering a demonstration calling for better education, by the pressure group Women of Zimbabwe Arise. He was released the same day. Earlier that same week, freelance journalist Stanley Kwenda was forced to flee the country after receiving a death threat. The caller, allegedly a police officer, warned Kwenda that he would not survive the weekend if he didn’t leave.
The Zimbabwe chapter of pressure group Restoration of Human Rights (ROHR Zimbabwe) has also expressed concern about the actions of the country’s security forces, after the arrest of an MDC official over the weekend. Godfrey Chimombe, the MDC provincial vice chairman for Mashonaland Central, was arrested for allegedly ‘insulting the president’ at a political rally earlier this month. He was released on Tuesday pending a court date on March 6. He faces a jail sentence of up to two years if convicted. Bindura police said Chimombe ‘insulted the office of the president’ by shouting the slogan: “Mugabe Mudenga muroverei pasi” - an MDC slogan suggesting the party can bring Mugabe ‘down’ from power. He was addressing an MDC rally at Mapfura stadium in Mt Darwin.
ROHR Zimbabwe’s spokesperson Ronald Mureverwi told SW Radio Africa on Wednesday that these ongoing arrests “undermine all efforts being made to bring peace and stability to our country.” He said the ‘selective application of the law’ was one of the biggest threats to change in the country. “The actions by the security forces and police make it impossible for people to so much as criticise the government, and this is not a free country,” Mureverwi said.
-SW Radio Africa
Friday, February 5, 2010
Police arrest 22 women
Bulawayo - Police here have arrested 22 members of Women Of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA), an organisation that advocates for a democratic environment that appreciates the role of women in today's family set up and matters of governance, writes Simba Nembaware.
The women were arrested in the high density suburb of Pumula for discussing the constitution. This comes with a background of ongoing constitutional reform process countrywide through which citizens should participate while also allowing others to participate freely.
The women were arrested in the high density suburb of Pumula for discussing the constitution. This comes with a background of ongoing constitutional reform process countrywide through which citizens should participate while also allowing others to participate freely.
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