(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Information Minister Jonathan Moyo, RSF expressed its concern over government threats to foreign journalists who may have entered the country illegally. “These journalists applied for tourist visas only because they had no other option in order to cover the news. We ask the government to give them accreditation and […]
(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Information Minister Jonathan Moyo, RSF expressed its concern over government threats to foreign journalists who may have entered the country illegally.
“These journalists applied for tourist visas only because they had no other option in order to cover the news. We ask the government to give them accreditation and let them work freely,” stated RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard. “With presidential elections due in March we fear that Zimbabwe is hardening its stance against the local and international press,” added Ménard.
According to information obtained by RSF, on 24 January 2002, the government-controlled daily “The Herald” reported that the authorities were close to arresting British and South African journalists who had entered Zimbabwe on tourist visas. According to the daily, reporters from the British publications “The Guardian”, “The Daily Telegraph” and “The Economist” and the South African “Sunday Times” are present in Zimbabwe without official accreditation. “Our net is closing [in] on them and we should be able to account for all of them before the [end] of the day,” said George Charamba, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Information. Several foreign newspapersâ visa applications have been rejected over the past few weeks.
The same day, a journalist from Madagascar was turned back at Harare airport. Sahondra Randriamasimanana, a reporter for “Capricorne” magazine, arrived on holiday in Zimbabwe to visit friends, but was detained by police when she showed her passport, which described her as a “journalist”.
In 2001, Zimbabwe became one of the worst African countries in terms of press freedom. Twenty local journalists were arrested and three foreign press correspondents were expelled from the country. President Robert Mugabe is listed by RSF as one of the thirty-nine international press freedom “predators”. Throughout 2001, the president and his government frequently denounced members of the press in the strongest terms.
