Zimbabwe

(MISA/IFEX) – The Zimbabwe High Court has ordered the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) to start airing the banned programme Talk to the Nation within five days. The ZBC banned the programme in July 2001. Talk to the Nation is sponsored by the National Development Association (NDA). High Court Judge Justice Paradza said the matter was […]

(MISA/IFEX) – Bornwell Chakaodza and Fungayi Kanyuchi, editor and Entertainment editor, respectively, of the weekly English-language newspaper “The Standard”, were arrested on Tuesday 28 May 2002 on allegations of having written falsehoods. The two journalists were arrested in connection with an article that appeared in the newspaper on 26 May, which criticised the manner in […]

(MISA/IFEX) – On Thursday 30 May 2002, a magistrate’s court ruled that Lloyd Mudiwa, a reporter from the private daily newspaper “The Daily News”, and Andrew Meldrum, a foreign correspondent for the British newspaper “The Guardian”, must be tried on allegations of having written “falsehoods”. Both journalists are being charged under the Access to Information […]

(MISA/IFEX) – On Friday 17 May 2002, three journalists arrested on 16 May for allegedly writing “falsehoods” were released on bail. They were detained for one night at the Harare Central Police Station. “The Standard” editor Bornwell Chakaodza, entertainment editor Fungayi Kanyuchi and senior reporter Farai Mutsaka were released on bail of Z$10,000 (approx. US$183) […]

(MISA/IFEX) – Geoffrey Nyarota, editor-in-chief of the private daily newspaper “The Daily News”, was arrested on Monday 20 May 2002 on allegations of publishing “falsehoods” and thereby breaching provisions of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Nyarota was arrested by police officers at around 10:00 a.m. (local time) at the offices of […]

(MISA/IFEX) – Zimbabwe’s police spokesperson, Assistant Police Commissioner Wayne Bvudzijena, has initiated legal proceedings against and is seeking damages from “The Standard” and “The Daily News” over what he alleges to be defamatory articles about him that were published in the two private newspapers. Bvudzijena is also suing “The Daily News” editor Geoffrey Nyarota and […]

(MISA/IFEX) – On 9 May 2002, “The Daily News” reported that the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) briefly detained reporter Assel Gwekerere and Aaron Ufumeli, a photographer for the newspaper, on Tuesday 7 May. The journalists were handcuffed by the police outside a city hotel in Harare while photographing a man suspected of being involved in […]

(MISA/IFEX) – On 16 May 2002, Bornwell Chakaodza, the editor of the independent Sunday newspaper “The Standard”, and journalists Farai Mutsaka and Fungai Kanyuchi of the same newspaper were arrested on allegations of having written “falsehoods”. The three individuals were arrested at around 1:00 p.m. (local time) by the Criminal Investigations Department for allegedly writing […]

(MISA/IFEX) – The Supreme Court has thrown out an urgent application by three journalists seeking the determination of their matter in which they are challenging the constitutionality of some clauses of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act. On Thursday 16 May 2002, the court ruled that journalists Jan Raath, Andrew Meldrum and […]

(MISA/IFEX) – The 12 May 2002 edition of Zimbabwe’s state owned newspaper “The Sunday Mail” reported that the ruling Zimbabwe African National Unity Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) party intends to sue all the media organisations that carried the story that was published by “The Daily News” alleging that a Karoi woman was beheaded in the presence […]

(MISA/IFEX) – The state-owned daily newspaper “The Chronicle” has called for the government to ban Zimbabwe’s only private daily newspaper, “The Daily News”, for what it calls “abuse of journalistic privilege.” The call was made in the newspaper’s 3 May 2002 edition, which ironically is celebrated internationally as World Press Freedom Day. In a front-page […]

(MISA/IFEX) – Brian Mangwende, a reporter with the private daily newspaper “The Daily News”, was arrested in the eastern border city of Mutare on Friday 10 May 2002. Mangwende was detained for two hours on allegations of having written a false story over the victimisation of schoolteachers working in Zimbabwe’s rural areas. Mangwende wrote that […]

(MISA/IFEX) – The Zimbabwean government is reported to have instructed Joy Television (Joy TV) to stop broadcasting BBC news on its programmes. Joy TV has since complied with the instruction and the 30-minute news bulletin that was shown everyday at 21h00 (local time) is no longer being broadcast. Joy TV is a private television station […]

(MISA/IFEX) – On Monday 6 May 2002, Urgunia Mauluka, a photojournalist for “The Daily News”, was assaulted at the High Court in the capital, Harare, as she attempted to photograph a suspect in a high profile corruption case. Mauluka was assaulted by James Makaya, who seized her camera and film. In a report made to […]

(MISA/IFEX) – Three foreign journalists have made an urgent application at the Supreme Court, challenging the constitutionality of certain sections of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act. In papers filed at the Supreme Court, journalists Jan Raath, Andrew Meldrum and Peta Thornycroft ask the court to declare Sections 71 (1), 79 (2), […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – The following is a 7 May 2002 CPJ press release: Zimbabwe: Charges dropped against journalist New York, May 7, 2002-A judge today dismissed charges of “abusing journalistic privileges” and “publishing false information” against Collin Chiwanza, reporter for the independent Daily News, citing lack of evidence. Chiwanza appeared in court with fellow Daily News […]