Zimbabwe

(MISA/IFEX) – On Monday 18 June 2001, four journalists from “The Zimbabwe Mirror” were beaten up and briefly detained by riot police officers while covering protests against fuel hikes in Mabvuku, a high density suburb of Harare. According to a 22 June report in “The Zimbabwe Mirror”, the four reporters, c, were covering riots sparked […]

(MISA/IFEX) – The Department of Information and Publicity turned down an application by three British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), reporters to be accredited to cover the solar eclipse, citing failure to comply with the new accreditation regulations, which require journalists to give a month’s notice in order for the department to process their requests. Journalists Simon […]

(MISA/IFEX) – Zimbabwe’s permanent secretary in the Department of Information and Publicity, George Charamba, has defended the new accreditation regulation, which requires foreign journalists to apply for accreditation from their countries one month before their planned visits to Zimbabwe, according to a report in the 17 June 2001 edition of “The Sunday Mail”. Charamba said […]

(MISA/IFEX) – On Tuesday 5 June 2001, police beat up and arrested a “Daily News” reporter and four of the dozens of college students demonstrating against the privatisation of catering and accommodation services by the government in Harare. Armed riot police disrupted the students who had gathered at the Old Mutual Centre, the Ministry of […]

(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Minister of Information Jonathan Moyo, RSF protested the new restrictions against foreign journalists. RSF asked the minister to cancel these measures and allow foreign correspondents to work freely throughout Zimbabwe. “The authorities try to control information inside and outside the country by any means,” said Robert Ménard, the organisation’s […]

(MISA/IFEX) – On 31 May 2001, broadcaster Margaret Kriel was fired from the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) after airing an interview about Israel. Her thirty-minute programme “Morning Mirror” was stopped on the air without any explanation. Kriel, who has yet to receive her official dismissal letter, was asked to leave the corporation by Radio One […]

(MISA/IFEX) – “The Daily News” came under sharp criticism from the government for defiling “traditional norms” and attempting to undermine the country’s values through repeated attempts at making a mockery out of the death of African leaders, “The Herald” reported on 5 June 2001. In a stinging attack, Information and Publicity Minister Jonathan Moyo said […]

(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Minister of Information Jonathan Moyo, RSF expressed its concern about the deterioration of press freedom in Zimbabwe. RSF asked the minister to do everything in his power to ensure that journalists are no longer harassed in the country. The organisation also asked the minister to order the national regulatory […]

(MISA/IFEX) – The Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) has banned a civic organisation’s live programme from being aired arguing that the programme did not follow the corporation’s commissioning procedures as editorial responsibility is vested in the public broadcaster, “The Herald” and “The Daily News” reported on 6 June 2001. The weekly programme, “Talk to the Nation” […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – The following is a 6 June 2001 CPJ press release: GOVERNMENT BANS POLITICAL TV PROGRAM New York, June 6, 2001 — A weekly television talk show was banned yesterday after only three broadcasts because callers criticized Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe. On June 5, Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) chairman Gideon Gono wrote to the […]

(WPFC/IFEX) – The following is a WPFC report: Press Freedom Mission to Zimbabwe May 7 – 11, 2001 International Press Institute, Vienna Media Workers Association of South Africa, Johannesburg South African National Editors’ Forum, Johannesburg World Press Freedom Committee, Washington and Paris Executive Summary: During a four-day mission to Harare, Zimbabwe, organized by the World […]

(MISA/IFEX) – Geoff Nyarota, editor-in-chief of “The Daily News”, has been charged with criminal defamation for the second time in a month over reports of stories involving President Robert Mugabe’s case filed in the United States (USA), “The Daily News” reported on Thursday 10 May 2001. The charge arises from the publication of stories in […]

(FXI/IFEX) – The following is a 14 May 2001 FXI media release: Community newspapers under attack in Zimbabwe The Freedom of Expression Institute would like to condemn the Zimbabwean government’s offensive attack on the community newspapers under the Community Newspaper Group (CNG), a holding company for the state. Minister of State for Information and Publicity […]

(MISA/IFEX) – The Department of Information and Publicity in the President’s office will not entertain any queries or inquiries from reporters or media organisations that are incapable of reporting accurately, Minister of Information and Publicity Jonathan Moyo said, in a statement “The Herald” reported on Friday 11 May 2001. Moyo said that the lack of […]

(WPFC/IFEX) – The following is a 10 May 2001 WPFC press release: COMMITTEE TO PROTECT JOURNALISTS COMMONWEALTH PRESS UNION INTER AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BROADCASTING INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE PERIODICAL PRESS INTERNATIONAL PRESS INSTITUTE WORLD ASSOCIATION OF NEWSPAPERS WORLD PRESS FREEDOM COMMITTEE Preliminary Findings of Press Freedom Delegation to Zimbabwe Members of the […]

(MISA/IFEX) – Three freelance photographers were arrested on Thursday 26 April 2001 by President Mugabe’s security personnel after taking pictures of Mugabe as he toured stands at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair, “The Daily News” reported on 30 April. The photographers, who were officially accredited to cover the fair, were approached by plainclothes security people […]