Zimbabwe

(MISA/IFEX) – On Friday 7 July 2000, war veterans in Mashonaland Central held a “Herald” reporter, George Soko, and photographer William Mafunga hostage for almost three hours at a farm in the town of Centenary. The two journalists had earlier visited two other farms and talked to war veterans without any problems. However, when they […]

(MISA/IFEX) – The Ministry of Information, Posts and Telecommunications has announced the introduction of fees for accreditation of journalists and film processing. The accreditation fees are Z$150 (US$4) for local journalists and US$100 for foreign journalists. The fee structure came into effect on 1 July 2000. Fees for processing documentaries will be US$500. Clearance for […]

(MISA/IFEX) – On 18 June 2000, Sibusiso Ndlovu, a senior photographer with “The Chronicle”, the Bulawayo-based state-owned daily paper, was attacked by suspected war veterans and ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) party supporters when he tried to take pictures of the group as they clashed with members of an opposition political party, ZAPU. […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – In a 21 June 2000 letter to President Robert Mugabe, CPJ expressed its deep concern about the climate of intimidation in which journalists covering the upcoming parliamentary elections in Zimbabwe are being forced to work. In recent weeks, local and foreign correspondents have been subjected to harassment and even violence by politicians and […]

(MISA/IFEX) – On 20 June 2000, a magistrate’s court in Harare fined three “Standard” journalists for publishing a story that incorrectly stated that the draft constitution had been printed while the body responsible for the document was still soliciting opinions on it. Former acting editor of the paper Andy Moyse, reporter Chengetai Zvauya and publisher […]

(MISA/IFEX) – On 21 June 2000, some twenty assailants attacked a car carrying four foreign media workers at a farm in southern Zimbabwe, in full view of Commonwealth election observers, reports the online publication “Electronic Mail & Guardian”. The four media workers – Beatrice Khadige of Agence France-Presse, Sharon Chetty of the “Sowetan” (South Africa), […]

(MISA/IFEX) – “The Standard” reports that the government has ordered journalists from the “Herald” and the Harare-based Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) to cover the ruling party’s election campaign in Bulawayo and Matebeleland province, complaining of a lack of patriotism on the part of journalists working for Zimpapers and ZBC in Bulawayo. The government has allegedly […]

(MISA/IFEX) – On 17 June 2000, Minister of Information Chen Chimutengwende told the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) that liberalisation of the airwaves would be a top priority for the next parliament. Zimbabweans will choose members of the next parliament later this week. Minister Chimutengwende, who was speaking during an interview on ZBC’s main news programme, […]

**Updates IFEX alerts of 7 June, 24 and 23 February 2000** (MISA/IFEX) – The three “Standard” journalists charged with criminal defamation over a story headlined “Draft printed ahead of results” have been found guilty. Managing director Clive Wilson, then editor Andy Moyse and reporter Chengetayi Zvauya will be sentenced on Tuesday 20 June 2000. This […]

**Updates IFEX alert of 3 May 2000** (MISA/IFEX) – On 14 June 2000, the Zimbabwe Supreme Court rejected an urgent application by a prospective independent radio station, Capital Radio, to nullify Section 27 of the Broadcasting Act. The Court also rejected the demand by Capital Radio that it be issued with a licence to broadcast […]

(MISA/IFEX) – On 13 June 2000, the Zimbabwe Supreme Court issued a ground breaking interim order compelling the state-owned Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) and its employees to act impartially in the reporting and distribution of news and information. The order followed an application to this effect by the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party, which […]

(MISA/IFEX) – The free distribution of privately-owned newspapers is being curtailed in Kwekwe, in the Midlands Province, as a result of attacks on vendors, reports the “Zimbabwe Independent” newspaper. The newspapers affected are the “Zimbabwe Independent”, the “Standard” and the “Daily News”. The distributor of two of the affected newspapers, Publications Distribution, said vendors were […]

(MISA/IFEX) – The trial of three newsmen from the “Standard” has closed in the Harare Magistrate’s Court, with judgement expected to be passed on 16 June 2000. The three, publisher and managing director Clive Wilson, former acting editor Andrew Moyse and reporter Chengetai Zvauya, are facing charges of criminal defamation arising from an article published […]

(MISA/IFEX) – On 6 June 2000, Chenjerai Hunzvi, the chairman of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans’ Association, gave what he called a “last warning” to the independent daily “The Daily News”, to desist from publishing articles that tarnished his image and that of his organisation. Hunzvi told reporters at a press conference that he […]

(ARTICLE 19/IFEX) – The following is an ARTICLE 19 press release: 5 June 2000 – for immediate release Zimbabwe Journalists Win Supreme Court Case In a landmark judgment upholding the right to freedom of expression, the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe has struck down the legal provision under which tortured journalists Mark Chavunduka and Ray Choto […]

**Updates IFEX alerts of 24 May, 3 April, 31, 23 and 15 March, 1 February, 28 and 7 January 2000, 4 October, 30 and 10 September, 19 July, 31 and 22 May, 25 March, 24, 12, 11, 10, 9 and 3 February, 29, 27, 25, 22, 21, 18, 15 and 13 January 1999** (CPJ/IFEX) – […]