SYDNEY MUBAIWA
MASVINGO- The Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) has called on Zimbabwean authorities to stop targeting and harassing journalists going about their work.
In a statement on World Press Freedom Day commemorations, the Union ‘s Secretary General Perfect Hlongwane said the celebrations were held under the heavy shadow of regression of media freedoms.
” We commemorate this World Press Freedom Day ,under the heavy shadow of regression, a regression of media freedoms in our beloved country, Zimbabwe. We converge not to celebrate, but to reignite our collective call for genuine Press freedom, to reflect on our struggles, and to assert our rights, not privilege, to inform, question and hold power to account,” he said.
He said the constitution of the country, in Sections 61 and 62, guarantees freedom of expression, freedom of the media, and the right of access to information.
“Zimbabwe’s Constitution, in Sections 61 and 62, guarantees freedom of expression, freedom of the media, and the right of access to information. Yet, in practice, these constitutional promises are continuously being undermined by legislation and policy that do not only contradict the letter of the Constitution, but violate its spirit.
“Let us be clear: the operational environment for journalists and media workers is shrinking and shrinking rapidly, becoming more hostile more precarious, and less democratic,” he said.
He said among the legislative instruments that stifle the profession are the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Amendment Act and the Cyber Security and Data Protection Act laws which are so vaguely defined that they criminalise criticism of the state thereby creating a chilling effect on investigative journalism, giving examples of journalists like Hopewell Chingono, Blessed Mhlanga and Owen Madondo who were arrested for doing their work.
He said the Interception of Communications Act grants sweeping surveillance powers to the state, threatening journalistic confidentiality and the safety of sources.
He added that the Maintenance of Peace and Order Act (MOPA) is used not only to target protests but also to hinder journalists covering civic events and public dissent.
“These laws, and the culture they engender, run counter to international standards and to our constitution. We demand that they be subjected to sober, inclusive reforms for the betterment of our society.
“We are here to say: it is time to align Zimbabwe’s media laws with the values enshrined in our constitution.
“We call upon the Government of Zimbabwe: come to the table. Engage in genuine, transparent, and good – faith law reform.
“Let this be a nation where journalists are not criminals, but patriots in their own right, whose tools are truth and accountability. Let Press freedom be the legacy of President Mnangagwa’s administration,” he said.
He urged employers in the media industry to improve journalists’ salaries as they play important roles in the society.
“Too many of our colleagues toil under exploitative conditions. Low and inconsistent salaries, lack of contracts, unsafe working environments, and harassment, both from state and non-state actors are daily realities.
“We cannot speak of a free press when the workers who sustain it are treated with indignity. We call upon media employers to engage ZUJ and its affiliates in meaningful social dialogue,” he said.
He said respectable remuneration, fair contracts, and safe working environments are not luxuries but they are the bedrock of sustainable journalism.
“A journalist who is hungry, silenced by threats of dismissal, or forced to self-censor to survive is not free.
“Without justice for media workers, press freedom is a mirage,” he added.
Meanwhile, Community Newspapers Association of Zimbabwe (CNAZ) chairman Matthew Takaona in a statement on World Press Freedom Day commemorations accused Government of using the law to punish AMH subsidiary HStv senior anchor Blessed Dhara Mhlanga for his bravery in exposing corruption.
“We cannot mark the day in any other way except to show solidarity with our colleague, Blessed Mhlanga. As a group of publishers, we are convinced that Mhlanga has not committed any crime but is being punished for his bravery in fighting corruption and speaking truth to power.
“We therefore demand the following; bail or immediate release of Mhlanga without further persecution and we call on the international community, lawyers, human rights organisations, Parliamentary platforms and democratic governments throughout the World to put pressure on President Mnangagwa to release Mhlanga.
“Journalism is not a crime but a pillar of democracy and freedom,” reads the statement.
Human rights watchdogs have also weighed in calling the Zimbabwean government to stop targeting and harassing journalists in the course of their work.
In its statement, Amnesty International has raised concern over the continued detention of senior journalist Blessed Mhlanga, who was arrested on 24 February 2025.
He has been charged with “transmitting data messages that incite violence or damage to property.”
Mhlanga spent 72 days in custody, with authorities repeatedly denying him bail.
Amnesty International has called on the government to protect, not persecute, journalists, emphasising the need to safeguard press freedom and ensure the free flow of information.
Other media rights groups in the country have urged the government to scrap the proposed Broadcasting Services Bill. They warn that if the bill is signed into law in its current form it will significantly roll back media freedoms in the country.
NB: THE ARTICLE WAS WRITTEN BEFORE DHARA WAS RELEASED FROM PRISON TODAY ON $500 BAIL BY HIGH COURT JUDGE, JUSTICE GIBSON MANDAZA.
