Back to Index

Freedom of the press 2007: Draft country report and ratings
Freedom House
May 01, 2007

http://www.freedomhouse.org/uploads/press_release/zimbabwe_FTP_07.pdf (direct link to 4 page pdf file)

Download this document
- Acrobat PDF version (33KB)
If you do not have the free Acrobat reader on your computer, download it from the Adobe website by clicking here.

Zimbabwe

Status: Not Free
Legal Environment: 29
Political Environment: 33
Economic Environment: 27
Total Score: 89

Press freedom in Zimbabwe remained extremely restricted in 2006, as President Robert Mugabe's government continued to tighten control over domestic media and attempted to block the efforts of foreign outlets to circulate unfiltered news within the country. Despite constitutional provisions for freedom of expression, officials display an openly hostile attitude toward media freedom, and a draconian legislative framework continues to effectively inhibit the activities of journalists and media outlets. The 2002 Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) requires all journalists and media companies to register with the government-controlled Media and Information Commission (MIC). It also gives the information minister sweeping powers to decide who is able to work as a journalist, and a 2005 amendment to the law introduced prison sentences of up to two years for journalists working without accreditation. A number of private newspapers have been denied licenses since the AIPPA came into force. The Daily News, the country's only independent daily, was shuttered in 2003 for not adhering to the AIPPA, and the MIC continued to deny it a license in 2006. Constitutional challenges to the AIPPA by affiliates of the Daily News have proven unsuccessful. However, the high court in February ruled that the July 2005 MIC decision to deny registration to the banned papers must be reconsidered, and in March ruled that the MIC should recuse itself from the decision due to the obvious bias of its chairman.

Download full document 

Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.

TOP