Tanzania has announced a new set of regulations for foreign media in a continuing and worrying trend of clamping down on freedom of expression and media freedom.
Statements
Fresh assault on digital rights and expression in Tanzania
The Tanzanian government has banned organising or supporting any form of demonstrations online and ordered citizens not to share information about the spread of the COVID 19 pandemic in the country.
Media lawyer Sithole files urgent chamber application
Nqobani Sithole has filed an urgent chamber application before the High Court of Bulawayo on the 31st of July 2020 around 15:00hrs for a habeas corpus of Tawanda Muchehiwa. He filed the application representing MISA Zimbabwe.
MISA files urgent court application against Econet search warrant
MISA Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) filed an urgent application with the High Court for an order interdicting Econet Wireless Zimbabwe and other cited respondents from implementing a police warrant seeking information on the mobile phone operator’s transactions.
Statement to the ACHPR on the right to freedom of expression
Below is a statement by MISA Zimbabwe director Tabani Moyo, presented at the 66th Ordinary session of the African Commission of Human and People’s Rights which was held virtually today, 21 July, 2020.
Government asked to enact Cybersecurity Bill in line with continental benchmarks
Human rights groups worldwide highlight that the bill in its current form does not meet international standards on protecting privacy and personal data
Mozambique journalist still missing three months later
This year on 7 July 2020 marked exactly three months since Mozambican journalist Ibraimo Abu Mbaruco went missing and to this day authorities in that country are yet to come up with a plausible explanation of what happened to him.
Tanzania resorts to fake news laws to shut down TV station
The Tanzanian government has suspended Kwanza Online TV for 11 months for allegedly publishing an unbalanced, biased, misleading and disruptive story on the state of the COVID-19 in that country.
SADC govts should cushion media against COVID-19 threats
While the media, particularly print, have been able to innovate and survive these challenges, the COVID-19 pandemic presents an existential threat to an industry that was already limping in the SADC region.
Government surveillance should be lawful, justified and necessary
MISA Zimbabwe takes note of the chain of events that have transpired in these last few months in Zimbabwe, which seem to point to increased attempts by the government to promote and entrench mass surveillance of citizens.