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.
Statements
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.
High Court orders Zimbabwe Media Commission to suspend accreditation process
The Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) has been ordered by the High Court to suspend its accreditation process following an urgent application instituted by the Zimbabwe Online Content Creators Trust (ZOCC).
Tanzania’s cybercrime law anathema to democracy and free speech
Tanzanian journalist Mary Victor, with the Raia Mwema newspaper was charged for sedition after she allegedly shared a video clip of patients allegedly fleeing a COVID-19 centre in that country.
COVID-19, fake news laws being used to stifle free speech
Governments in Southern Africa are coming up with several regulations under the pretext of regulating the scourge of misinformation, particularly in the COVID-19 period, yet, they are using these laws to target dissenting voices, civil society, the media and opposition political parties.