Robert Mugabe

Twenty years after massacres, Rwanda stable but its media restricted

The Rwandan government has taken great strides in bringing stability to the country since the 1994 genocide that claimed 800,000 lives, but moves to allow greater press freedom have been slow. While government control of the media has loosened, many journalists remain fearful that the regulations are not enough to stop the harassment and threats, and that a lack of investment is damaging their professional reputation. A special report of the Committee to Protect Journalists by Anton Harber

Cape Town, South Africa, October 23, 2014--Police and politicians in Zimbabwe should respect the right of journalists to report the news without fear of intimidation or violence, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today after police beat up a journalist in the capital, Harare.

Police in the capital, Harare, on August 18, 2014, assaulted and detained a photojournalist from the private daily paper Zimbabwe Mail who was covering a demonstration calling on the government to provide jobs, according to news reports.

Cape Town, South Africa, June 23, 2014--Zimbabwean authorities should drop charges against the editor of the state-controlled Sunday Mail and release him immediately, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

The printed word is thriving in parts of Africa, but advertisers' clout means they can often quietly control what is published. By Tom Rhodes

By Sue Valentine/CPJ Africa Program Coordinator

With Zimbabwe elections days away, the fight over access to the airwaves has intensified. The media environment has loosened slightly compared with previous years, but most Zimbabweans still lack access to independent sources of news, including radio. One person familiar with obstacles to broadcasting is Zenzele Ndebele, editor of Radio Dialogue, a community radio station based in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, founded in 2001.

By Sue Valentine/CPJ Africa Program Coordinator

When Star-FM launched on June 25, 2012, it was the first time in 30 years that Zimbabweans, who have known no other radio besides the state-controlled Radio Zimbabwe, had the chance to call in to a radio station to express their views. 

Cape Town, South Africa, June 18, 2013--All parties in Zimbabwe's government of national unity must respect the responsibility of journalists to document events and report the views of citizens, especially in the run-up to the country's elections in July, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. In four different cases this month, reporters have been attacked apparently in connection with their coverage of the country's two major political parties.

Cape Town, South Africa, May 8, 2013--Police in Harare have filed criminal charges against two Zimbabwean journalists on accusations they published "false statements prejudicial to the state" in a story about behind-the-scenes discussions between military leaders and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change. 

Nairobi, February 28, 2013--Zimbabwean authorities' seizure of hand-cranked and solar-powered radios distributed by nongovernmental organizations prevents local citizens from accessing diverse sources of information in the run-up to the country's general elections in July, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.