Zimbabwe: Human rights 2002 - 2005

Updated April 2005

In March 2002, following the presidential election, the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act came into force. The Act gave the government wide powers over the media, including the licensing of journalists and control over content. These powers were used were to prevent foreign journalists from working in Zimbabwe, and to remove journalists and editors who failed to repeat the officially promulgated positions adopted by the government (Kubatana.net 2004).

Concurrently the Public Order and Security (POSA) was passed, which imposed a number of stringent content restrictions on the media. POSA also placed strict limits on demonstrations and public gatherings, which the government used to break up political assemblies, arrest demonstrators and with hold permission for party rallies (Kubatana.net 2004).

By 2005 the situation had changed considerably from that in 2002. All independent newspapers and journals had been closed, the judiciary was quiet and compliant and the seizures of white owned land were complete.

It is this context of successful repression that the calm environment free from intimidated that prevailed during the parliamentary elections must be viewed.

Reference

KUBATANA.NET 2004, "The Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act: Two Years On", [www] http://www.kubatana.net/html/archive/legisl/041027article19.asp?sector= LEGISL&range_start=31 [opens new window] (accessed 30 Oct 2007).