ANALYSIS OF COVID-19 REGULATIONS VIS-À-VIS FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION IN THE SADC REGION in Khayelitsha late July 2020.41 The continued harassments of journalists in the field by the South African police inspired the journalism welfare organisation, South African national editors’ forum to convene a meeting on 23 July 2020 with the leadership of the police where they deliberated and agreed that police must desist from hindering the work of journalists.42 of the lockdown or for working without valid journalism accreditation cards. The arrests happened at a time when the Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) was not issuing accreditation cards.47 The latest arrest is that of Hopewell Chin’ono (a journalist) and Jacob Ngarivhume (leader of Transform Zimbabwe, an opposition party) on 20 July 2020 in Harare. Although the charges against them do not indicate and link with Covid-19, the two Chin’ono and Ngarivhume have been using social media platforms (Facebook and Twitter) to expose and condemn corruption by public officials and political and economic crisis in Zimbabwe.48 Chin’ono in particular had exposed corruption in the use of public funds that are for the government response to the Covid-19 pandemic.49Following these revelations, the Minister of Health is facing charges of corruption and has been dismissed from his position. In Botswana, an official from the Botswana Patriotic Front, an opposition party, Justice Motlhabane, was arrested for “degrading and maligning the leadership” and was charged under the Penal Code. Motlhabane commented on Facebook on the possibility that the president In Tanzania, authorities suspended Talib Ussi Hamad, a journalist from the Daima daily newspaper, for six months for reporting on COVID-19.43 The Star Media Tanzania Ltd, Multichoice Tanzania Ltd and Azam Digital Broadcast Ltd was fined five million Tanzanian shillings (about USD 2200 and compelled to apologise for falsely reporting on Tanzania’s response to Covid-19.44 Arrests of journalists Zimbabwe has been described as the “Africa’s biggest press freedom violator in connection with coronavirus crisis”.45 MISA has recorded 19 cases of Covid-19 related harassment, intimidation and detention of several journalists.46 Journalists werearrestedwhilereportingontheenforcement 41 S Ngqakamba ‘Sanef dismayed by attack on News24 journalist covering unrests in Khayelitsha’ (2020) https://www.news24.com/ news24/southafrica/news/sanef-dismayed-by-attack-on-news24-journalist-covering-unrests-in- khayelitsha-20200721 (accessed 28 July 2020. 42 ‘Joint statement of Sanef and SAPS following a robust and fruitful meeting’ (2020) https://sanef.org.za/joint-statement-of- sanefand-saps-following-a-robust-and-fruitful-meeting/ (accessed 28 July 2020). 43 Amnesty International: ‘Tanzania: Authorities must end crackdown on journalists reporting on COVID-19’ 21 April 2020 https://www. amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/04/tanzania-authorities-must-end-crackdown-on-journalists-reporting-on-covid19/ (accessed 20 July 2020). 44 Amnesty International: ‘Tanzania: Authorities must end crackdown on journalists reporting on COVID-19’ 21 April 2020. https://www. amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/04/tanzania-authorities-must-end-crackdown-on-journalists-reporting-on-covid19/ (accessed 20 July 2020). 45 Reporters without Borders: ‘Five Zimbabwean reporters arrested while covering coronavirus lockdown’ 10 April 2020 https://rsf. org/en/news/five-zimbabwean-reporters-arrested-while-covering-coronavirus-lockdown (accessed 20 July 2020). 46MISA: ‘COVID-19 is the enemy, not the media!’ 9 April 2020 https://zimbabwe.misa.org/2020/04/09/covid-19-is-the-enemy- not-themedia/. See also https://rsf.org/en/news/five-zimbabwean-reporters-arrested-while-covering-coronavirus-lockdown (accessed 20 July 2020) 47Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Zimbabwe chapter to eventually sort a High Court order ordering the police and other law enforcement agencies charged with enforcing the COVID-19 lockdown not to interfere “in any unnecessary way” with the work of journalists. The order was granted on 20 April. 48 They have been charged with allegations of contravening section 187(1) (a) as read with section 37(1) (a) of the Criminal Law [Codification and Reform] Act, Chapter 9:23, which pertains to incitement to participate in a gathering with intent to promote public violence, and breaches of peace or bigotry. They have also been charged under alternative charges of incitement to commit public violence. 49 ‘Zimbabwe police detain prominent journalist, opposition official’ 21 July 2020 https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/07/zimbabwe-police-detain-prominent-journalist-protest-leader-200720193232172.html (accessed 26 July 2020). https://zimbabwe.misa.org 14