strongly believes that the implementation of these three fundamental principles will greatly reduce
impunity for crimes against journalists.

Access to Information/Freedom of Expression
Zimbabwe’s public institutions are still far from fulfilling their roles as holders of information that should
be released upon request and in the public interest.
The opaqueness and secretive nature of the country’s public institutions as revealed in surveys
conducted by MISA Zimbabwe over the years, risks standing in the way of President Mnangagwa’s
Zimbabwe is open for business mantra.
Business invests and thrives in an environment where relevant information is readily available as
opposed to situations where requests are subjected to tedious bureaucratic processes or worse still,
not being responded to.
Section 62 of the Constitution guarantees the right to access to information. However, the continued
existence of restrictive laws such as the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA)
and Official Secrets Act (OSA), among others, erode guarantees enshrined in the Constitution.
AIPPA provisions, not in sync with the Constitution are:
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Section 5 of AIPPA which limits access to information which is in the hands of a public body.
Secondly, this section also restricts the exercise of this right to citizens and residents of
Zimbabwe. This is in contravention of Section 62 of the Constitution which states that the right
to access information can be exercised by every person, and it is applicable to information
stored by public, State, and private bodies.

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Sections 64 and 80 of AIPPA which criminalise “abuse of freedom of expression” and “abuse of
journalistic privilege” respectively. These provisions contradict Section 61 of the Constitution
which protects the right to freedom of expression and media freedom.

The continued discord between legislation and the Constitution goes beyond being a rights issue
because it also affects Zimbabwe’s business prospects on the global stage. For instance, Section 65 of
AIPPA restricts foreigners from owning mass media services (mass media services include print and
broadcast media which are intended to be read, seen or heard, as the case may be, by an unlimited
number of people).

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