Zimbabwe JOURNALIST SAFETY Reduction in reported violations, but Zimbabwe still not safe for journalists Overall, MISA Zimbabwe is pleased to report a steady decline in the number of media violations recorded since 2009. In 2014, we reported a total of 22 cases compared to the 28 cases reported in 2013 - a positive trend when viewed against the 80 alerts issued in 2009. While this reduction is commendable, the nature of the violations recorded in 2014 is cause for great concern. Examples include: 18 August – Police assualted Anjela Jimu, a photographer with the Zimbabwe Mail, while covering a demonstration in Harare by opposition MDC-T youths. 19 September - Privilege Musvanhiri, an online editor with the Zimbabwe Mail, sustained bruises in the back after Harare Municipal Police assualted and arrested him for photgraphing clashes between council workers and commuter omnibus operators. 16 October - security officer at Harare International Airport stripped naked The Herald photographer, Justin Mutenda, who was covering the departure of the Bangladeshi national cricket team 22 October - Harare police assaulted and detained Tapiwa Zivira, online reporter for NewsDay, for four hours after he filmed a police blitz against touts operating in the central business district These are just some of the reported cases and none of the perpetrators of these assaults had been brought to book at the 84 So This is Democracy? 2014 time of the writing of this report. These violations cannot be taken lightly when viewed against threats by Media, Information and Broadcasting Services Secretary George Charamba on 8 October 2014. Charamba was reported on ZTV warning the media that the government could resort to administering “unpalatable instruments” to rein in media deemed to be unprofessional. Even more ominous was the First Lady Grace Mugabe’s veiled threats against journalists working for the privately owned Newsday and Daily News during her ‘Meet the People’ rallies. Daily News journalist Fungai Kwaramba was among the journalists at a Zanu PF rally at Rudhaka Stadium in Marondera on 17 October 2014, when the First Lady demanded journalists working for the Daily News identify themselves. According to media reports, the atmosphere was highly charged given the enmity among supporters of the different factions within Zanu PF who could easily have taken the law into their own hands if the journalists had identified themselves as demanded. The First Lady had issued similar threats earlier in the Midlands capital of Gweru, reportedly saying she prayed for the closure of the Daily News and Newsday for writing untruthfully about her and the First Family. FREEDOM OF INFORMATION Restrictive laws continue to block access to information The continued existence of restrictive laws such as AIPPA, Criminal Defamation, Public Order and Security Act (POSA), Interception of Communications Act and the Entertainment Controls