Zimbabwe to the extent that the reasonable, necessary a democratic society ness, justice, human and freedom. restriction is fair, and justifiable in based on opendignity, equality nessed by the number of arrests of ordinary Zimbabwean citizens and media professionals relating to their use of the internet and social media platforms in Zimbabwe. The media plays a fundamental role in accessing information, which is vital to the day-to-day functioning of a democracy and the socio-economic wellbeing of citizens. Citizens should thus be empowered through enabling legislation to request and receive information from public and private bodies. The arrests have raised pertinent questions on internet freedom, security and citizen journalism, social media and the law. With the precedent cases of Vikazi Mavhudzi in 2011 over a post made on former Prime Minister, Morgan Tsvangirai’s Facebook page, several arrests were made. FREE EXPRESSION ONLINE Free expression online curtailed by arrests and restrictive legislation On 13 June 2014, the government repealed Statutory Instrument 142/2013 of the Postal and Telecommunications (Subscriber Registration) regulations following an adverse report by the Parliamentary Legal Committee (PLC). The PLC passed the adverse report in March 2014 after observing the regulations were unconstitutional as they allowed state security agents to access subscribers’ personal data without a court search warrant. The new regulations S.I.95 of 2014 bar the release of subscriber information to law enforcement agents without a court warrant. The repealed regulations previously allowed POTRAZ to give information in its central database to a law enforcement agent only if it was requested in writing by an officer of or above the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police or an equivalent rank in another force. In practice this has not been so as wit- 86 So This is Democracy? 2014 For example, Harare tailor, Madzibaba Chacha, was arrested after a picture of him in a Zimbabwe Republic Police uniform went viral on Whatsapp; and names of individuals ‘connected’ to online character Baba Jukwa were released, including Sunday Mail Editor Edmund Kudzayi and University of Zimbabwe student Romeo Musemburi. MISA-Zimbabwe recognises the internet and social media as a democratic and ideal space for individuals to freely express themselves owing to the continued control of the mainstream media; a position acknowledged by the United Nations in a declaration of Internet freedom as a basic right in 2012. The authorities should therefore speedily repeal AIPPA and all pieces of legislation that criminalise freedom of expression; curtail access to information and choke the media from freely fulfilling its fundamental watchdog role. PRINT MEDIA SECTOR Dwindling economy takes its toll on journalist morale and professionalism While Zimbabwe boasts a plethora of print media houses, the long-term viability of newspaper companies is threat-