SECTOR 1

1.1 Freedom of expression, including freedom of
the media, is guaranteed in the constitution and
supported by other pieces of legislation
There are specific provisions relating to freedom of expression and media in the
constitution.
Chapter 4 (article 61.1) notes that every person has the right to freedom of
artistic expression; and article 61.2 notes that “every person is entitled to
freedom of the media”.
However, there is ‘a crisis of the constitution versus constitutionalism.’ Even
though legislation on freedom of expression and of the media exists, there is a
lack of substance and implementation of the Constitutional provisions.
An example is the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA),
which is currently undergoing a process of ‘unbundling’, whereby access to
information, media regulation and privacy issues would be envisioned as pieces
of separate legislation rather than a single act.
However, the Act still stands in law and has not been changed, six-and-a-half
years after the new constitution was enacted. So, although legislation exists, it
does not effectively ‘support’ the freedoms outlined in the constitution.
Revised legislation is currently in the proposal stage. With current discussions on
issues surrounding access to information, there need to be broader discussions
of, for instance, the issue of access to private information, which is not mentioned
in current legislation.

Scores:
Individual scores:
1

Country does not meet indicator

2

Country meets only a few aspects of indicator

3

Country meets some aspects of indicator

4

Country meets most aspects of indicator

5

Country meets all aspects of the indicator

Average score:
Score of previous years:

8

AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER ZIMBABWE 2020

✓

✓

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

✓
✓

✓ ✓

3.1
2006: 1.3; 2008: 1.8; 2010: 1.6; 2012: 2.3; 2015: 3

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