❖ Conclusion
The media-operating environment in 2019 was far from the ideal when measured against the
government’s compliance with constitutional guarantees to media freedom, free expression
and citizens’ right to access to information.
This is despite pledges by the new government led by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, to
break with the past which was characterised by unlawful arrests, assaults and harassment of
journalists conducting their constitutionally guaranteed professional duties.
In 2019 we continued to witness cases involving the assaults or unlawful arrests of journalists
that were perpetrated by the police– the very same agents that are supposed to protect
journalists and the citizens in general.
The State should therefore take the lead in fulfilling its constitutional obligations of
guaranteeing the safety and security of journalists, media workers and other content creators
as they exercise their right to media freedom and freedom of expression.
This will go a long way in entrenching media freedom and citizens’ right to free expression
and access to information as provided for by the country’s Constitution and other regional
and international instruments that the country is party to.
End

❖ Media Violations Statistics 2019

ASSAULTED
Victim/Concerned

Issue

Date

Costah Nkomo,

Police assaulted the journalist while they were

9 January

journalist with 263 Chat.

rounding vendors in Harare’s central business

2019

Party

district.
Abigail Khupe and Lulu

Abigail and Brenda were teargassed by the police

Brenda, Bulawayo –
25

14 January

Select target paragraph3