acknowledgement of the fact that the provision might not be able to meet the
objective test of constitutionality.
It is trite to note that in 2015, the Constitutional Court found that this crime was
inconsistent with the freedom of expression guaranteed by Section 20 (1) of
the former Constitution. Incorporating the same crime in the current draft Bill is
tantamount to revival of this unconstitutional act under a different guise.
social media
Social media is an umbrella term which describes internet based instant
messaging platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, and Instagram.
As the prices of Internet enabled smartphones have steadily dropped, more
Zimbabweans are connecting to the Internet via these mobile devices. This is
reflected

in

the

quarterly

reports

published

by

the

Postal

and

Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ), in the past
two years.
By mid-2016, an estimated 92% of Zimbabweans accessing the Internet did
so through mobile devices. Popular social media services in Zimbabwe are
Facebook, and WhatsApp. Recently, the number of Zimbabweans who
actively use Twitter and Instagram, has also risen.
In a country with high voice-call rates, coupled with a political environment
where freedom of association is sometimes restricted, social media has
provided affordable and relatively safe platforms for Zimbabweans with similar
interests to “meet-up” and share their views. This has significantly improved
the flow and accessibility of information in the country.
Unfortunately some of the information shared by citizens also reflects on
governance issues, including important issues such as management of the
current economic crisis.

Select target paragraph3