66 guided by African regional standards that include the SADC Model Law on Computer Crime and Cybercrime, SADC Model Law on Data Protection, the African Convention on Cybersecurity and Data Protection, and African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms. BROADCASTING After more than 40 years, the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation’s monopoly on television broadcasting has finally been broken with the licensing of six new players in the sector. In October 2020, the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) held interviews culminating in the granting of licences for six new players, which ordinarily should be cause for celebration. BAZ announced that it had licensed Acacia Media Limited, Channel Dzimbahwe, Fairtalk Communications, Jester Media, Rusununguko and Zimpapers Television Network (ZTN). However, it was noted that a number of the shortlisted applicants already have radio licences and had links to the government and the ruling Zanu PF, (156) that the licensing procedure had only consolidated the ruling elite’s grip on the broadcasting sector, and that the licensing regime lacked diversity and promoted a homogeneity of views. (157) This raises the need for due regard and attention to section 61 of the constitution which states that broadcasting and other electronic media of communication have freedom of establishment. This freedom of establishment should, among others, be subject to state licensing procedures that are independent of control by government or by political or commercial interests. While the country now has “private” commercial radio stations, it was still to licence community radio stations during the first six months of 2020. Commendably, in May 2020, Great Zimbabwe University in Masvingo Province, became the first university in Zimbabwe to get a campus radio broadcasting licence. In addition, the government should ensure that its proposed cybersecurity regulations are informed by its constitution, the revised principles of the ACHPR Declaration on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information and the African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms, among other regional and continental instruments. The government should unequivocally condemn media freedom violations and take all necessary steps to ensure the safety and security of journalists in defence of media freedom and ultimately citizens’ right to free expression and access to information. Note: this is a condensed version of the full country report, which can be accessed online. See also: — SDG 16 assessment and trend: major challenges remain; decreasing — Freedom House report — RSF World Press Freedom Index ranking references (140) Fortifying Zimbabwe’s ‘Imperial’ Presidency? The Proposed Second Amendment to the Constitution https://constitutionnet.org/news/fortifying-zimbabwes-imperial-presidency-proposed-sec- ond-amendment-constitution (141) Visit to Zimbabwe – Report of the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association (A/HRC/44/50/Add.2) https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/A_HRC_44_50_Add.2_E.pdf (142) 443 Resolution on the Human Rights Situation in the Republic of Zimbabwe - ACHPR/Res. 443 (LXVI) 2020 https://www.achpr.org/sessions/resolutions?id=474 (143) 2019 State of the Media Report https://zimbabwe.misa.org/wp-content/uploads/ sites/13/2020/01/State-of-the-media-report-2019-MISA-Zimbabwe.pdf (144) Regional governments intensify crackdowns on media during Covid-19 https://zimbabwe.misa. org/2020/05/25/regional-governments-intensify-crackdowns-on-media-during-covid-19/ (145) New Information Law should set pace for repeal of other draconian laws https://zimbabwe. misa.org/2020/07/02/new-information-law-should-set-pace-for-repeal-of-other-draconian-laws/ (146) Cybersecurity and Data Protection Bill entrenches surveillance: MISA Zimbabwe analysis of the Cybersecurity and Data Protection Bill, 2019 https://zimbabwe.misa.org/wp-content/uploads/ sites/13/2020/05/Cybersecurity-and-Data-Protection-Bill-entrenches-surveillance-MISA-Zimbabwe-analysis.pdf (147) https://rsf.org/en/Zimbabwe (148) High Court orders Information Access on Covid-19 https://zimbabwe.misa.org/2020/04/24/ high-court-orders-information-access-on-covid-19/ (149) Misa in plea to govt https://dailynews.co.zw/misa-in-plea-to-govt/ (150) Police assault freelance journalist https://zimbabwe.misa.org/2020/04/12/police-assault-freelance-journalist/ (151) Journalist Hopewell Chin’ono arrested https://zimbabwe.misa.org/2020/07/20/journal- ist-hopewell-chinono-arrested/ (152) Police ransack Zimlive Editors’s home https://zimbabwe.misa.org/2020/07/30/police-ran- sack-zimlive-editors-home/ REFORMS NEEDED (153) An Analysis of Cyberlaws in Zimbabwe: A note on the Cybersecurity and Data Protection Bill https://www.mmmlawfirm.co.zw/analysis-cyberlaws-zimbabwe-note-cyber-security-data-protection-bill/ (154) Army to monitor social media https://www.newsday.co.zw/2020/03/army-to-monitor-so- cial-media/?cn-reloaded=1 The government, through the Ministry of Information should live up to the letter and spirit of the constitution through genuine and democratic media law and policy reforms in line with regional and international instruments it is a state party to. (155) Cybersecurity and Data Protection Bill entrenches surveillance https://zimbabwe.misa. org/2020/05/19/cybersecurity-and-data-protection-bill-entrenches-surveillance-an-analysis/ (156) NEW PRIVATE TELEVISION STATIONS SHOULD REFLECT DIVERSITY IN OWNERSHIP https:// zimbabwe.misa.org/2020/08/31/new-private-television-stations-should-reflect-diversity-in-ownership/ (157) GOVERNMENT GRANTS NEW TV LICENCES, DIVERSITY CONCERNS LINGER https://zimbabwe. misa.org/2020/11/20/government-grants-new-tv-licences-diversity-concerns-linger/