ANALYSIS OF COVID-19 REGULATIONS VIS-À-VIS FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION IN THE SADC REGION

in Khayelitsha late July 2020.41 The continued
harassments of journalists in the field by the
South African police inspired the journalism
welfare organisation, South African national
editors’ forum to convene a meeting on 23 July
2020 with the leadership of the police where they
deliberated and agreed that police must desist
from hindering the work of journalists.42

of the lockdown or for working without valid
journalism accreditation cards. The arrests
happened at a time when the Zimbabwe Media
Commission (ZMC) was not issuing accreditation
cards.47 The latest arrest is that of Hopewell
Chin’ono (a journalist) and Jacob Ngarivhume
(leader of Transform Zimbabwe, an opposition
party) on 20 July 2020 in Harare. Although the
charges against them do not indicate and link
with Covid-19, the two Chin’ono and Ngarivhume
have been using social media platforms
(Facebook and Twitter) to expose and condemn
corruption by public officials and political
and economic crisis in Zimbabwe.48 Chin’ono
in particular had exposed corruption in the use
of public funds that are for the government
response to the Covid-19 pandemic.49Following
these revelations, the Minister of Health is facing
charges of corruption and has been dismissed
from his position. In Botswana, an official from
the Botswana Patriotic Front, an opposition party,
Justice Motlhabane, was arrested for “degrading
and maligning the leadership” and was charged
under the Penal Code. Motlhabane commented
on Facebook on the possibility that the president

In Tanzania, authorities suspended Talib Ussi
Hamad, a journalist from the Daima daily
newspaper, for six months for reporting on
COVID-19.43 The Star Media Tanzania Ltd,
Multichoice Tanzania Ltd and Azam Digital
Broadcast Ltd was fined five million Tanzanian
shillings (about USD 2200 and compelled to
apologise for falsely reporting on Tanzania’s
response to Covid-19.44

Arrests of journalists
Zimbabwe has been described as the “Africa’s
biggest press freedom violator in connection with
coronavirus crisis”.45 MISA has recorded 19 cases
of Covid-19 related harassment, intimidation and
detention of several journalists.46 Journalists
werearrestedwhilereportingontheenforcement

41 S Ngqakamba ‘Sanef dismayed by attack on News24 journalist covering unrests in Khayelitsha’ (2020) https://www.news24.com/
news24/southafrica/news/sanef-dismayed-by-attack-on-news24-journalist-covering-unrests-in- khayelitsha-20200721 (accessed 28
July 2020.
42 ‘Joint statement of Sanef and SAPS following a robust and fruitful meeting’ (2020) https://sanef.org.za/joint-statement-of- sanefand-saps-following-a-robust-and-fruitful-meeting/ (accessed 28 July 2020).
43 Amnesty International: ‘Tanzania: Authorities must end crackdown on journalists reporting on COVID-19’ 21 April 2020 https://www.
amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/04/tanzania-authorities-must-end-crackdown-on-journalists-reporting-on-covid19/ (accessed 20
July 2020).
44 Amnesty International: ‘Tanzania: Authorities must end crackdown on journalists reporting on COVID-19’ 21 April 2020. https://www.
amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/04/tanzania-authorities-must-end-crackdown-on-journalists-reporting-on-covid19/ (accessed 20
July 2020).
45 Reporters without Borders: ‘Five Zimbabwean reporters arrested while covering coronavirus lockdown’ 10 April 2020 https://rsf.
org/en/news/five-zimbabwean-reporters-arrested-while-covering-coronavirus-lockdown (accessed 20 July 2020).
46MISA: ‘COVID-19 is the enemy, not the media!’ 9 April 2020 https://zimbabwe.misa.org/2020/04/09/covid-19-is-the-enemy- not-themedia/. See also https://rsf.org/en/news/five-zimbabwean-reporters-arrested-while-covering-coronavirus-lockdown (accessed 20
July 2020)
47Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Zimbabwe chapter to eventually sort a High Court order ordering the police and other
law enforcement agencies charged with enforcing the COVID-19 lockdown not to interfere “in any unnecessary way” with the work
of journalists. The order was granted on 20 April.
48 They have been charged with allegations of contravening section 187(1) (a) as read with section 37(1) (a) of the Criminal Law [Codification and Reform] Act, Chapter 9:23, which pertains to incitement to participate in a gathering with intent to promote public violence,
and breaches of peace or bigotry. They have also been charged under alternative charges of incitement to commit public violence.
49 ‘Zimbabwe police detain prominent journalist, opposition official’ 21 July 2020 https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/07/zimbabwe-police-detain-prominent-journalist-protest-leader-200720193232172.html (accessed 26 July 2020).

https://zimbabwe.misa.org

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