National

Zimbabwe records decline in press freedom rankings

Published

3 years ago

May 4, 2022

BY OWN CORRESPONDENT

Zimbabwe once again declined on the Reporters Without Borders (RSF)’s 2022 World Press Freedom Index, a worrying trend, as the country reverses the gains it made following the ouster of Robert Mugabe as president in 2017.

Following Mugabe’s ouster, Zimbabwe initially rose on the World Press Freedom Index, but for the past two years, the country has been on the decline.

In 2021, Zimbabwe was ranked 130th and in 2022 it was ranked 137th, a decline of seven places.

The RSF report noted that extremely harsh laws are still in effect and, when new laws have been adopted, their provisions are just as draconian as those they replaced.

“The amended penal code and Official Secrets Act and the new Cyber Security and Data Protection Act continue to hamstring journalism,” RSF said.

“In theory, the confidentiality of sources is protected by law, but that hasn’t been the case in practice.”

RSF noted that although levels of violence against journalists have declined significantly under President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration, they remain alarmingly high and self-censorship is routinely practiced to avoid reprisals.

“The police often use disproportionate force and confiscate equipment,” the report said.

“Acts of intimidation, verbal attacks and threats (especially on social media) are still common practices.

“Cases of journalists being imprisoned and prosecuted are nonetheless now rarer, the most notable case being that of Hopewell Chin’ono, an investigative journalist who spent almost a month and a half in prison in 2020. Journalists’ phone communications are often subject to surveillance.”

The findings of the report are reflective of the State of Press Freedom in Southern Africa Report that was produced by MISA.

The report notes that while some progress had been made, Zimbabwe had taken one step forward and two steps backward.

One of the positives that the RSF report noted was that the political climate has been more peaceful for Zimbabwean journalists since Mnangagwa took over as president.

However, it also pointed out that authorities are still tempted to intervene in editorial decisions, citing a case in 2021 where “the head of Zimpapers asked editors to publicly support the ruling party ahead of the election….”

Related Topics:Hopewell Chin'ono Reporters Without Borders (RSF)’s 2022 World Press Freedom Index Robert Mugabe

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National

Coal train in flames: NRZ locomotive damaged in fire incident

Published

2 weeks ago

April 16, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY WANDILE TSHUMA

A National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) locomotive suffered significant damage after catching fire while transporting export coal to Zambi. The incident occurred between Kalala and Matetsi sidings, resulting in the explosion of the locomotive’s fuel tanks.

According to the NRZ press statement on Monday, “A National Railways of Zimbabwe locomotive suffered some damages after it caught fire this afternoon while transporting export coal to Zambia.” Fortunately, the crew members on board managed to escape unharmed.

The NRZ responded swiftly to the incident, dispatching a rescue train with crews to the site. The team successfully extinguished the fire, preventing further damage. However, the locomotive itself sustained considerable damage.

The cause of the fire is yet to be determined, with investigations currently underway. “Investigations are already underway to establish the cause of the fire and the amount of damage to the locomotive,” the NRZ statement read.

National

Ranger killed by elephant in Kariba

Published

2 months ago

March 14, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

A 62-year-old ranger, Josphat Mandishara, was tragically killed by an elephant in Kariba yesterday.

Mandishara, who worked for the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks), was on patrol in the Gatche-gatche area with fellow rangers and police officers.

At around 10 pm, Mandishara returned to the harbor where their boat was docked, and that’s when he encountered the elephant. The elephant charged at him, causing fatal injuries. His colleagues were nearby, resupplying at the Gatche-gatche Irrigation Scheme.

Mandishara’s body was taken to Kariba District Hospital for a post-mortem, and the incident was reported to the police.

ZimParks has sent a team to manage the problem elephant and prevent similar incidents in the future.

The Director General of ZimParks, Prof. Edson Gandiwa, and his team have sent condolences to Mandishara’s family, friends, and colleagues. Mandishara will be remembered for his dedication to wildlife conservation in Zimbabwe.

National

ZIMRA customs officer appears in court for criminal abuse of office

Published

3 months ago

February 3, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY STAFF REPORTER

A Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) customs officer, Phillip Kuvenga, has been accused of criminal abuse of office for allegedly assisting in the importation of banned motor vehicles.

Kuvenga, 28, who is stationed at Victoria Falls, allegedly received documents from clients, completed valuation sheets, and carried out the valuation process. However, he is accused of endorsing different chassis numbers to deceive his supervisors during the validation and approval process.

After obtaining approval, Kuvenga would capture the correct chassis numbers in the ASYCUDA World System. He would then alter or replace the documents submitted earlier to his supervisors.

The offense came to light when a motor vehicle that had not yet arrived in Zimbabwe was found to have been already registered. A thorough check by ZIMRA led to Kuvenga’s arrest.

Kuvenga appeared in court on February 1, where he was denied bail by Magistrate Gift Manyka. He is expected to appear in court again today for another bail hearing.