Zimbabwean authorities’ will to reform has been brought to question by the continued persecution of the media, in particular, the journalists and the filmmakers who play the watchdog role against malpractices of those in power.
Such persecutions, which come in the form of arrests, is meant to clamp down the freedom of expression enshrined in Zimbabwe’s constitution according to analysts.
Government critics also argue that the new dispensation has not reformed, but is just a continuation of the old government which was known of suppressing the freedom of expression.
Western countries say Zimbabwe’s government has to display that it has reformed by re-aligning the laws to the constitution for the removal of sanctions.
The latest victims of such persecutions were filmmakers who were screening the Lord of Kush at the Theatre in the Park in Harare on Saturday.
Producers, Daves Guzha; Tendai Maduwa; Kudakwashe Bwititi and Creative Director Peter Churu were arrested of contravening sections of the Censorship and Entertainment Act.
Speaking to journalists in Harare today, Guzha said such arrests represent an unfortunate low in the relationship between the creative sector and state governance systems in Zimbabwe.
“Zimbabwe Republic Police were clumsy in the way that they carried out their mandate in this instance. It is our belief that this was an abuse of their constitutional powers and a blatant violation of our artistic and constitutional freedoms,” Guzha said.
The filmmakers, who were released on $200 bail each by the court said they will stand firm and resolute as a safe space for free thinking and expression.
“We believe the Censorship and Entertainment Control Act needs aligning to the new constitution,” Guzha said.
“We also believe that arms of the state, in this case, the police failed citizens in the manner in which they went about doing their job on Saturday 27 July 2019.”
“We now have an unnecessary court case at sad variance with government’s ease of doing business mantra and austerity.”
Besides filmmakers, Zimbabwe has witnessed journalists being arrested, sometimes bitten up and in some cases tear gases being thrown into offices.
Concerns have been raised on the slow process in realigning the laws to the constitution to the law.
The realignment is expected to witness the removal of acts that infringe freedoms in Zimbabwe’s new constitution.
But, Foreign Affairs Minister Sibusiso Moyo said the speed was the nature of the procedures.
“We are making reforms, political reforms and legislative reforms, it takes time and it has to follow processes of the law and we are doing that for the benefit of our people, but, of course, some countries will then say ‘until POSA (Public Order and Security Act) until AIPPA (Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act) is repealed but that should not be the focus,” Moyo said.
