Journalists across Zimbabwe today marked World Press Freedom Day with a strong demand for urgent legal reforms, citing a growing crackdown on media freedoms and deteriorating working conditions for media professionals.
In a press statement, the Secretary General of the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ), Perfect Hlongwane, described the country’s media landscape as being in a state of “regression” rather than progress.
He said the day was not a celebration, but a moment of resistance and reflection.
“We converge not to celebrate, but to re-ignite our collective call for genuine press freedom,” said Hlongwane. “The operational environment for journalists and media workers is shrinking rapidly, becoming more hostile, more precarious, and less democratic.”
ZUJ condemned several pieces of legislation that it says violate constitutional guarantees of free expression and media freedom, including the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Amendment Act, the Cyber Security and Data Protection Act, and the Interception of Communications Act.
Hlongwane said these laws create a climate of fear and criminalise journalism, pointing to recent arrests of journalists Blessed Mhlanga and Owen Madondo as evidence of increased repression.
He also criticised the Broadcasting Services Act and the Zimbabwe Media Commission Act, calling them outdated and contrary to democratic principles of media diversity and pluralism.
ZUJ issued five key demands: the repeal and reform of restrictive media laws, creation of an independent media regulatory framework, government action to protect journalists, adoption of a national media freedom charter, and the establishment of a collective bargaining platform for media workers.
Beyond legal issues, Hlongwane highlighted the dire working conditions many journalists face, including poor pay, lack of contracts, and threats from both state and non-state actors.
“A journalist who is hungry, silenced by threats of dismissal, or forced to self-censor to survive, is not free,” he said, calling on media employers to engage in meaningful dialogue with journalist unions.
He challenged President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration to make press freedom a lasting legacy through genuine and inclusive reforms.
“Without truth, democracy dies. Without justice for media workers, press freedom is a mirage. Without reform, our Constitution is but paper,” said Hlongwane.
World Press Freedom Day is commemorated globally each year on May 3 to reflect on the state of press freedom and to honour journalists who have been persecuted or killed in the line of duty. This year’s theme in Zimbabwe focused on reclaiming constitutional rights and restoring media dignity amid ongoing challenges.