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Harare, 3 July 2025 – Press freedom advocates are calling for the immediate release of Faith Zaba, editor of the Zimbabwe Independent, following her arrest over a satirical column critical of President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Zaba was charged with undermining or insulting the authority of the president after publishing an article titled “When you become mafia state” in the paper’s Muckraker column. She was summoned to Harare’s central police station on 1 July and appeared in court the following day, where her bail hearing was postponed due to a request for medical record verification. Her lawyer reported that she was seriously ill at the time of arrest.
đź“Ł International Condemnation
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Amnesty International have condemned the arrest, describing it as part of a broader pattern of repression against independent media in Zimbabwe. CPJ’s Africa coordinator Muthoki Mumo called the incident a reflection of the country’s fragile rights environment, while Amnesty’s Khanyo Farisè labelled it an “assault on freedom of expression”.
đź“š Legal and Political Context
If convicted, Zaba faces up to one year in prison or a $300 fine, under Zimbabwe’s Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act. Her case echoes that of Blessed Mhlanga, another journalist from Alpha Media Holdings, who was detained for 72 days earlier this year on incitement charges.
📉 Shrinking Civic Space
Rights groups have also criticized the Private Voluntary Organisations (PVO) Amendment Act 2025, which grants the government sweeping powers to regulate and suspend civil society groups. The Zimbabwe Peace Project reported that the ruling party ZANU-PF led human rights violations for four consecutive months in 2024, including suppression of peaceful assembly and forced political participation.
Zaba’s pre-trial detention was extended after a power outage delayed the court’s bail ruling, further fueling concerns about judicial independence and press freedom.
Excerpts from Salma Ben Mariem article on the jurist.org | Faculty of Law and Political Science of Sousse, TN
Skyline Showing The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe by Bayhaus
