Harare- The Zimbabwe Online Content Creators (ZOCC) has condemned the arrest and detention of Zimbabwean Independent Editor, Faith Zaba.

Zaba, who spent another night behind bars is set to appear at Harare magistrates court for her bail ruling this morning.

She spent 2 nights behind bars after Harare Magistrate Vakayi Chikwekwe deferred her bail ruling to Friday citing power outages. She is facing charges of undermining the authority of or insulting the president.

This follows the publication of a satirical article published under the “Muckracker”, which allegedly criticised President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who is the current chairman of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

On Wednesday, Zaba appeared briefly before magistrate Chikwekwe who deferred her bail hearing to Thursday arguing that the state needed more time to verify Zaba’s medical records submitted by her lawyer Chris Mhike. 

The ZOCC condemned Zaba’s arrest describing her detention as reflective of the state’s heavy handedness on press freedom in Zimbabwe.

Said ZOCC in a statement:

The Zimbabwe Online Content Creators (ZOCC) strongly condemns the arrest and detention of Faith Zaba, the Editor of The Zimbabwe Independent, in connection with a satirical article published in her newspaper, which the Authorities allege “undermines the authority of the President.”

This heavy handedness by the State, premised on archaic provisions criminalizing “insulting or undermining the President,” is deeply troubling and sets a dangerous precedent for freedom of expression and press freedom in Zimbabwe.

Satire is part and parcel of journalism the world over and therefore can not be criminalized in a democratic dispensation.

Journalism is not a crime. The Constitution of Zimbabwe clearly guarantees freedom of expression and freedom of the media in Section 61, and the right of access to information in Section 62.

These rights are not optional they are constitutional obligations binding on all arms of the State.

ZOCC further reminds authorities that Zimbabwe is a signatory to key international instruments which uphold press freedom and the protection of journalists, including:

• Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) – which affirms everyone’s right to freedom of opinion and expression;
• Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights – which safeguards the right to receive information and express opinions freely;
• Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) – which Zimbabwe ratified, guaranteeing the right to freedom of expression, including freedom to seek, receive, and impart information of all kinds.

The continued invocation of vague and colonial-era laws such as criminal insult and undermining the authority of the President has no place in a democratic society.

Such charges are routinely abused to intimidate, harass, and silence journalists and media practitioners.

We call on the State to immediately cease the persecution of journalists and to uphold the rule of law in accordance with the Constitution and Zimbabwe’s international obligations.

ZOCC stands in solidarity with Faith Zaba and all journalists working under increasing pressure and intimidation. We urge all stakeholders, including civil society and the international community, to condemn this act and continue advocating for a media environment that is free, fair, and fearless.

ZOCC remains committed to constructive engagement with all stakeholders to promote a safe, open, and democratic media space for all content creators and journalists in Zimbabwe.