Arbitrary arrest of a journalist in Zimbabwe over COVID-19 regulations

Arbitrary arrest of a journalist in Zimbabwe over COVID-19 regulations

On September 4, 2021, Zimbabwe Republic Police officers arbitrarily arrested a newspaper editor, Gilbert Munetsi, in the city of Chitungwiza, northeast Zimbabwe, for allegedly breaking the nationwide curfew in place from 6:30 p.m. to 6 a.m. Central Africa Time to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus. 

At around 8 p.m. local time, Gilbert Munetsi was heading home from work when he was stopped and interrogated by the police. 

According to the Statutory Instrument 93 of 2020, published in April 2020 by the government of Zimbabwe, journalists are recognized as essential service providers and are therefore allowed to work past curfew upon the production of a Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) accreditation card. 

However, despite presenting his valid ZMC accreditation card to the police officers, Gilbert Munetsi was arrested and taken to the St. Mary’s Police Station in Chitungwiza, where he remains as of September 6, 2021. The arrest of Gilbert Munetsi is not the first instance of arbitrary arrest of journalists in Zimbabwe by the police in the context of enforcing the COVID-19 measures. According to the 2020/2021 Amnesty International Report on human rights in Zimbabwe, the police had used the COVID-19 restrictions to justify the harassment and intimidation of journalists on multiple occasions. 

The Zimbabwe branch of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), a non-governmental organization promoting freedom of the press, expression, and access to information across Southern Africa, has already sent legal help to free Gilbert Munetsi.

For more information, please see https://www.newzimbabwe.com/journalist-arrested-for-breaching-covid-19-curfew/ ; https://www.amnesty.org/en/location/africa/southern-africa/zimbabwe/report-zimbabwe/ and https://www.veritaszim.net/sites/veritas_d/files/SI%202020-093%20Public%20Health%20%28COVID-19%20Prevention%2C%20Containment%20and%20Treatment%29%20%28National%20Lockdown%29%20%28Amendment%29%20Order%2C%202020%20%28No.%203%29.pdf