25 May 10 | Index Index, minipost
Two employees of Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe, the country’s only gay and lesbian advocacy group, have been arrested after police raided their offices. Ellen Chademana and Ignatius Muhambi were accused of possessing pornographic materials and dangerous drugs, after a search conducted under Zimbabwe’s repressive censorship laws which also saw the seizure of documents and computers. Since their arrest, the suspects have been denied contact with their lawyers, despite the fact that Chademana suffers from diabetes. Police have not confirmed either the specific charges being brought against the pair, or when they are likely to be released.
18 May 10 | Index Index, minipost
Augustie Chihuri, Zimbabwe’s police commissioner, has banned public demonstrations and protests during this summer’s World Cup, taking place in neighbouring South Africa. Reports indicate that a decision to curtail all public protests “from June 1 until further notice” has already been circulated to senior officers, and will be formally announced later in May.
15 Apr 10 | Index Index, minipost, Uncategorized
A Zimbabwean government minister is suing a newspaper for defamation after it published accusations of corruption. The state-owned Chronicle newspaper will face Byl Manyange in the High Court next month, after reporting remarks allegedly made by mining minister Obert Mpofu, which suggested Manyange procured services for undeserving individuals. Mpofu now denies making the comments at a police function in Ntabazinduna last year.
26 Feb 10 | Index Index, minipost, Uncategorized
Freedom of expression abuses are still common in Zimbabwe despite the formation of a power sharing agreement last year, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW). The New York-based organisation revealed that no licenses for independent media outlets have been issued by the ZANU-PF and Movement for Democratic Change unity government since the political deal took effect last February. In other news, the Zimbabwean freelance journalist Anderson Shadreck Manyere was arrested for the third time this year on Monday (1 March), the Committee to Protect Journalists revealed. He was taken into custody outside a courthouse in Harare after he filmed the arrival of several men accused of attempting to overthrow the government. In a letter to the Guardian, Tom Porteous, London director of HRW, cited this case as proof that easing European Union sanctions in the South African country would merely increase repression.
