Country
Zimbabwe
Government actions against journalists in Zimbabwe
RSF 2026 rank: 124th of 180. World Press Freedom Index of Reporters Without Borders (RSF); rank 1 is the freest.
The number of entries reflects the depth of this record, not the severity of a country's conduct.
Zimbabwe is in Eastern Africa, Africa. The record holds 4 incidents in which the government of Zimbabwe, or an official, court or legislature there, limited journalists' ability to report.
Tactics used
- Licensing and closure of outlets: 2 incidents · ladder
- Credential control: 1 incident · ladder
- Insult and defamation laws: 1 incident · ladder
- Secrets and espionage laws: 1 incident · ladder
Heads of government at the time
Incidents by year
2023
| Date | Incident | Tactic | Stage | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 July 2023 | Zimbabwe's Patriotic Act criminalizes journalists' contact with foreign governments | Secrets and espionage laws | Punish | Emmerson Mnangagwa | Sustained (14 July 2023) |
2005
| Date | Incident | Tactic | Stage | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 May 2005 | Zimbabwe: the High Court refuses to accredit Daily News journalists under the media registration law | Credential control | Punish | Robert Mugabe | Upheld by a court (12 May 2005) |
2003
| Date | Incident | Tactic | Stage | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 September 2003 | Zimbabwe: police close the Daily News under the media registration law | Licensing and closure of outlets | Silence | Robert Mugabe | Reversed (27 May 2010) |
2002
| Date | Incident | Tactic | Stage | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 March 2002 | Zimbabwe enacts a law requiring all journalists and media houses to hold government licenses | Licensing and closure of outlets | Pressure | Robert Mugabe | Unknown |
Ladders: where each tactic has led · Timeline for Zimbabwe · Africa