The record
Incidents: licensing and closure of outlets in Africa, stage: silence
Each incident is a dated action by a government, an official, a regulator, a court or a legislature that limited journalists' ability to gather or publish news.
The number of entries reflects the depth of this record, not the severity of a country's conduct.
All filters: country, dates, head of government, sort
CountryEgypt, RSF 2026 rank: 169th of 180South Africa, RSF 2026 rank: 21st of 180Zimbabwe, RSF 2026 rank: 124th of 180
ContinentAfrica
TacticLicensing and closure of outlets 3Funding and ownership pressure 1Detention and violence 1Prior restraint 1
StageSilence 3
LevelNational 3
| Date | Incident | Country | Tactic | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 September 2003 | Zimbabwe: police close the Daily News under the media registration law | Zimbabwe (RSF 2026 rank: 124th of 180) | Licensing and closure of outlets | Robert Mugabe | Reversed (27 May 2010) |
| 24 May 1960 | Egypt's Nasser government nationalizes every newspaper and magazine in the country | Egypt (RSF 2026 rank: 169th of 180) | Funding and ownership pressure | Gamal Abdel Nasser | Ongoing (1 January 1989) |
| 17 July 1950 | South Africa's Suppression of Communism Act lets the government ban publications and restrict individuals | South Africa (RSF 2026 rank: 21st of 180) | Prior restraint | Daniel François Malan | Reversed (31 July 1991) |
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