{
  "title": "Search: shutdowns and blocking in Africa, national level",
  "canonical_url": "https://thewaronnews.com/search?continent=africa&tactic=shutdowns_and_blocking&level=national",
  "filters": {
    "continent": "africa",
    "tactic": "shutdowns_and_blocking",
    "level": "national"
  },
  "sort": "date",
  "count": 2,
  "page": 1,
  "pages": 1,
  "per_page": 50,
  "counts_caveat": "The number of entries reflects the depth of this record, not the severity of a country's conduct.",
  "facets": {
    "country": [
      {
        "value": "ZA",
        "label": "South Africa",
        "rsf": {
          "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index",
          "year": 2026,
          "rank": 21,
          "of": 180,
          "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 21st of 180",
          "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index"
        }
      },
      {
        "value": "TZ",
        "label": "Tanzania",
        "rsf": {
          "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index",
          "year": 2026,
          "rank": 117,
          "of": 180,
          "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 117th of 180",
          "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index"
        }
      }
    ],
    "continent": [
      {
        "value": "africa",
        "label": "Africa"
      }
    ],
    "tactic": [
      {
        "value": "access_ban",
        "label": "Access bans",
        "count": 2
      },
      {
        "value": "shutdowns_and_blocking",
        "label": "Shutdowns and blocking",
        "count": 2
      }
    ],
    "stage": [
      {
        "value": "silence",
        "label": "Silence",
        "count": 2
      }
    ],
    "level": [
      {
        "value": "national",
        "label": "National",
        "count": 2
      }
    ],
    "outcome": [
      {
        "value": "unknown",
        "label": "Unknown",
        "count": 1
      },
      {
        "value": "reversed",
        "label": "Reversed",
        "count": 1
      }
    ],
    "leader": [
      {
        "value": "p-w-botha",
        "label": "P. W. Botha"
      },
      {
        "value": "samia-suluhu-hassan",
        "label": "Samia Suluhu Hassan"
      }
    ],
    "era": [
      {
        "value": "2020s",
        "label": "2020s",
        "count": 1
      },
      {
        "value": "1980s",
        "label": "1980s",
        "count": 1
      }
    ],
    "year": [
      {
        "value": "1985",
        "label": "1985",
        "count": 1
      },
      {
        "value": "2025",
        "label": "2025",
        "count": 1
      }
    ],
    "has_case": [
      {
        "value": "0",
        "label": "without a court case",
        "count": 2
      }
    ]
  },
  "results": [
    {
      "slug": "2025-tanzania-internet-shutdown-election-day",
      "title": "Tanzania shuts down internet access on election day amid unrest",
      "occurred_on": "2025-10-29",
      "occurred_on_precision": "day",
      "country": "TZ",
      "country_name": "Tanzania",
      "continent": "africa",
      "jurisdiction": "TZ",
      "level": "national",
      "tactic_primary": "shutdowns_and_blocking",
      "tactics": [
        "access_ban",
        "shutdowns_and_blocking"
      ],
      "leader_slug": "samia-suluhu-hassan",
      "leader_name": "Samia Suluhu Hassan",
      "issue_of_the_day": "The shutdown coincided with a disputed general election and protests against President Samia Suluhu Hassan's government, which Human Rights Watch later said was followed by killings and broader restrictions once the results were announced.",
      "outcome": "unknown",
      "outcome_on": null,
      "outcome_note": "Authorities did not explain the shutdown, and disruptions to social platforms continued for several days after the vote.",
      "stage": "silence",
      "ladder_note": null,
      "rsf": {
        "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index",
        "year": 2026,
        "rank": 117,
        "of": 180,
        "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 117th of 180",
        "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index"
      },
      "era": "2020s",
      "granularity": "granular",
      "status": "in_effect",
      "case_count": 0,
      "summary": "Tanzania's government restricted internet and social-media access on October 29, 2025, as citizens voted in a general election marked by protests, cutting national internet traffic by nearly 90 percent and leaving both local and foreign journalists unable to report on the vote and its aftermath in real time.",
      "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2025-tanzania-internet-shutdown-election-day"
    },
    {
      "slug": "1985-south-africa-state-of-emergency-media-ban",
      "title": "South Africa bans television and photographic coverage of unrest under a state of emergency",
      "occurred_on": "1985-11-02",
      "occurred_on_precision": "day",
      "country": "ZA",
      "country_name": "South Africa",
      "continent": "africa",
      "jurisdiction": "ZA",
      "level": "national",
      "tactic_primary": "shutdowns_and_blocking",
      "tactics": [
        "access_ban",
        "shutdowns_and_blocking"
      ],
      "leader_slug": "p-w-botha",
      "leader_name": "P. W. Botha",
      "issue_of_the_day": "Unrest against apartheid had spread through South Africa's Black townships through 1985, and the government's emergency regulations applied to the television and photographic coverage that had brought international attention to the violence.",
      "outcome": "reversed",
      "outcome_on": "1990-06-01",
      "outcome_note": "South Africa's state of emergency and its media restrictions ended in June 1990 as State President F. W. de Klerk began dismantling apartheid.",
      "stage": "silence",
      "ladder_note": null,
      "rsf": {
        "index": "RSF World Press Freedom Index",
        "year": 2026,
        "rank": 21,
        "of": 180,
        "label": "RSF 2026 rank: 21st of 180",
        "source_url": "https://rsf.org/en/index"
      },
      "era": "1980s",
      "granularity": "anchor",
      "status": "historical",
      "case_count": 0,
      "summary": "Under a state of emergency State President P. W. Botha had declared in July 1985, the government banned television, radio and photographic coverage of unrest in South Africa's Black townships on November 2, 1985, requiring print journalists to report only under police escort.",
      "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1985-south-africa-state-of-emergency-media-ban"
    }
  ],
  "other_results": [],
  "downloads": {
    "csv": "https://thewaronnews.com/search?continent=africa&tactic=shutdowns_and_blocking&level=national&format=csv",
    "json": "https://thewaronnews.com/search.json?continent=africa&tactic=shutdowns_and_blocking&level=national",
    "md": "https://thewaronnews.com/search.md?continent=africa&tactic=shutdowns_and_blocking&level=national"
  },
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"
  }
}