Zaba was arrested on 1 July in Harare over allegations of “undermining the authority of or insulting the President,” following the publication of a satirical piece in the paper’s Muckraker column.

According to her lawyer, Chris Mhike, the charge relates specifically to content perceived to criticize President Emmerson Mnangagwa. Her bail application has been postponed to 3 July pending a review of her medical records due to concerns over her health.

Khanyo Farisè, Amnesty International’s Senior Researcher for Eastern and Southern Africa, said Zaba is being detained “simply for doing her job.”

“Amnesty International strongly condemns the arrest and detention of Faith Zaba for exercising her constitutionally guaranteed rights as a journalist. This is an assault on the right to freedom of expression and press freedom,” said Farisè.

“Zimbabwean authorities must immediately release Faith Zaba and drop all charges against her. Journalism is not a crime. Authorities must allow journalists to carry out their work freely, safely, and without fear of harassment, intimidation or reprisals.”

Farisè noted that Zaba’s case is not isolated, referencing the earlier arbitrary detention of Blessed Mhlanga, head of news at Alpha Media House’s HSTV, who was held for 72 days in pretrial detention earlier this year.

“These arrests are part of a disturbing pattern in which the criminal justice system is being weaponized to silence independent media voices and instil fear among journalists,” she said.

Amnesty warned that the government’s tactics pose a serious threat to press freedom and the public’s right to information, urging an end to the ongoing crackdown on civic space in Zimbabwe.

Zaba’s detention adds to growing alarm among media watchdogs and human rights groups over the state’s escalating attempts to suppress dissent ahead of national political developments.

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On July 23, police arrested Mavhunga, a correspondent for the U.S. Congress-funded broadcaster Voice of America (VOA), after a drone he was using to report a story about abandoned government road projects crashed into the Iqra Islamic Centre in the capital, Harare, according to news reports, the journalist and his lawyer, Godwin Giya, both of whom spoke to CPJ.

Mavhunga was charged on two counts of illegally flying a drone without a license, and for flying it within 30 meters (about 33 yards) of a building in contravention of sections 42(a) and 43(a) and (b) of the Civil Aviation (Remotely Piloted Aircraft) Regulations of 2018, according to Giya and the charge sheet reviewed by CPJ.

“Zimbabwean police must immediately drop the charges against Voice of America correspondent Columbus Mavhunga and allow journalists to operate freely ahead of the August 23 general election,” said Angela Quintal, CPJ’s Africa program coordinator, in Durban, South Africa. “To charge Mavhunga when he had a license to operate the drone and the wind blew it off course suggests that there is a hidden agenda to censor the media rather than a genuine attempt to uphold the law.”

Mavhunga, who faces imprisonment of up to two years and/or a fine of up to US$5,000 if convicted, told CPJ that he lost control of the drone due to bad weather.

“It was a windy day so instead of coming back to me, the drone went the other way and crashed,” he said, adding that when he tried to collect the drone, a furious staff member at the center laid a charge with the police, who arrested him on the premises.

“It is not true that I don’t have a license. I have it… (it) expires in April 2025,” Mavhunga said. “We are being stopped from reporting what we know ahead of August (elections).”

Mavhunga regularly reports on politics for VOA, with his recent coverage highlighting Zimbabwe’s ailing economy, previous election-related violence by the state and a crackdown on the opposition ahead of the national elections.

The journalist’s lawyer Giya told CPJ that the second charge of operating a drone within 30 meters of a building was not valid as it only applied if the operator did not have a license.

Mavhunga and Giya said on August 1 that the police still had the drone and the footage, preventing the journalist from publishing the story about the collapse of government road projects due to funding shortages.

Mavhunga was detained in police cells for three days before appearing in court on July 26, when he was released on US$50 bail, according to the journalist and news reports. He is due back in court for a hearing on August 28.

National police spokesperson Paul Nyathi declined to comment as the matter was in court.

Last month, CPJ condemned the passage of the so-called “Patriot Bill,” which threatens the rights to freedom of expression and media freedom in Zimbabwe. CPJ also called for an investigation into the assault of three reporters by people wearing regalia of the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front, or ZANU-PF, which has ruled the country since independence in 1980.

The elections – the second since the military ousted former President Robert Mugabe in 2017 – will take place as Zimbabweans battle one of the world’s highest inflation rates and concerns that the vote will not be free or fair.

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On Monday, July 17, in Bulawayo’s central business district, a group of people wearing regalia of the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front, or ZANU-PF, slapped Annahstacia Ndlovu, a correspondent for U.S. Congress-funded Voice of America, across her face and punched her when she refused to delete a recording and photographs of their skirmish with vendors at a vegetable market in the city, according to news reports, a statement by the Zimbabwean chapter of the press freedom group the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), and the journalist, who spoke to CPJ via messaging app.

Members of the same group also slapped Tuso, a freelance journalist who is also chairperson of the Bulawayo Media Center, and Lungelo Ndlovu, a Reuters correspondent who is not related to Annahstacia Ndlovu, according to both journalists, who spoke to CPJ via messaging app.

“Zimbabwean authorities should speedily investigate the assaults of journalists Annahstacia Ndlovu, Pamenus Tuso, and Lungelo Ndlovu, and bring all those responsible to justice,” said Angela Quintal, CPJ’s Africa program coordinator, in New York. “Journalists must be free to report without fear of attack, and those who prevent them from working must face immediate consequences, especially as there is heightened concern about journalist safety ahead of the August 23 general election.”

The journalists told CPJ that ZANU-PF supporters had ordered vendors to show proof of their support for the ruling party at their central business district office ahead of the August elections or risk losing trading space at the market. When the vendors refused, the supporters beat them up and told them that they were not allowed to trade at the market.

Annahstacia Ndlovu told CPJ that she and the other reporters were interviewing vendors about the skirmish with ZANU-PF supporters when one of the supporters ordered her to delete her footage. After she refused and identified herself as a member of the press, that man, aided by other supporters, slapped her across the face and punched her body. A woman confiscated her phone and deleted footage and photographs before handing it back, Ndlovu said, adding that her other phone fell to the ground during the assault and was damaged.

“The ringleader assaulted me several times, while others were even touching my breasts,” she said. “They beat me all over the body. My face is swollen.”

The journalist reported the attack to the Bulawayo Central Police station, where a case was opened for investigation, she said. According to a medical report reviewed by CPJ, Annahstacia Ndlovu sustained “serious injuries” to her eyes and a swollen right hip. The injuries presented a “potential danger to life” and the likelihood of a “permanent disability,” according to the report.

Lungelo Ndlovu told CPJ that the attackers also slapped him and ordered to him to delete footage, but he managed to flee to safety.

“They demanded I identify myself, which I did, and then they said [to] delete footage and some guy slapped me on the face. I didn’t see that coming. I couldn’t think of anything at that point, I had to run away,” Ndlovu said, adding that he had not deleted his footage.

Tuso said he was slapped on the cheek but was not injured, saying, “They wanted to confiscate my camera, but I had to run away and hide it.”

ZANU-PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa and his deputy, Michael Bhima, did not respond to CPJ’s repeated texts and phone calls seeking comment.

When reached via messaging app, Bulawayo Central Police spokesperson Abedinco Ncube referred CPJ to Zimbabwe Republic Police spokesperson Paul Nyathi. CPJ called and texted Nyathi, but did not receive any reply.

Earlier this month, CPJ condemned the Zimbabwe’s legislature’s passage of the so-called “Patriot Bill,” which threatens the rights to freedom of expression and media freedom in the country.

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The opposition Citizens Coalition for Change party has been told it cannot hold the gathering in the town of Bindura north of the capital, Harare, on Sunday. The venue is unsuitable as it is a “bushy area” without “serviceable roads,” according to the police order.

The CCC says the ban is another example of how President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration is suppressing and stifling opposition ahead of elections on Aug. 23.

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