Waves of outrage reverberated across global capitals this week after authorities in Zimbabwe defied a growing chorus of calls to release Zimbabwe Independent editor Faith Zaba, who was detained on Tuesday — despite providing medical evidence of ill-health. On Thursday, Harare magistrate Vakai Chikwekwe deferred Zaba's bail hearing to Friday, meaning she had to spend a third day in detention.
Zaba spent a second night in custody on Wednesday, enduring the frigid July winter behind bars, as concerns mounted over her well-being. Her detention has since triggered widespread condemnation from press freedom advocates, human rights organisations, academic institutions and journalism bodies across the globe.
As she appeared in court in Harare, global actors closed ranks in a rare, unified stand against what they described as Zimbabwe’s escalating crackdown on the independent press.
“One official says they have been unsettled by the global reaction to Zaba’s arrest,” a source told the Independent.
Her arrest follows a now-familiar pattern: the criminalisation of pro-democracy work in Zimbabwe where harsh laws are routinely weaponised to punish those who hold power to account.
Zaba’s ordeal stems from a satirical article published in the Independent’s long-running Muckraker column, known for lampooning Zimbabwean political affairs. Authorities responded by invoking controversial legislation to charge her with “undermining the authority or insulting the President”.
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But within legal circles, the verdict was unanimous: satire is protected under both domestic and international law.
That is why her arrest ignited a firestorm of criticism and renewed scrutiny of Zimbabwe’s sustained assault on civil liberties, especially media freedom, which has come increasingly under siege as journalists are recast from watchdogs to “enemies of the state”.
“Journalism is not a crime,” declared Khanyo Farisè, Amnesty International’s senior researcher for East and Southern Africa. “This is an assault on the right to freedom of expression and press freedom. Zimbabwean authorities must immediately release Faith Zaba and drop all charges against her.”
A chorus of voices joined Farisè.
The World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria, the Southern African Editors’ Forum (Saef), and the Zimbabwe National Editors’ Forum (Zinef) all issued scathing rebukes.
They argued that Zaba’s incarceration is part of a chilling trend: a calculated effort to silence critical voices.
In a blistering statement, Andrew Heslop, executive director for press freedom at WAN-IFRA, condemned the “criminalisation of journalism”.
“Instead of arresting journalists and criminalising the profession,” Heslop said, “Zimbabwean authorities should be doing everything in their power to protect media freedom and the constitutionally guaranteed rights of the country’s media professionals.
“A strong, healthy democracy should have the courage to hold a mirror to itself. Zaba should be immediately freed to continue doing exactly that.”
In New York, the Committee to Protect Journalists also demanded Zaba’s freedom.
“This case sends the message that Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his administration are so fragile that they are easily threatened by a critical column,” said CPJ Africa programme coordinator Muthoki Mumo.
Zaba’s arrest is far from an isolated incident. It appears to be part of a broader, deliberate strategy to instil fear in newsrooms — and across society.
Earlier this year, Heart & Soul journalist Blessed Mhlanga spent 72 days in pre-trial detention.
Prominent journalist Hopewell Chin’ono was jailed twice between 2020 and 2021, spending a total of 44 days behind bars. For many in the private media, the message is clear — and chilling.
The Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria also condemned the arrest.
“To criminalise satire is to criminalise critical thinking,” the centre said. “When states respond to satire with legal punishment, they do not just silence the satirist — they send a message that questioning authority is dangerous.
“Weaponising satire — one of the oldest and most protected forms of political speech — against a journalist is a grotesque betrayal of Zimbabwe’s constitutional promises. It directly violates regional instruments such as the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa — both of which Zimbabwe has ratified.”
These instruments explicitly prohibit the use of “vague” laws to shield public officials from criticism. The centre cited Principle 23(3) of the Declaration: “Speech should not be prohibited merely because it offends, disturbs, or lacks civility.”
One analyst asked: “This raises urgent constitutional and moral questions. If satire can now be deemed a criminal offence, what comes next? Cartoons? Editorials? Commuter bus jokes? Whispered dissent in one’s own home?”
Saef secretary-general Joseph Ailonga said such “repressive” tactics damage Zimbabwe’s reputation and cast a dark shadow across the entire Sadc region.
“Let democratic governments who respect the Fourth Estate bear down on those still trapped in the ugly past,” Ailonga said.
Zaba, WAN-IFRA’s 2022 Women in News Leadership Laureate, has written fearless editorials during her tenure as Independent editor. But this time, the stakes are personal. She is reportedly unwell. Yet police declined to release her even after recording a warned-and-cautioned statement, insisting instead on a review of her medical records.
Zinef labelled the arrest “reprehensible, objectionable and repressive”, and joined other press organisations in calling for her immediate and unconditional release.
Legal and media experts are now urging the repeal of Zimbabwe’s vague insult laws. They argue that the charge of “undermining the authority of the President” is overly broad, easily abused and dangerous in the hands of those allergic to scrutiny.
But scrutiny is exactly what satire offers. It is not an attack on a leader’s dignity — it is a litmus test of the president’s tolerance, the state’s maturity and society’s freedom.
As the Centre for Human Rights aptly put it: “Suppressing the media is not a show of strength. It is an admission of fear.”
In Nairobi, The Africa Editors Forum (TAEF) said it “strongly condemns the arrest of Faith Zaba, a respected journalist and editor, and views this as a blatant attack on press freedom and the fundamental right to free expression”.
“Zaba’s detention by Zimbabwean authorities is part of a worrying trend of harassment, intimidation and judicial persecution of journalists across Africa, aimed at silencing critical voices and undermining the media’s role as a watchdog of democracy.
“TAEF calls for her immediate and unconditional release and demands that authorities respect the rights of journalists to carry out their work without fear of retribution. A free press is essential for transparency, accountability, economic growth and good governance.
“The targeting of journalists not only violates constitutional and international human rights obligations, but also erodes public trust in democratic institutions. TAEF urges the Zimbabwean government to drop all charges against Zaba and to cease all forms of harassment against media practitioners.”