Ending Impunity for Crimes Against Journalism.
Today, the Zimbabwe Online Content Creators (ZOCC) joins the rest of the world in commemorating the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists which is observed annually on the 2nd of November.
This year’s theme is; Protecting Media to Protect Democracy.
As we commemorate this United Nations sanctioned day, it is sad to note that between 2006 and 2020, over 1,200 journalists have been killed for reporting the news and bringing information to the public.
According to the UNESCO observatory of killed journalists, nine out of ten reported cases, the killers go unpunished. Impunity leads to more killings and is often a symptom of worsening conflict and the breakdown of law and judicial systems.
Impunity for crimes against journalism has been rife in Zimbabwe with many criminal cases reported and very few have been resolved to date hence we call on the various arms of the state to professionally execute their constitutional mandates unhindered.
According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), an organization with the stated aim of safeguarding the right to freedom of information, Zimbabwe is currently ranked 130 out of 180 countries in 2021 compared to its 126 ranking in 2020.
This continuous slide in ranking needs to be arrested in a new dispensation where accountability and rule of law must be practiced.
Criminal acts of murder, assaults, harassment, intimidation, intolerance and barring or denying journalists access to information must be condemned in its entirety.
Perpetrators of such criminal acts against journalists must be brought before the courts of law to protect the sanctity of journalism.
Threats of violence and attacks against journalists, in particular, create a climate of fear for media professionals, impeding the free circulation of information, opinions and ideas for all citizens, this directly threatens democracy.
In many cases, threats of violence and attacks against journalists are not properly investigated.
This impunity emboldens the perpetrators of the crimes and at the same time has a chilling effect on society, including journalists themselves.
The major political parties in Zimbabwe have however pledged to deliver a peaceful electoral environment and promised to do their best to protect all media players’ practicing journalism during and after the electoral period. This move is highly commendable and more walk of the talk is anticipated.
Various media players will next week converge in Victoria Falls to celebrate the 10th anniversary of this day, as we seek to continuously drive the message home that journalism is not a crime and any act of crime against it must be swiftly dealt with, within the confines of the law.
As we fast approach the 2023 elections, electoral violence have claimed many media practitioners and we call upon all political players and arms of the state to guard against any possible future crimes against journalism.
All political parties in Zimbabwe have one way or the other caused victimization of the media practitioners.
Online threats and violence against journalism are criminal as well, and therefore must be condemned for journalism to flourish. No journalists must be killed, injured or victimized while practicing a constitutionally guaranteed mandate.
Statement published by the Zimbabwe Online Content Creators
November 2, 2022