ABSTRACT
In March 2023, a Zimbabwean government official caused a storm after threatening journalists with arrests for reporting on an Al Jazeera documentary that exposed alleged money laundering, gold smuggling and other criminal activities in the country. Journalists and media groups interpreted these utterances as a violation of free expression and veiled attacks on the media. This study uses this incident of a threat to silence and discipline newsmakers as an entry point to examine the state of the safety of journalists in the Zimbabwean context. It probes the nature and form of harassment and threats against journalists ahead of the country’s national elections in 2023. Journalists across the globe are increasingly faced with safety risks as they are vulnerable to harassment in both online and offline spaces. News reporters are at risk of being arrested, detained, tortured and killed whilst carrying out their journalistic mandate. This qualitative study draws upon insights from journalists across media houses in the country to make sense of the safety issues in the context of national elections that tend to be characterised by political instability and violence. Through in-depth interviews with journalists such as those who have been physically harassed for carrying out their work, this chapter develops an understanding of the nature, trends and patterns of the harassment during the election campaign season.
