views. In October, Spenser Chiteera, a police lawyer intervened. The same month, two officer in Mount Darwin, underwent journalists were detained when they were disciplinary action for his online endorsing of covering the MDC-A anniversary Nelson Chamisa, president of the opposition commemorations in Bulawayo. Movement for Democratic Change-Alliance Eight community radio stations were (MDC-A), with the campaign slogan granted operating licences in September. “Ngaapinde Hake Mukomana” (“let the lad ARBITRARY ARRESTS AND DETENTIONS lead”). In the same month, police arrested Maxwell The authorities curtailed the right to protest Guvava, also a police officer, for insulting or by weaponizing Covid-19 regulations to target undermining the president’s authority after he political activists, human rights defenders told ZANU-PF supporters that “the country is and other people holding dissenting views. rotten” (“nyika yaora”). On 2 February, MDC-A activists Cecilia In August, the Cybersecurity and Data Chimbiri and Joanah Mamombe were Protection Bill was reintroduced to parliament arrested and detained at Chikurubi Maximum after errors were identified in its text. The Bill Security Prison, accused of undermining was substantively different from the gazetted police authority during a national lockdown version which had been presented to citizens under Section 11 of Statutory Instrument 83 during public hearings; the government was of 2020. They were granted bail on 8 criticized for disregarding the public February. consultation process in formulating the Makomborero Haruzivishe was arrested on legislation. 17 February after plain-clothed men shot at JOURNALISTS AND MEDIA WORKERS him. He was accused of inciting public At least 15 journalists were detained, arrested violence for blowing a whistle during a protest or assaulted by security forces while carrying in February 2020 outside the Zimbabwe out their work. In January, Michael Electoral Commission in the capital, Harare. Magoronga was arrested in Kwekwe for using In April, he was sentenced to 36 months in an expired accreditation card issued by the prison of which 16 were suspended. He Zimbabwe Media Commission. Samuel appealed against the sentence and in July Takawira of 263Chat online media forum was was given bail, which was promptly revoked assaulted in April by anti-riot police while he by a magistrate who ordered that he remain was covering the sentencing at the in detention pending other charges against Magistrates Court of Makomborero him. After Joanah Mamombe and Cecilia Haruzivishe, an MDC-A youth activist (see Chimbiri addressed a press conference in below, Arbitrary arrests and detentions). solidarity with him, they were re-arrested on 6 Freelance journalist Jeffrey Moyo was March. They were arrested at a police station arrested on 26 May for violating the where they had gone as part of their bail Immigration Act by helping two New York reporting conditions and accused of violating Times journalists to obtain media Covid-19 regulations. They were denied bail accreditations. He was denied bail but but released on 5 May. released on 15 June. In September, nine In March, police raided the house of civil journalists were arrested for covering an society activist Prosper Tiringindi in Masvingo MDC-A demonstration at the Zimbabwe in search of evidence of his involvement in Electoral Commission offices. Following legal spraying graffiti messages calling for a intervention, they were released without reversal of the 500% increase in inflation. He charge. was arrested and later released without Also in September, Gilbert Munetsi was charge. On 6 April, four armed security arrested and detained for violating a Covid-19 agents raided his house again in search of curfew when he was on his way home from him. work. He was released the next day after his Amnesty International Report 2021/22 413