The Zimbabwe Online Content Creators (ZOCC) has condemned the arrest of Zimbo Live journalist Pellagia Mupurwa warning that the case poses a serious threat to press freedom in the country.
Mupurwa has been charged under Zimbabwe's Cyber and Data Protection Act for the alleged "transmission of false data messages intending to cause harm".
In a statement, ZOCC said the arrest was part of a "troubling and dangerous pattern" in which laws are being used to target journalists for carrying out their work.
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The organisation said the Cyber and Data Protection Act was introduced to protect citizens from genuine data abuse but is now increasingly being invoked to intimidate and criminalise legitimate reporting.
The charges stem from an interview Mupurwa conducted with residents of Budiriro who claimed that a businessman, Steven Mutumhe also known as Changamira had forcibly taken a property from a Harare man.
ZOCC said the journalist made several attempts to obtain a response from Mutumhe to balance the story but these efforts were either ignored or misrepresented. Despite this, she now faces criminal prosecution.
"This is a clear infringement on press freedom and a direct assault on the Fourth Estate. Journalism is not a crime; it is a constitutional duty," the organisation said.
ZOCC warned that the law was being "stretched beyond its original purpose" to punish journalists and said such actions risk creating a climate of fear that discourages reporting on issues affecting ordinary citizens particularly where powerful interests are involved.
The group has called on the government to ensure that legislation meant to protect the public is not used to harass the media. It also urged law enforcement agencies to respect press freedom and refrain from treating journalists as criminals for doing their work.
The Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) also condemned the arrest saying interviewing communities and reporting their statements is a core journalistic function, not a criminal offence.
"Members of society who wield power and influence should not weaponise the law to intimidate journalists, silence public interest reporting and shield themselves from public scrutiny. Using criminal charges to resolve disputes over alleged defamation is a clear abuse of the law and a direct attack on media freedom, freedom of expression, and the public's right to know. The Cyber and Data Protection Act, in its current form, gags the media and violates constitutional rights. It must be urgently reviewed and aligned with democratic principles. Disputes over reputational harm belong in civil courts, not police cells," said ZUJ
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