News / Local
Zimbabwe bloggers hacked after Mugabe memo
21 Dec 2016 at 08:04hrs | Views
A Zimbabwean online platform for bloggers claims to have been hacked after publishing an article on 92-year-old President Robert Mugabe.
The article by ilizwi263 blogger Daphne Jena was also republished on Bulawayo24.com 4 days ago.
ilizwi263 team wrote on their website:
Following the publication of an article which went viral within a day of release, blogging website ilizwi263 was hacked on Monday 18th December 2016. The article by ilizwi263 blogger Daphne Jena was shared by over 200 readers on Facebook and several others on Twitter. Jena's article, Memo to President Mugabe - Zimbabwe cash crisis, first appeared on the popular blogging site on Friday 16th December 2016.
Africa keeps eye on Zimbabwe
The article which possibly elicited closure of the website has been republished on several media sites, such as All Africa, Glitz N Glamour Online, East Africa Biz News, iEthiopia, The Zimbabwean, Zimbabwe News, Report Focus, Zimbabwe News Day, Zimbabwe Situation Report and Bulawayo24 News and remained in cyberspace despite the site's shutdown. In her memo to the 92 year old President, Jena implores Mugabe, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe's Governor and Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa to resolve the cash crisis which has resulted in winding queues outside the country's banks. On 28th November 2016, Zimbabwe introduced a pseudo currency, known as bond notes, whose value is purportedly equal to the American dollar. Although the central bank's ostensive aim was to reduce shortage of bank notes, the cash crisis has continued and in some instances worsened. Mobile money transfer agents who had been spared the cash shortage plaguing the banking system have, of late, run out of bank notes.
Bond notes - a scam
Bulawayo South Member of Parliament, from the opposition party, Movement for Democratic Change, Eddie Cross has labelled the bond notes "a scam." Harare based lawyer, Advocate Fadzayi Mahere has referred to the currency as "fictitious money".
Mugabe's clampdown on free speech
The Zimbabwean government which is under pressure in the face of a deepening economic crisis and rising civil unrest is notorious for its clampdown on free speech. Faced with growing turbulence in urban areas, President Mugabe's government has, on one occasion this year, resorted to shutting down the popular instant messenger application, WhatsApp, in a move aimed at thwarting the protest #ThisFlag, orchestrated by Pastor Evan Mawarire who has since fled the country with his family. Civilians leading peaceful protests have also been arrested or beaten by the police, despite the country's constitution providing for the right to protest. The most notable casualty of civil protests is activist, Itai Dzamara, who has been missing for over a year after being abducted by suspected government security agents.
Established in September 2015 by a group of Zimbabwean bloggers, ilizwi263 provides a platform for storytellers to share personal accounts, satire, cartoons and short videos pertaining to national affairs. On Tuesday morning, ilizwi263's site had been restored.
The article by ilizwi263 blogger Daphne Jena was also republished on Bulawayo24.com 4 days ago.
ilizwi263 team wrote on their website:
Following the publication of an article which went viral within a day of release, blogging website ilizwi263 was hacked on Monday 18th December 2016. The article by ilizwi263 blogger Daphne Jena was shared by over 200 readers on Facebook and several others on Twitter. Jena's article, Memo to President Mugabe - Zimbabwe cash crisis, first appeared on the popular blogging site on Friday 16th December 2016.
Africa keeps eye on Zimbabwe
The article which possibly elicited closure of the website has been republished on several media sites, such as All Africa, Glitz N Glamour Online, East Africa Biz News, iEthiopia, The Zimbabwean, Zimbabwe News, Report Focus, Zimbabwe News Day, Zimbabwe Situation Report and Bulawayo24 News and remained in cyberspace despite the site's shutdown. In her memo to the 92 year old President, Jena implores Mugabe, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe's Governor and Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa to resolve the cash crisis which has resulted in winding queues outside the country's banks. On 28th November 2016, Zimbabwe introduced a pseudo currency, known as bond notes, whose value is purportedly equal to the American dollar. Although the central bank's ostensive aim was to reduce shortage of bank notes, the cash crisis has continued and in some instances worsened. Mobile money transfer agents who had been spared the cash shortage plaguing the banking system have, of late, run out of bank notes.
Bond notes - a scam
Bulawayo South Member of Parliament, from the opposition party, Movement for Democratic Change, Eddie Cross has labelled the bond notes "a scam." Harare based lawyer, Advocate Fadzayi Mahere has referred to the currency as "fictitious money".
Mugabe's clampdown on free speech
The Zimbabwean government which is under pressure in the face of a deepening economic crisis and rising civil unrest is notorious for its clampdown on free speech. Faced with growing turbulence in urban areas, President Mugabe's government has, on one occasion this year, resorted to shutting down the popular instant messenger application, WhatsApp, in a move aimed at thwarting the protest #ThisFlag, orchestrated by Pastor Evan Mawarire who has since fled the country with his family. Civilians leading peaceful protests have also been arrested or beaten by the police, despite the country's constitution providing for the right to protest. The most notable casualty of civil protests is activist, Itai Dzamara, who has been missing for over a year after being abducted by suspected government security agents.
Established in September 2015 by a group of Zimbabwean bloggers, ilizwi263 provides a platform for storytellers to share personal accounts, satire, cartoons and short videos pertaining to national affairs. On Tuesday morning, ilizwi263's site had been restored.
Source - ilizwi263.com
