Zimbabwe climbs press freedom rankings

Zimbabwe has been ranked 106th out of 180 countries on the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, marking a modest improvement from last year but underscoring ongoing challenges facing journalists and independent media in the country.

According to the latest Afrobarometer report, Zimbabwe moved 10 places up from its 2024 position but remains behind most Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries, ranking only ahead of Lesotho (107), Madagascar (113), and the Democratic Republic of Congo (133).

Afrobarometer, a pan-African non-partisan research network that surveys public opinion on governance, democracy and quality of life, noted that while access to information and freedom of expression have improved since the ouster of the late former President Robert Mugabe in 2017, media repression has intensified under President Emmerson Mnangagwa's administration.

"Critics argue that the Criminal Law Amendment Act (also known as the Patriot Act), which became law in 2023, is designed to restrict media freedom," the report stated.

The legislation allows authorities to criminalise any act perceived as "wilfully injuring the sovereignty and national interest of Zimbabwe," a clause that human rights defenders say is being used to silence dissent and independent reporting.

The report cited the arrest of journalist Blessed Mhlanga in February 2025 as an example of growing state hostility toward the press. Mhlanga was charged with "transmitting data messages that incite violence and damage to property" after conducting an interview with Blessed Geza, a war veteran and Zanu PF Central Committee member, who openly criticised the President.

In another chilling incident, investigative journalist Watson Munyaka died in March after reportedly being thrown from a moving vehicle in what observers suspect was a targeted attack. Munyaka co-founded Dug Up, an investigative platform that had recently published a report detailing tensions between Mnangagwa and Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga.

Despite these threats, Afrobarometer found that two-thirds of Zimbabweans believe the media should play a watchdog role by investigating and exposing government corruption and mismanagement.

"A similar proportion values media freedom and rejects the notion that the government should be able to prevent publications it disapproves of," the report added.

However, the study revealed a disconnect between citizens' expectations and their lived experiences. While many Zimbabweans say they value and exercise freedom of expression—especially through social media—there remains widespread scepticism about whether true media freedom exists in practice.

The report concludes that although Zimbabwe's ranking has improved, systemic intimidation, restrictive laws, and political interference continue to hinder the work of journalists, leaving the path toward full press freedom uncertain.