messages. According to the International Telecommunication Union, 27.1% of the population used the internet in 2017. 2018 would have seen a slight increase in the percentage. There was a level of surveillance and intimidation for human rights campaigners and opposition activists who were vocal on social media. Some users received anonymous threats for expressing views critical to government - with some threats coming close to death threats. Officials loathed social media’s ability to facilitate citizen journalism, thereby providing an alternative source of information. On many occasions, social media was often the first platform to break news to the country before official news outlets caught up with the story. 2018 recorded a number of social media-related arrests. Rights made several recommendations in the case of Scanlen and Holderness v Republic of Zimbabwe that include repealing sections 79 and 80 of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) and broadly bringing the AIPPA in line with human rights instruments; decriminalising offences relating to accreditation and the practice of journalism; and adopting a framework providing for selfregulation of journalists. Almost ten years since the resolution with recommendations was adopted, these reforms remain outstanding. In November 2016, the Government made voluntary commitments to the United Nations Human Rights Council-led Universal Periodic Review Mechanism to enhance press freedom by aligning laws with the Constitution, ensuring pluralism, unbiased local media and removing restrictions on local radio stations. In 2009, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Specific Cases Ÿ High Court Judge Justice Esther Muremba on 8 February lifted a government ban on the screening of “Democrats”, a documentary film narrating the constitution-making process in Zimbabwe. The Board of Censors had in 2015 banned Upfront Films, a leading film company based in Denmark, which produced the documentary from screening “Democrats” after alleging that the film was unfit for viewership within the country. Ÿ On 30 April, the police arrested and detained Gift Phiri, an editor with the Daily News, after he was seen taking pictures of a ZANU-PF meeting with party polling agents. He was charged with one count of criminal trespassing. Phiri was later released after paying a fine. Ÿ On 14 May MDC Alliance supporters manhandled Tawanda Mudimu, a Herald photographer while he covered demonstrations at Harvest House, the party’s headquarters in Harare. According to the MISA-Zimbabwe chapter, MDC Alliance supporters allegedly assaulted Mudimu and demanded that he deletes the pictures he had taken during the demonstrations. Ÿ On 24 May, Deputy Minister of Justice Terrence Mukupe assaulted News Day journalist Blessed Mhlanga and his wife during a live radio program. Mhlanga had released a video recording of an internal ZANU-PF meeting in which Mukupe said the military would not recognise opposition candidate Nelson Chamisa as president if he won the 30 July elections. When Mhlanga went to the police to file a complaint regarding the assault, he learned Mukupe already had made a statement accusing him of being the attacker. 56 STATE OF HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT ZIMBABWE 2018