The Committee to Protect Journalists in Africa (CPJAfrica) has protested the ban of a documentary film by Danish journalist, Camilla Nielsson titled “president”
According to a statement made available to Clariform, CPJAfrica says: “Zimbabwean authorities must lift the ban on the documentary film ‘President’ by Danish journalist Camilla Nielsson and not abuse censorship laws for political ends ahead of next year’s general election.”
The documentary which is centered around Zimbabwe’s opposition leader, Nelson Chamisa was banned by the country’s censorship board Zimbabwe’s Censorship and Entertainment Control Unit, the country’s censorship board because it violated the country’s censorship laws.
This was stated in a June 16 letter from Oscar Mugomeri, the deputy director of Zimbabwe’s censorship board. The letter was addressed to Nielsson’s lawyer, Chris Mhike.
As a result of the ban, the documentary film which premiered in the United States on August 8 cannot be shown anywhere in Zimbabwe.
Clariform recalls that the documentary was the opening film at this year’s iRep International Documentary Festival in March which held in Lagos.
According to the CPJ review, the film actually violated of Section 10 (2)(b) of the Censorship and Entertainments Control Act, because it was “likely to be contrary to public order” and “to incite violence” ahead of the 2023 national elections.
The documentary captures alleged rigging, intimidation, fraud, and political violence on the part of the ruling ZANU-PF party in the 2018 elections.
According to a statement from CPJ:
“Zimbabwe’s censorship board’s decision to ban the documentary film ‘President’ seems to be less about stopping incitement to violence and more about ensuring that an opposition political leader does not get free publicity ahead of a crucial election.”
The statement which was issued on CPJ’s behalf by Angela Quintal, CPJ’s Africa program coordinator, in New York further stated that:
“Authorities must immediately reverse this apparent knee-jerk decision and uphold the right to freedom of expression and the public’s right to know at a crucial time in the country’s history.”
Mhike, the executive producer of the documentary film said he told CPJ via a messaging app that on July 26, he appealed the ban said he would bring his appeal to the Constitutional Court if all other avenues were exhausted.
We gathered that he initially sought the censorship board’s approval on April 1 for the documentary to be aired on Zimbabwean TV and on April 25 he got a letter that the documentary was not approved due to some of the scenes that violated Section 10 (2) of the censorship act.
However, in a letter dated June 2 which was reviewed by CPJ, Mhike asked the censorship board to cite specific portions of the film that allegedly violated the law, adding that not doing so would “be deemed unreasonable, unfair and therefore defective.”
Mugomeri In his reply on June 16, said the board had rejected the whole documentary in line with the same law.
The reply stated:
“The film has the potential to incite violence as the country is now preparing to go for elections in 2023.”
CPJ said it is protesting the ban because its officials called and texted Magomeri for comment but he did not pick up or respond.
