AFRICA - House Foreign Affairs Committee Democrats

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gramming; however, it does broadcast BBC news reports. International television
broadcasts were available freely through private cable and satellite firms.
The NCA accused the governmentinfluenced newspaper The Chronicle and the
ZBC of refusing to publish previously accepted advertising from the NCA about its
proposed constitutional process due to government orders to ban the NCA from disseminating
its alternative message on the constitutional process. After the NCA
took the ZBC to court in February, the judge ordered ZBC to carry the NCA’s advertisements;
the ZBC responded by carrying the advertisements in late night timeslots
that had few listeners.
The Government does not restrict access to the Internet. During the year, there
were many privately owned domestic Internet service providers. However, in April
Parliament passed legislation that would permit the Government to monitor all
international e-mail messages entering and leaving the country. It is unknown to
what extent the security services have used this authority to intercept e-mail communication.
The Government restricts academic freedom. The University of Zimbabwe (UZ)
Amendment Act and the National Council for Higher Education Act restricts the
independence of universities, making them subject to government influence, and extending
the disciplinary powers of the university authorities against staff and students.
The Ministry of Higher Education and Technology controls the UZ and appoints
its Chancellor and Vice Chancellors; since 1998 the Ministry also has appointed
the Dean of Faculty, previously elected by the faculty, and most members
of the University Council, which previously consisted largely of faculty members.
The 1998 expansion of the Government’s control of the UZ, which was a subject of
student protests in 1998, was cited as a subject of concern to the faculty in a parliamentary
committee report in June 1999. During the year, a number of students
were expelled, and faculty members were forced to take leave without pay for belonging
to the MDC.
b. Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association.—The Constitution provides for
the right of assembly; however, the Government resticted this right in practice. The
Government enforced laws that restrict this right, including the LOMA, and repeatedly
used force to break up nonviolent demonstrations by its critics. Permits are not
required for meetings; however, the police continued to require that groups obtain
permits for marches or demonstrations despite the 1994 Supreme Court ruling that
struck down the part of LOMA requiring permits. Most groups that conducted
marches did not seek permits because of the Supreme Court ruling.
During the February referendum, eight NCA members, including two prominent
MDC members, were arrested for violating sections of the Electoral Act that prohibit
campaigning within 100 meters of a polling station. On February 15, a magistrate
court dismissed the case, ruling that the NCA members were not within 100
meters of the polling station and that the application of the act to a national referendum
violated the constitutional right of free assembly (see Section 2.a.).
On April 1, war veterans and riot police violently disrupted a peace march in central
Harare organized by the NCA. The war veterans, in addition to young government
supporters marched from ZANU-PF headquarters in a counter-demonstration
and attacked the NCA marchers with stones, crowbars, and pickaxe handles, while
police fired tear gas into the crowd. The attackers also reportedly chased the marchers
into neighboring shops and beat them. At least 12 persons, including one British
journalist, were seriously injured. The war veterans reportedly singled out journalists
for attack, and a number of innocent bystanders were injured as well. The police
ultimately disarmed the war veterans and other attackers, but did not arrest or
charge them. Five NCA marchers were arrested for disobeying police orders to disperse.
The Minister of Home Affairs blamed the NCA marchers for organizing a
demonstration at the same time and place as the war veterans.
On May 7, several thousand MDC supporters attended a rally at Mucheke Stadium
in Masvingo, despite threats of violence from ZANU-PF supporters. According
to press reports, many persons were turned away by the police, who broke up
groups larger than five persons and sealed off all roads leading into Masvingo.
On May 13, a peaceful NCA rally was disrupted by police and approximately 50
war veterans. The war veterans reportedly attacked those attending the rally with
clubs, iron bars and stones.
On June 28, MDC members reportedly were beaten by soldiers at a political rally
that had been authorized by the police (see Section 1.c.).
In July police fired tear gas into the stands during a soccer match after opposition
supporters began chanting slogans and waving banners (see Sections 1.a., 1.c., and
2.a.).
On October 8, three MDC M.P.’s were arrested and charged with making inflammatory
statements at a political rally (see Sections 1.d. and 2.a.). On October 9, po-
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