French journalists try to sneak into Zimbabwe, deported

A couple of people purporting to be French journalists have just been returned after they tried to enter the country through Sango Border Post without clearances, senior government official has said.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information Publicity and Broadcasting Services Nick Mangwana urged foreign media practitioners wishing to work in Zimbabwe to properly apply.

“Media notification. A couple of people purporting to be French Journalists have just been returned after they tried to enter the country through Sango Border Post without clearances.

“Please don’t try to sneak into the country, we will question your bona fides. Please apply to come and gather news in Zimbabwe properly and you will be cleared,” he says.

Zimbabwe is holding its general elections late this month, and a number of foreign media houses have applied to cover the polls.

According to the country’s statutes, all journalists, both local and foreign, are required to apply for the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission accreditation in order to be allowed to capture the proceedings in and near polling stations and be able to not just access polling stations, but also the ZEC command centres, observer briefings and to observe elections.

For the media, local journalists pay US$10, Zimbabwean journalists accredited with the Zimbabwe Media Commission and working in Zimbabwe for foreign media houses pay US$100, and media practitioners from Africa will be charged US$100.

Zwnews