Ethics Newsline®

HARARE, Zimbabwe
After a shutdown and seizure by the government, Zimbabwe’s only independent daily newspaper won the support of the nation’s High Court last week, which said the paper could resume publication.

Offices of the Daily News, a frequent critic of president Robert Mugabe’s government, were raided earlier this month for failing to register under a 2002 media law, reported the BBC.

That law requires all journalists, newspapers, TV stations, and broadcasters to register with the central government — a move the Daily News said is meant to chill criticism and opposition.

After the country’s Supreme Court ruled the paper could be shut down, stating that the paper must observe the registration law before challenging it, the Daily News capitulated and filed registration papers — but not quickly enough to prevent a raid by Mugabe’s government.

Police broke down the paper’s doors, confiscated more than 120 computers without a warrant, and arrested more than 100 people protesting the crackdown, according to the BBC.

Last week, the country’s High Court waded into the turbulence, ruling that the Daily News should be allowed to resume publication while its registration papers are being processed.

Police had no right “to prevent the applicant and its employees from gaining access to the premises of the applicant and carrying on its business,” the court ruled in its rebuke to the Mugabe government, which controls the nation’s two other daily papers and the only TV and radio station.