IFEX - News from the international freedom of expression community
_________________________________________________________________

ALERT UPDATE - ZIMBABWE

3 April 2002

Recently released journalist questioned on status of citizenship

SOURCE: Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), Windhoek

**Updates IFEX alerts of 3 and 2 April and 28 March 2002**

(MISA/IFEX) - On Tuesday 2 April 2002, Peta Thornycroft, the Zimbabwe
correspondent for the British "Daily Telegraph", was questioned on the
status of
her citizenship in the continuing saga following her arrest on Wednesday 27
March.

Thornycroft was asked by police to report to the magistrate's court in the
eastern border town of Mutare on Tuesday 2 April. On 3 April, the journalist
told MISA-Zimbabwe that the Mutare chief immigration officer asked her where
her
parents were born and whether she had renounced her British citizenship. "I
told
them that I renounced my British citizenship in December 2001," said
Thornycroft. She also said that all her travel documents were returned and
that
she was on her way to the capital, Harare.

This development is largely seen as an orchestrated move by the Zimbabwean
authorities to persist with Thornycroft's harassment. The allegation that
she is
a "foreign" citizen is likely to be trumped up in an effort to silence the
reporter. The government of Zimbabwe promulgated a controversial citizenship
law
before the March presidential elections that demands that all Zimbabweans
born
of parents originally not from Zimbabwe renounce their "foreign
citizenship", in
order for them to be able to vote and become full citizens of Zimbabwe.

This law was largely seen as targeting the large farm workers' community,
many
of them originally from Malawi, Zambia and Mozambique and the white
community.
These groups are largely seen as sympathetic to the opposition, Movement for
Democratic Change. Thousands of people born in Zimbabwe had their
citizenship
revoked and many were unable to vote on the basis of this law.

By bringing the question of Thornycroft's citizenship into this matter,
Zimbabwean authorities seem determined to "find" a charge against the
reporter,
after having failed to formally charge her with any wrongdoing.

BACKGROUND:
The intelligence services, in collaboration with the police, arrested
Thornycroft in Chimanimani on Wednesday 27 March. She was released on Sunday
31
March, after a high court judgement was sought for her release. The High
Court
ordered that she be released as the police had failed to formally charge
her.
The police can only go by way of summons if they are still interested in
pursuing the matter.

For further information, contact Zoe Titus or Kaitira Kandjii, Regional
Information Coordinator, MISA, Street Address: 21 Johann Albrecht Street,
Mailing Address; Private Bag 13386 Windhoek, Namibia, tel: +264 61 232975,
fax:
+264 61 248016, e-mail: [email protected] or [email protected],
Internet:
http://www.misa.org/

The information contained in this alert update is the sole responsibility of
MISA. In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit
MISA.
_________________________________________________________________
DISTRIBUTED BY THE INTERNATIONAL FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
EXCHANGE (IFEX) CLEARING HOUSE
489 College Street, Suite 403, Toronto (ON) M6G 1A5 CANADA
tel: +1 416 515 9622 fax: +1 416 515 7879
alerts e-mail: [email protected] general e-mail: [email protected]
Internet site: http://www.ifex.org/
_________________________________________________________________