Zimbabwean newspaper owner Trevor Ncube — publisher of the Standard and the Zimbabwe Independent in that country and the Mail & Guardian in South Africa — is set to contest the stripping of his citizenship in a High Court application once a date is allocated.
Zimbabwean authorities announced their decision to strip Ncube of his Zimbabwean citizenship in late December because, they say, he is a Zambian citizen by descent.
Ncube is challenging the decision to strip him of his citizenship in the High Court. He says he has never held a Zambian passport, adding that both his parents were Zimbabwean citizens at the time of his birth.
Insiders within the government contend that the matter is ”political”, and say that unnamed senior government officials are pushing for the withdrawal of Ncube’s citizenship to pave the way for the government to seize control of his two publications.
Commenting on the case, the director of the International Press Institute, Johann P Fritz, said: ”The attempt by the Zimbabwean government to strip Trevor Ncube of his nationality is a flagrant breach of customary international law under Article 15 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which clearly states that no one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality.
”By acting this way, the government is clearly seeking to build the foundations for an assault on Ncube’s newspapers that remain some of the last remaining forums for open and critical debate inside Zimbabwe.
”This government appears determined to ensure that the only voice heard in Zimbabwe is its own. However, such a determination not only undermines all pretence at democracy in the country, it also displays a misunderstanding of the important role played by dissent and criticism.
”With each media organisation closed, with each journalist constrained from practising his profession, the Zimbabwean government is further isolating itself from debates and discussions that need to take place within a modern society.
”I sincerely hope that the Zimbabwean courts, which in the past have shown a willingness to resist the actions of this present government, reject this latest cynical and presumptuous attempt to manipulate the rule of law in order to silence dissenters.”
Condemnation
In a letter to Mugabe and Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa, the World Association of Newspapers (WAN) and the World Editors Forum condemned and deplored the Zimbabwean government’s attempt to close the country’s last independent newspapers by stripping their owner of his citizenship.
Ncube represents South Africa on the WAN board, as owner of the M&G newspaper and president of the Newspaper Association of South Africa.
The full text of the letter is as follows: ”Sirs, We are writing to condemn the withdrawal of Zimbabwean citizenship from Mr Trevor Ncube, owner of the Zimbabwe Independent and Zimbabwe Standard newspapers and to call on you to reverse this measure immediately by instructing that his passport be renewed.
”Mr Ncube, who is a Board member of the World Association of Newspapers, has clearly been stripped of his citizenship in a blatant and transparent attempt to close his newspapers since, as you are aware, foreigners cannot own publications in Zimbabwe.
”Mr Ncube was born and raised in Zimbabwe and is clearly entitled to citizenship of your country; he holds no other citizenship. A year ago, your government already seized his passport, a move that was overturned by the courts. This deplorable and indefensible persecution of Mr Ncube must cease.
”The World Association of Newspapers and the World Editors Forum, together with the whole international community, have repeatedly protested and condemned the numerous actions that you have taken to seriously limit freedom of the press in Zimbabwe. This latest move against the owner of the last independent newspapers in your country removes any remaining doubt that your objective is the complete elimination of free expression.
”We call on you to urgently reinstate Trevor Ncube’s Zimbabwean citizenship and by doing so give a clear message that you remain attached to the democratic values of a free press.
”Yours sincerely, Gavin O’Reilly, President, World Association of Newspapers and George Brock, President, World Editors Forum.”
‘Appalled’
The Freedom of Expression Institute’s Na’eem Jeenah said: ”I am appalled by the withdrawal of the Zimbabwean citizenship of publisher, Trevor Ncube. Such an arbitrary depriving of a person of his or her citizenship is a violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
”We hope that latest reports from Zimbabwe, which state that the government has no intention of using the stripping of Ncube’s citizenship as a pretext to close down his two newspapers are correct. Media freedom has taken a severe battering in Zimbabwe over the recent past and if these publications are shut down Zimbabweans will be deprived of virtually the only surviving independent, critical media available in the country.
”Further, we hope that the courts will uphold Ncube’s appeal and restore his citizenship to him.”
Leonard Vincent of Reporters sans Frontières said: ”This is yet another attempt, by an aggressive and narcissistic government, to muzzle the last independent voices in Zimbabwe. When sending the police to do the dirty job isn’t possible anymore, all other means, including cynicism and humiliating insinuations, are used to attack personally those journalists who have no other goal than informing correctly the Zimbabwean people.
”We hope the Zimbabwean judiciary will once more demonstrate its independence and refuse to be an accomplice of this absurd manoeuvre.”