The location of this meeting of #AfricaBlogging was chosen intentionally after the deposition of the long-term ruler Robert Mugabe. His removal from power lifted the grip on freedom of expression in Zimbabwe. Simultaneously, Zimbabwe is expecting a precedent-setting election that might define the fate of the country over time.
Participants at the conference (from the 5th to 7th of June) deliberated on a range of topics including fake news, manipulation of algorithms and government-planted rogue bloggers. The annual gathering – which included technical training by an industry expert, a session by a media lawyer and a site visit to the offices of 263Chat, a Harare-based news outlet started by young entrepreneur Nigel Mugamu to promote media diversity in Zimbabwe – drew participants from seven African countries: Senegal, Kenya, Malawi South Africa, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Participants at this year’s conference also got to learn about negative developments in Tanzania and Uganda. In its quest to muzzle dissent, the Tanzanian government has introduced highly criticized regulations that force bloggers to obtain state permission and pay an equivalent of US$930 per annum to run or start a blog.
The conditions are onerous and fees hefty. After all, as Johannesburg-based lawyer Justine Limpitlaw noted in her presentation about Internet regulation in Africa, Tanzania’s average annual income is US$900. She contended that the real intention of this regulation was to silence political blogging. In countries such as Ethiopia, online activity is criminalized while Uganda has turned to a tax on social media, a move that will make access to the Internet too expensive and discourage blogging. There are fears that Kenya could follow suit.
Bloggers reiterated their dedication to their cause. One blogger told the conference how she has had to devise ways to avoid jail in a country where government is on a “witch-hunt for online activists and bloggers… there are arrests every day”. Free political activity, she added, was non-existent in her country. Another blogger lambasted his government for a slew of draconian laws designed to intimidate bloggers in his country.
Looking back to how far this vibrant community of bloggers has come, Jimmy Kainja commended his peers for their commitment to raising consciousness and telling the truth even in the face of difficult conditions. “The importance of blogging cannot be over-emphasized,” said Kainja, a veteran blogger who also serves as editor at #AfricaBlogging and represented Malawi at the conference.
Christoph Plate, Director of the KAS Media Programme based in Johannesburg, emphasized the meaning of blogging for the political journalism on the continent. David Mbae, Country Representative of KAS Zimbabwe, expressed his satisfaction with the assembly of the bloggers in Harare:”a year ago a conference like this could have not taken place here.”
