Zimbabwe has moved 10 notches up on the world press freedom index from 116 last year to 106 this year, according to the 2025 index compiled by Reporters Without Borders.
It says one journalist, Watson Munyaka, has so far been killed on duty this year. Munyaka was based in Marondera and wrote for Dug Up, an investigative journalism collective. His body was found on 17 March after he was thrown out of a moving vehicle.
Another journalist, Blessed Mhlanga, is currently on remand on charges of incitement. He was arrested on 24 February.
Zimbabwe is only better than three other Southern African countries- Lesotho which scored 107, Madagascar (113) and Democratic Republic of Congo (133).
Eritrea has the worst record at 180 of the 180 countries surveyed. No other African country is among the worst 10.
South Africa tops the rank as the best in SADC and stands at 27 followed by Naminaiat 28, Seychelles at 45, Mauritius at 51 and Comoros at 75.
There is no African country in the best 10 which is topped by Norway.
The United States is at 57 and China at 178.
The world marked press freedom day on Saturday, 3 May.
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