Mugabe appoints daughter to censorship board

Harare.Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe’s daughter has been appointed to a top post in the country’s censorship board.

Home Affairs minister Ignatius Chombo announced on Wednesday that the president’s 27-year-old daughter, Bona Chikore, was part of the new 11-member board chaired by a former Cabinet minister.

One of Ms Chikore's responsibilities will be to monitor social media, the minister said.

The board’s main responsibilities, explained Mr Chombo, include ensuring that citizens do not abuse their rights to freedom of artistic expression, cultural beliefs and association.

He said President Mugabe gave the board a five-year term instead of the normal three years because he wanted it to craft certain measures.

“Our current Act limits the tenure of the board to three years, it is the wish of His Excellency that we change that and that this board will serve for a period of five years so that they are able to really craft issues and implement them,” Mr Chombo said.

“Three years is a little bit too short for cultural issues and related matters.”

The minister said the law must also be revised to deal with new technology.

“In today’s environment where there is heightened scrutiny by members of the public, internet and social media use, you are going to be faced by many challenges in administering the Act,” Mr Chombo said.

Last year, the board ordered an edit of the popular movie, Fifty Shades of Grey, saying some of the scenes were too explicit.

The order forced most of the movie houses in Zimbabwe to stop showing the film as they felt that the edits had taken away most of the story.

President Mugabe’s government last year threatened to clampdown on Zimbabweans using social media to protest against the 93-year-old ruler’s continued stay in office.

A pastor who led a social media campaign against corruption that culminated in the biggest job boycott in over a decade was arrested for treason in July 2016.

Pastor Evan Mawarire was freed by the courts and briefly went to exile in the US.

He was arrested when he returned home towards the end of the year on similar charges.

Ms Chikore's husband was last year appointed to a top job at the struggling Air Zimbabwe under controversial circumstances.