THE AFRICAN COURIER. Reporting Africa and its Diaspora! The African Courier is an international magazine published in Germany to report on Africa and the Diaspora African experience. The first issue of the bimonthly magazine appeared on the newsstands on 15 February 1998. The African Courier is a communication forum for European-African political, economic and cultural exchanges, and a voice for Africa in Europe.
Veteran Zimbabwean journalist Faith Zaba, editor of the Zimbabwe Independent, has been named the 2025 Human Rights Tulip Award winner by the Dutch Embassy in Harare. Zaba is recognised for her outstanding investigative journalism and pioneering leadership in a traditionally male-dominated media landscape. With a career spanning more than three decades, she is widely regarded as a trailblazer and a source of inspiration for female journalists in Zimbabwe and beyond.
Zaba made history as the first woman to serve as political editor, news editor, deputy editor, and later editor of the Zimbabwe Independent, a position she still holds. Throughout her career, she has faced intimidation, harassment, and professional obstacles, yet has remained resolute in her commitment to press freedom and accountability.
Beyond the newsroom, Zaba actively mentors aspiring and practising female journalists across southern Africa. Through the Womentorship Programme, supported by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, she works to dismantle structural barriers facing women in media by promoting gender equity in leadership, pay, recruitment, and news content, while ensuring women journalists are visible, protected, and heard.
Detention Over a Satirical Column
On 1 July 2025, Faith Zaba was arrested in Harare following the publication of a satirical column in the Zimbabwe Independent. She was charged the following day with “undermining the authority of the President” and detained. The Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ), alongside international bodies such as the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), strongly condemned the arrest as an abuse of power intended to intimidate and silence the media.
IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger described the detention as “an act of intimidation by the police intended to undermine press freedom,” stressing that satire is protected under freedom of expression and cannot be criminalised in a democratic society whose constitution guarantees media freedom.
The Human Rights Tulip Award
The Human Rights Tulip is an annual award presented by the Dutch government to honour and support human rights defenders worldwide. Since 2008, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs has recognised individuals who courageously advance and protect human rights, often under severe personal risk. The award includes €50,000 in prize money and a bronze tulip sculpture, intended to enhance the winner’s international visibility and expand the reach of their work.
According to the Dutch government, the award highlights the vital role of human rights defenders, who frequently face threats, imprisonment, and violence. The Netherlands supports these defenders to ensure they can continue their work safely and effectively.
“The Cost of Speaking Truth to Power”
Reflecting on the award and her recent detention, Zaba described the recognition as a powerful moment in a difficult year. In a social media post, she wrote that her 33-year journalism journey reached a defining point with her arrest and detention, describing the experience as traumatic yet affirming of her purpose.
“Those three nights at Harare Central Police Station and Chikurubi Women’s Prison were the longest of my life — marked by cold floors, suffocating air and a constant fight to remain hopeful. But even in that darkness, I reminded myself — this is the cost of speaking truth to power,” she recounted.
Despite the harsh conditions of her confinement, she said the ordeal reinforced her belief in journalism as a public service worth defending.
Zaba emphasised that courage and resilience are intrinsic to journalism, particularly in environments where accountability is resisted. Drawing strength from her family, colleagues, and children, she reaffirmed her commitment to defending human rights, the rule of law, and democratic values.
She concluded by dedicating the award not only to herself, but to every female journalist fighting to be heard, every reporter pushing back against fear, and every Zimbabwean who dares to speak truth to power. Zaba also expressed gratitude to the Netherlands Embassy to Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi, describing the honour as a collective recognition of courage in the face of repression.
Nyima Jadama
