HARARE – A banned documentary profiling Zimbabwe’s disputed 2018 elections finally airs on the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) 3.
The film, centred around opposition leader Nelson Chamisa who was a close challenger to Zimbabwe incumbent Emmerson Mnangagwa, was censored by government after it was perceived to contain strong political messages which could compromise public order.
In the documentary, titled “President”, Chamisa, set to take a second bite of the cherry in Zimbabwean elections due in August this year, pours out on how he felt cheated in a poll which saw Mnangagwa scrape through in a victory the now Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) leader later challenged with no success within the local court.
The film was set to premiere on SABC 3 on Monday 22nd of May at 9 pm.
CCC confirmed on its internal magazine, Daily Bulletin that the film was set to air.
“As the country approaches a crucial election in August, a powerful documentary is set to air on SABC3,” the party said.
When it was banned, the film’s makers described the embargo as a “devastating blow to freedom of the press in Zimbabwe”.
They filed an appeal against the ban within Zimbabwe’s Constitutional Court but later reported that it was rejected.
President is a sequel to Nielsson’s Tribeca-winning 2014 documentary “Democrats” which, was also subject to censorship; nonetheless, the director was able to prevail in having the restriction lifted in 2018, after a three-year legal battle.
“Democrats” concentrated on the political conflicts surrounding the creation of Zimbabwe’s first democratic constitution as well as the growth of dictatorship during Mugabe’s rule.
