Zimbabwean government sends drones to monitor opposition protests

During the runup to the 2023 general election, the Zimbabwean government sent drones to monitor a rally organised by the Citizens Coalition for Change. The country also uses drones to monitor motorists, control the border, and limit crime; officials in the Kavango Zambezi Transnational Park have used it to complete an elephant census. Law enforcement authorities are now adopting facial recognition to help combat more sophisticated crimes. Zimbabwe's opposition fears that the technologies could normalise surveillance and create a chilling effect on the exercise of fundamental rights such as protest.

https://www.newsday.co.zw/theindependent/local-news/article/200017292/we-are-under-constant-drone-watch

Publication: Zimbabwe Independent

Publication date: 2023-09-29

Writer: Tinashe Makichi and Freeman