A spoof government notice hit social media as soon as President Robert Mugabe announced he had set up a new ministry responsible for Cyber Security, Threat Detection and Mitigation. Zimbabweans reacted with customary humour to the letter, which faked the signature and letterhead of the new appointed cyber minister - Patrick Chinamasa - and instructed all WhatsApp group members to register with the ministry by November. Zimbabwe's government has been uneasy about social media after pastor Evan Mawararire spearheaded the #ThisFlag movement last year. Social media is possibly the primary platform Zimbabweans use to communicate and receive news. Several TV stations and online publications, some operating from the diaspora, use the internet to disseminate news out of the reach of the government.

Source: The Star October 24, 2017 00:33 UTC