Zimbabwean journalists arrested and charged since Mugabe’s re-election on March 15 | |||||
Name | Date of arrest | Charges | Action | Article or issue leading to charges | |
Peta Thornycroft Mail and Guardian (South Africa); Daily Telegraph (UK) |
March 27 | Public Order and Security Act (POSA) | Released without charge, March 31 | Investigating reports that supporters of the ruling ZANU-PF party were attacking members of the political opposition | |
Dumisani Muleya Zimbabwe Independent |
April 15 | Criminal Defamation; charges changed on April 16 to contravening Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) | Released. “Proceed by way of summons,” meaning that charges have not been dropped, and the journalist can be summoned and tried at any time | April 12 article, “First lady’s brother in bid to take over local firm” | |
Iden Wetherell, Zimbabwe Independent |
April 17 | Same as above | Same as above | Same as above | |
Geoff Nyarota, Daily News | April 15 | AIPPA | Charged and released. “Proceed by way of summons” | April 10 Daily News article about alleged vote rigging in March presidential election | |
Lloyd Mudiwa, Daily News |
April 30 | AIPPA | Charged. Appeared in court June 20, adjourned until July 22 | April 23 story claiming that youth from the ruling ZANU-PF party beheaded an opposition supporter, an article that the paper later retracted | |
Collin Chiwanza, Daily News | April 30 | AIPPA | Charged. Held in detention until May 2. Charges dropped May 7. State indicated on June 20 that they would reinstate charges | Same as above | |
Geoff Nyarota, Daily News | May 1 | AIPPA | Questioned and charged. Case to be heard July 22 with Mudiwa’s | Same as above | |
Andrew Meldrum, Guardian (UK) | May 20 | AIPPA | Charged and held in detention until May 2. Case went to court in June 12; postponed until July 12 | Writing an article about the April 23 Daily News “beheading story” | |
Pius Wakatama, Daily News | May 6 | AIPPA | Charged and released same day | May 4 article, on eviction of a white farming family from their property. Also referred to April 23 Daily News ‘beheading story’ | |
Bornwell Chakaodza, The Standard |
May 16 | AIPPA | Arrested, charged, and held for three days | Two stories headlined “Deadly riot gear arrives,” about the purchase of Israeli equipment, and “Police in sex for freedom deals?,” about police extorting sex from prostitutes | |
Farai Mutsaka, The Standard |
May 16 | AIPPA | Arrested and charged, and held for three days | “Deadly riot gear arrives,” May 12 edition | |
Fungayi Kanyuchi, The Standard | May 16 | AIPPA | Arrested, charged, and held for three days | “Police in sex for freedom deals?” in 12 May edition of The Standard | |
Fungayi Kanyuchi, The Standard | May 21 | Censorship and Entertainment Control Act (CECA) | Charged | Photographs accompanying “Police in sex for freedom deals?,” May 12 edition of The Standard | |
Bornwell Chakaodza, The Standard |
May 21 | CECA | Charged | Same as above | |
Bornwell Chakaodza, The Standard |
May 23 | AIPPA | Charged. Signed “warned and cautioned” statement. Released | Article in May 12 issue, “Another shake-up at Zimpapers,” about personnel changes at state-owned media houses | |
Farai Mutsaka, The Standard |
May 23 | AIPPA | Same as above | Same as above | |
Fungayi Kanyuchi, The Standard | May 28 | AIPPA | Charged | “The private media’s burden” May 26th (about jail experiences from May 16) | |
Bornwell Chakaodza, The Standard |
May 28 | AIPPA | Charged | Same as above | |
Iden Wetherell, Zimbabwe Independent | May 30 | CECA | Charged | Wire service picture in the 17 May issue of semi-naked Amazonian men wearing traditional clothes and playing soccer | |
Guthrie Munyuki, Daily News | June 16 | POSA | Beaten, arrested, charged, held for 3 days. Charges dismissed June 24 | Assaulted while covering opposition Movement for Democratic Change rally | |
Urginia Mauluka, Daily News | June 16 | POSA | Same as above | Same as above | |
Chris Gande, |
July 4 | AIPPA | Arrested and charged. Signed “warned and cautioned” statement | June 29 article, “Nkomo’s family not invited to state gala” about commemoration ceremony for nationalist hero | |