Zimbabwe: Editor Held Overnight in Police Cells

SW Radio Africa (London)

Tichaona Sibanda

30 June 2011

The editor of the Zimbabwe Standard newspaper, Nevanji Madanhire, spent the night in police custody after he was arrested on Wednesday together with reporter Patience Nyangove and company Human Resources Manager Loud Ramakgapola.

Senior reporter Nyangove and Ramakgapola were released Wednesday night after spending hours at Harare Central police station.

SW Radio Africa was unable to find out if Madanhire had been freed by Thursday.

The trio were arrested over a story Nyangove wrote which was published by the paper on Sunday, headed ‘MDC-T fears for missing Timba’s life.’ Jameson Timba, the Minister of State in Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s office, was detained over the weekend but has since been released on the orders of a High Court Judge.

Alpha Media Holdings lawyer Linda Cook said in statement that the police charged Madanhire, Nyangove and Ramakgapola, with criminal defamation under Section 96 of the Criminal Code, for the’ publication of false statements prejudicial to the State’.

Cook explained that the allegation states that it was falsely reported Timba was arrested by police officers who included ‘the notorious Chrispen Makedenge’ when the state says Makedenge was not present and involved in the arrest.

Despite their release Nyangove and Ramakgapola were ordered to return to the Law and Order Section on Thursday for further questioning. The Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe released a statement calling for the immediate release of Madanhire while imploring the police to desist from harassing and arresting journalists on frivolous charges.

‘We urge the police to resort to the Media Complaints Committee (MCC) to raise their concerns, objections and complaints on stories that they may deem unfair to their profession. Cases such as the unwarranted arrest of the Standard Newspaper journalists are cases where the police can use the self-regulatory mechanism set up by the journalists themselves to deal with such matters,’ the VMCZ said on Thursday.

MISA Zimbabwe deplored the arrest saying; ‘If indeed the information complained of is false then there are alternative remedies open to the police like filing a complaint with the Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe or demanding a retraction rather than arresting journalists. Demanding a retraction is more effective in any event as it has a more direct impact on the integrity or reputation of the concerned journalist or media house.’

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