Information Minister Jonathan Moyo blasted the Media Institute of Southern Africa after it denounced the arrest of Daily News editor Geoff Nyarota and his former business partner Wilf Mbanga for allegedly contravening the Zimbabwe Investment Centre Act.
MISA said the arrest was “unacceptable in any democratic society”.
Nyarota and Mbanga were detained overnight on three counts of contravening a section of the Zimbabwe Investment Act.
The charges related to the use of two slightly different company names in the articles of incorporation filed in 1998.
In an article in The Herald Moyo said the MISA statement was “outrageous and deliberately calculated to undermine the rule of law in Zimbabwe”.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 01HARARE3380, DAILY NEWS EDITOR RELEASED, TRAVELS TO U.S.
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
140730Z Nov 01
UNCLASSIFIED PTQ3802
PAGE 01 HARARE 03380 140910Z
ACTION INR-00
INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AF-00 A-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 USNW-00
DODE-00 DS-00 EUR-00 UTED-00 VC-00 TEDE-00 L-00
VCE-00 NSAE-00 TEST-00 USIE-00 IIP-00 DSCC-00 DRL-02
NFAT-00 SAS-00 /002W
——————3DF3FA 140910Z /38
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0264
INFO NSC WASHDC
AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
AMEMBASSY LUSAKA
AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK
AMEMBASSY GABORONE
AMEMBASSY LILONGWE
AMEMBASSY LONDON
UNCLAS HARARE 003380
SIPDIS
AF/PD FOR COX, ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR SCHLACHTER, AF/P FOR
SWANN, INR/R/MR, NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER
E.O. 12958: N/A
SUBJECT: DAILY NEWS EDITOR RELEASED, TRAVELS TO U.S.
¶1. DAILY NEWS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF GEOFFREY NYAROTA AND HIS
FORMER BUSINESS PARTNER WILFRED MBANGA WERE RELEASED
FROM POLICE CUSTODY ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9 AFTER
APPEARING IN COURT AND BEING CHARGED WITH THREE COUNTS
OF CONTRAVENING A SECTION OF THE ZIMBABWE INVESTMENT
CENTER (ZIC) ACT. THE CHARGES RELATE TO THE USE OF TWO
SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT COMPANY NAMES ON ARTICLES OF
INCORPORATION FILED IN 1998. NYAROTA AND MBANGA WERE
ARRESTED AT ABOUT 0600 ON NOVEMBER 8 AND DETAINED
OVERNIGHT AT THE RHODESVILLE POLICE STATION IN HARARE.
THEY APPEARED BEFORE MAGISTRATE WESTON NYAMWANZA ON
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9. THE TWO PLEADED NOT GUILTY AND
WERE RELEASED UPON PAYMENT OF Z$10,000 BAIL EACH.
¶2. MAGISTRATE NYAMWANZA ORDERED NYAROTA AND MBANGA TO
SURRENDER THEIR TRAVEL DOCUMENTS, REPORT EVERY TUESDAY TO
THE POLICE, NOT TO INTERFERE WITH WITNESSES, AND TO REMAIN
RESIDENT AT THEIR HOMES UNTIL THE CASE IS CONCLUDED.
NYAROTA, HOWEVER, WAS ALLOWED TO DEPART HARARE ON NOVEMBER
11 TO TRAVEL TO NEW YORK WHERE HE WILL ACCEPT THE COMMITTEE
TO PROTECT JOURNALISTS’ “PRESS FREEDOM AWARD FOR COURAGE IN
JOURNALISM” ON NOVEMBER 20. HE IS EXPECTED TO APPEAR AGAIN
IN COURT ON NOVEMBER 27.
¶3. MEANWHILE, THE MEDIA INSTITUTE OF SOUTHERN AFRICA
(MISA) ISSUED A STATEMENT ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9,
DENOUNCING THE ARREST OF NYAROTA AND MBANGA AS
“UNACCEPTABLE IN ANY DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY.” INFORMATION
MINISTER JONATHAN MOYO WROTE AN ARTICLE FOR THE
NOVEMBER 13 EDITION OF THE GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED DAILY
“THE HERALD” SHARPLY CRITICAL OF THE MISA STATEMENT.
MOYO CHARACTERIZED IT “OUTRAGEOUS AND DELIBERATELY
CALCULATED TO UNDERMINE THE RULE OF LAW IN ZIMBABWE.”
UNCLASSIFIED
PAGE 03 HARARE 03380 140910Z
SULLIVAN
UNCLASSIFIED
(49 VIEWS)
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