Categories: Stories

Jonathan Moyo says Daily News journalists are common criminals

Information Minister Jonathan Moyo said three journalists who had written a story that ZANU-PF supporters had beheaded a 53-year old woman were not journalists but “common criminals” after the story turned out not to be true.

The journalists, Lloyd Mudiwa and Collin Chiwanza of the Daily News and Andrew Meldrum an American citizen who wrote for the Guardian, were charged under a section of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

Moyo hailed the arrest of the journalists as proof that Zimbabwe respected the rule of law.

 

Full cable:

 

 

Viewing cable 02HARARE1070, REPORTERS RELEASED FROM POLICE CUSTODY

If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs

Reference ID

Created

Released

Classification

Origin

02HARARE1070

2002-05-06 05:58

2011-08-30 01:44

UNCLASSIFIED

Embassy Harare

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS HARARE 001070

 

SIPDIS

 

AF/PD FOR COX AND ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR KRAFT AND

SCHLACHTER, AF/RA FOR DIPALMA, INR/R/MR, NSC FOR

JENDAYI FRAZER

 

E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: ZI PREL PHUM

SUBJECT: REPORTERS RELEASED FROM POLICE CUSTODY

 

 

1.   Two independent “Daily News” reporters, Lloyd

Mudiwa and Collin Chiwanza, and a correspondent for the

British “Guardian” newspaper, American citizen Andrew

Meldrum, were released from police custody on May 2

after they were formally charged under a section of the

newly enacted Access to Information and Protection of

Privacy Act. The charges stem from the journalists’

publication of a story, since discredited, that ZANU-PF

supporters had beheaded a 53-year-old woman.

 

2.   If found guilty of the charges, each of the three

reporters faces a maximum fine of 100,000 Zimbabwe

dollars (about 1800 US dollars at the official exchange

rate) or up to two years imprisonment. The three are

expected to appear in court again on May 3. Lawyers

for the journalists will argue that the case should be

dismissed because the law under which they were charged

is unconstitutional. The case is likely to work its

way slowly through Zimbabwe’s court system.

 

3.   A May 2 news release from the Zimbabwe chapter of

the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA),

condemned the detention of the three journalists,

saying “the suffering, humiliation and intimidation

they had experienced far outweighed the offense they

were alleged to have committed.” Information Minister

Jonathan Moyo said that the three were not journalists

but “common criminals,” and hailed their arrest as

proof that Zimbabwe respects the rule of law.

 

SULLIVAN

(42 VIEWS)

Charles Rukuni

The Insider is a political and business bulletin about Zimbabwe, edited by Charles Rukuni. Founded in 1990, it was a printed 12-page subscription only newsletter until 2003 when Zimbabwe's hyper-inflation made it impossible to continue printing.

Recent Posts

Will Mnangagwa go against the trend in the region?

Plans by the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front to push President Emmerson Mnangagwa to…

October 22, 2024

The Zimbabwe government and not saboteurs sabotaging ZiG

The Zimbabwe government’s insatiable demand for money to satisfy its own needs, which has exceeded…

October 20, 2024

The Zimbabwe Gold will regain its value if the government does this…

Economist Eddie Cross says the Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG) will regain its value if the government…

October 16, 2024

Is Harare the least democratic province in Zimbabwe?

Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare, which is a metropolitan province, is the least democratic province in the…

October 11, 2024

Zimbabweans against extension of presidential term in office

Nearly 80% of Zimbabweans are against the extension of the president’s term in office, according…

October 11, 2024

Zimbabwe government biggest loser when there is a discrepancy in the exchange rate

The government is the biggest loser when there is a discrepancy between the official exchange…

October 10, 2024