Nyarota arrested for publishing false news

Geoff Nyarota, editor-in-chief of the Daily News, was picked up by the police on allegations of publishing a false news item on the outcome of the March 2002 presidential poll but was released on the same day.

The Daily News carried a story accusing the registrar-general Tobaiwa Mudede of announcing different presidential results on the national broadcasting station, ZTV, and in other media.

The paper carried the story under the headline Mudede Tape proves Mugabe lost election.

Full cable:

Viewing cable 02HARARE952, MEDIA REPORT EDITOR ARRESTED; HARARE

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Reference ID	Created	Released	Classification	Origin
02HARARE952	2002-04-19 11:38	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 000952    SIPDIS    AF/PD FOR COX AND ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR KRAFT AND SCHLACHTER,  AF/RA FOR SWANN, INR/R/MR, NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER    E.O. 12958: N/A  TAGS: ZI PREL PHUM SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT EDITOR ARRESTED; HARARE      Geoff Nyarota, Editor-in-Chief of Zimbabwe's only  independent daily "The Daily News," was picked up by the  police on April 15 on allegations of publishing a false  news item on the outcome of the disputed March 2002  presidential poll.  Nyarota was taken to the Harare Central  Police Station where the police recorded a warned and  cautioned statement from him before releasing him on the  same day.  According to the lead article in the April 16  edition of the "Daily News," Nyarota will be charged under  the newly enacted Access to Information and Protection of  Privacy Act for having falsified information on the outcome  of the presidential results.  Last Wednesday (April 10) the  "Daily News" carried a story accusing the Registrar-General  Tobaiwa Mudede of announcing different presidential results  on the national broadcasting station, ZTV, and in other  media.  The paper carried the offending story under the  headline "Mudede Tape proves Mugabe lost election."  If  found guilty, Nyarota will be liable, according to the Act,  to a fine not exceeding Z$100,000 or to imprisonment for a  period not exceeding two years.    WHITEHEAD

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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.