Zimbabwe: Journalists’ case postponed again

The trial of Harare mayor Muchadeyi Masunda and eight councillors on allegations of criminally defaming businessman Philip Chiyangwa in which five journalists will appear as witnesses, was on 22 June 2010 moved to 23 September 2010 by Harare magistrate Olivia Mariga.

 

Both the state and defence teams consented to the postponement on the basis that an application relating to the same issue is pending before the High Court. The council officials have filed an application with the High Court challenging their placement on remand.

 

They are arguing that the Minister of Local Government Ignatius Chombo and Chiyangwa are the ones that should be in the dock following the unearthing of an alleged municipal land scam by the council.

 

The five journalists namely Vincent Kahiya the Zimbabwe Independent editor- in- chief, the Standard editor Nevanji Madanhire and reporters Feluna Nleya, Jennifer Dube and freelance journalist Stanley Gama were questioned by the police and subsequently summoned as state witnesses following the publication of the allegedly offending story.

 

Background

 

The state alleges that the mayor and the councillors defamed Chiyangwa by leaking a 54-page report titled: Special Investigations Committees report on City of Harare’s Land Sales, Leases and Exchanges from the period October 2004 to December 2009, whose contents were published by the Standard and The Sunday Times of South Africa before it was debated by the full council. //End//

 

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Reagan Malumo

Programme Specialist: Media Freedom Monitoring and Research

Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Regional Secretariat

21 Johann Albrecht St

Private Bag 13386

Windhoek

Namibia

Phone: +264 61 232 975

Fax: +264 61 248 016

Mobile: +264 81 311 2626

Official Email: reagan@misa.org

Private Email: reagan32002@yahoo.com

 

- June 23, 2010 by MISA

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Source: www.misa.org (received via email alert 23.06.10)