South Africa: Sunday Times journalist out on bail

Pretoria High Court, Judge Johan Kruger has ordered police to release Mzilikazi wa Africa on 5 August 2010, ahead of his formal bail application in the Nelspruit Regional Court on 6 August 2010. Handing down his judgement Kruger said, it is not in the best interest of the rule of law and it would be unlawful to detain wa Africa for one minute longer. Adding that he is of the view that justice will be served upon his release.

The Sunday Times filed a court interdict immediately after the arrest to have the journalist released. His lawyer Arnold Meyer SC, told the court there was no reason why he should be detained, even if his release was only for few hours.

wa Africa appeared in the Nelspruit Regional Court on 6 August 2010 on charges of fraud, forgery and uttering. He was arrested without a warrant for purportedly being in the possession of a forged letter announcing the resignation of the Premier of Mpumalanaga province. He was released on bail of R5 000 and is scheduled to appear again on 8 November 2010.

BACKGROUND

Mzilikazi wa Africa, a journalist of a weekly publication Sunday Times was arrested on 4 August 2010, in what the newspaper editor Ray Hartley described as a move that “was clearly designed to intimidate” the media.

wa Africa was picked up from the Sunday Times offices with six cars blocking the street outside. “He was arrested by a large number of policemen in an operation which was clearly designed to intimidate, and I can only conclude that this was the true motive for what took place today [4 August 2010],” said Hartley.

wa Africa was the author of the story which was published on 1 August 2010 about the rental of new police headquarters at the cost of R500 million without following the usual tender proceedings. However, police denied any link between wa Africa’s arrest and his story. //End//

 - August 12, 2010 by IFEX

.................

Source: www.misa.org  (received via email alert on 12.08.2010)