'She is unwell': Zimbabwean editor Faith Zaba seeks bail after being arrested for satirical article

Editor of Zimbabwe Independent newspaper, Faith Zaba, has spent the second night behind bars after the Zimbabwe Republic Police arrested her on charges of allegedly undermining the authority of or insulting the president.

The arrest, which has attracted widespread condemnation from human rights bodies and press freedom watchdogs, stems from a satirical article published under the "Muckracker" column criticising President Emmerson Mnangagwa, the current chair of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

On Wednesday, Zaba appeared briefly before Harare magistrate Vakayi Chikwekwe, and her bail hearing was deferred to Thursday morning.

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Prosecutor Takudzwa Jambawu requested that the bail hearing be rolled over, as the State needed time to verify Zaba’s medical records.

Zaba’s lawyer, Chris Mhike, has expressed disappointment, emphasising that the senior journalist has not been feeling well.

The article was published on Friday by the independent weekly newspaper, with the headline: “When you become mafia state”.

On Tuesday, Zaba’s lawyer Chris Mhike told IOL News that Zaba had been arrested, and would spend her first night in police custody before appearing before the Harare Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday morning.

Mhike said after the Zimbabwe Republic Police on Tuesday recorded a warned and cautioned statement from Zaba, the police insisted on detaining her overnight, pending the court appearance on Wednesday.

“We are deeply disappointed with the determination of the authorities to lock Zaba up, even in the face of medical confirmation of her current severe illness,” Mhike previously told IOL News.

Senior Alpha Media Holdings and HStv journalist Blessed Mhlanga recently spent 72 days at the crowded Harare Remand Prison after HStv broadcast utterances by former Zanu PF central committee member, Blessed Geza, calling for President Mnangagwa to step down.

In May, Mhlanga was granted provisional release from prison.

Meanwhile, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called for Zaba’s unconditional release.

On the other hand, the Zimbabwe Human Rights Monitors Platform has also demanded the release of the editor.

“We call for the release of Faith Zaba, who was recently arrested and charged with undermining the authority of the president,” the Zimbabwe Human Rights Monitors Platform posted on X.

jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za

IOL News