Zimbabwean journalist Blessed Mhlanga jailed over interviews with war veteran
PICTURE: Blessing Mhlanga (MISA Zimbabwe)
Committee to Protect Journalists
Lusaka
The CPJ calls on Zimbabwean authorities to free broadcast journalist Blessed Mhlanga, who has been in detention since 24 February on charges of incitement in connection to his critical interviews with a war veteran.
‘It is absolutely shameful that Blessed Mhlanga has been thrown behind bars simply because he gave voice to a war veteran’s criticism of Zimbabwe’s government,’ said CPJ Africa Programme Coordinator, Muthoki Mumo, in Nairobi.
‘Zimbabwean authorities should free Mhlanga unconditionally and respond to their citizens’ concerns, rather than punishing the messenger.’
Mhlanga, who works with the privately owned Heart and Soul TV, said on X that three armed men came to his office searching for him on 17 February, soon after which the police phoned him to ask him to come in for questioning. On 21 February, the police issued a statement seeking information about Mhlanga’s whereabouts.
Mhlanga responded to the police summons on 24 February and was arrested on two counts of transmission of data messages ‘inciting violence or damage to property’, according to the Zimbabwe chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa, the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights network, and Mhlanga’s lawyer Chris Mhike.
On 25 February, prosecutors opposed Mhlanga’s bail application, arguing that he was a flight risk, Mhike told CPJ. The court is due to decide on his application on 27 February.
Authorities allege that the offences were committed in Mhlanga’s November 2024 and January 2025 interviews with Blessed Geza, a veteran of Zimbabwe’s war for independence from white minority rule, who called on President Emmerson Mnangagwa to resign, accusing him of nepotism, corruption and failing to address economic issues.
If found guilty, Mhlanga could be jailed for up to five years and fined up to US$700 under the 2021 Cyber and Data Protection Act.
Mhlanga was previously assaulted and arrested in 2022 while covering the attempted arrest of an opposition politician.
CPJ’s phone calls and messages to Zimbabwe’s National Prosecution Authority communications officer Angelina Munyeriwa and police spokesperson Paul Nyathi went unanswered.
- This article was first published here
