Journalist Blessed Mhlanga Remanded In Custody Over Geza Interview
Alpha Media Holdings (AMH) senior journalist Blessed “Dhara” Mhlanga was remanded in custody on Tuesday by Harare Magistrate Farai Gwatima, pending a ruling on his bail application, which is scheduled for Thursday, reports ZimLive.
Mhlanga was arrested on Monday and charged with inciting violence through the broadcast of an interview with war veteran and ZANU PF Central Committee member, Blessed Geza, on the publication’s broadcast unit HStv.
Geza, who is currently in hiding, has accused President Emmerson Mnangagwa of corruption, cronyism, nepotism, ineptitude, and poor leadership, while also calling for his resignation.
During Mhlanga’s court appearance, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) opposed his bail application, arguing that he might interfere with police investigations.
Prosecutor Ruvimbo Matyatya submitted that as a senior figure at HStv, Mhlanga could potentially intimidate his subordinates, who are expected to be called as witnesses in the case. Matyatya argued:
There is a likelihood that he will commit similar offences. The same machinery which he used in the present case before the court is yet to be recovered by the police and procedures to recover same have commenced.
Josphat Chitambira, the arresting officer from the CID Counter Terrorism Unit, supported the State’s submissions.
Mhlanga’s lawyer, Chris Mhike, argued that there was no justification for his client’s continued detention. Said Mhike:
My sister (prosecutor) made a strange comparison that because he is a political reporter, he is therefore a politician.
We now see politicisation of journalism. Silencing journalists is not part of law.
Sports journalists are not sportsmen, political journalists are not politicians.
May the court be told that the so-called juniors have been visiting the accused in solidarity.
Accused is a journalist whose job is to gather news and disseminate the news.
Section 61 of our Constitution speaks to freedom of expression and freedom of the media.
What happened to press freedom in this country?
I am pained that I am standing in court defending a journalist’s right to freedom of expression.
The last point is that accused did not do this once but twice, yes he didn’t do it twice but many times. It’s his job.
Whether you agree with what Geza said, the public is entitled to hear it. It’s not my client who put these statements to the public.
I pray that the court makes a finding that on the law the state has failed to find compelling reasons to detain my client.
