Newspaper editor Faith Zaba was arrested after she responded to a summons to appear at the central police station in Harare, the capital. Authorities charged her with “undermining or insulting the authority of the president” over a June 27satirical column about President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government published in her newspaper, the business weekly Zimbabwe Independent, according to her lawyer, Chris Mhike. Mhike told CPJ that Zaba has been unwell and was “severely ill” at the time of her arrest.
On July 2, Zaba appeared at the magistrates’ court in Harare, where her bail hearing was deferred to July 3 after the state requested more time to verify her medical history, according to local news reports. On July 3, magistrate Vakai Chkwekwe deferred judgment on her bail application to the following day, citing an electricity blackout. Zaba was released on bail on the evening of July 4.
The “Muckracker” column linked to Zaba’s arrest called Zimbabwe a “mafia state,” citing the administration’s alleged interference in the politics of neighboring countries, and said that the current government was “obsessed with keeping itself in power.” Under Zimbabwe’s Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, Zaba could face a $300 fine or imprisonment not exceeding one year, or both, if convicted.