NEWSPAPER
EDITOR ARRESTED BY POLICE IN ZIMBABWE
Zimbabwe
police arrested the editor of the privately owned weekly, the
Standard over its publication of an opinion piece by a leading
opposition politician.
Raphael Khumalo, Chief Executive of the Zimbabwe Independent
media group which publishes the pro-opposition paper, said
Davison Maruziva faced charges over an April 20 article by
Arthur Mutambara, leader of a breakaway faction of the Movement
for Democratic Change (MDC).
The Standard has been highly critical of President Robert Mugabe,
as well as the political stalemate-and violence that has
followed a disputed March 29 election.
Results showed the ruling AZNU-PF lost its parliamentary
majority for the first time since independence in 1980 and page
the main MDC leader Morgan Tsvangira the lead over Mugabe,
eighty four, in parallel presidential vote. But neither
candidate won a majority, forcing a run- off.
A Reuters report says the editor was picked up on Thursday.
They are charging him with publishing false statements
prejudicial to the state and contempt of court… The police have
also indicated that they will be referring the same charges on
Arthur Mutambara”, the report said.
In his article, written to mark Zimbabwe’s 28th independence
anniversary last month, Mutambara sharply criticized Mugabe for
his handling of the general election. It accused the government
of intimidation and questioned its right to stay in office.
The two MDC factions recently put aside their differences and
have agreed to work together again.
MEDIA CONCERNS
Iden Wetherell, group projects editor at the Zimbabwe
Independent Media Group, said Maruziva’s arrest was a sign that
the government was cracking down on the media.
That represents a serious attack on press and political
freedoms, Wetherell said.
REUTERS.
