MEDIA ALERT

27 JANUARY 2003

JOURNALIST AND FOREIGNERS ARRESTED

Fanuel Jongwe a senior journalist with the Daily News was arrested on Friday 24 January together with five foreigners in the mining town of Zvishavane. The group was charged for practising journalism without licences.

The police say that the foreigners are journalists who came into the country under false identification. Speaking to MISA-Zimbabwe on Monday 27 January, Police spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Wayne Bvudzijena said that the police have established that the foreigners are journalists. The lawyer representing Jongwe and the foreigners told MISA-Zimbabwe by phone from Zvishavane that the Jongwe and the five foreigners have been charged under section 72 (1) of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Section 72 prohibits the practice of journalism or operating a media service without a license granted by a government appointed Media and Information Commission.

The lawyer (who refused to be named) told MISA-Zimbabwe her clients will appear in court this afternoon. She also says that they will most likely be remanded out of custody.

Bvudzijena told Reuters at the weekend that the group was not arrested but only confined to the hotel to facilitate investigations. On Saturday, Bvudzijena also said that the five foreigners are likely to be charged under the Public Order and Security Act (POSA) for having entered the country under false pretence. He added that Jongwe would be charged for having aided in the contravention of national laws. The five foreigners are nationals of the United States of America, Kenya, Finland and two are from Germany.

Jongwe was in the company of five foreigners who work for the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Christian development organisation. He had been invited by the organisation to cover the trip to areas they are operating in. He told the Daily News that their ordeal started around 10 am when they had just checked in at the Hotel Nilton. He said that police officers came to the hotel and accused them of having come to the town on a political mission. The police officers ordered the delegation not to leave the hotel. A computer laptop, cameras, notebooks and literature was taken away by the police. The police took the group to the Zvishavane police station were they questioned them until just before midnight on Friday. On Saturday the group returned to the police station for further questioning.

The LWF office in Harare said that the group was touring projects being run by the foundation in preparation for a 10th summit to be held in Canada. The group is also scheduled to visit other countries such as Malawi.

END

Rashweat Mukundu
Research and Information Officer
MISA-Zimbabwe
221 Fife Ave
Box HR 8113
Harare
Zimbabwe
Phone 00 263 4 712 841 , 735 441/2
Mobile 00 263 4 11 602 685
I Mail [email protected] [2]