A HIGH Court judge on Thursday dismissed as “without merit” an appeal by prosecutors against the granting of bail to Standard newspaper reporter, Nqobani Ndlovu.
Ndlovu, who is charged with criminally defaming the Zimbabwe Republic Police, is expected to be released from prison on Friday.
Reacting to Justice Nicholas Mathonsi’s ruling, Zimbabwe Union of Journalists chairman Dumisani Sibanda said: “The state's opposition to bail for Nqobani was just frivolous and vexatious considering he is the one who presented himself to the police after hearing they were looking for him.”
Ndlovu was arrested on Wednesday last week after the Standard published a news story claiming police had frozen internal promotions this year in order to accommodate war veterans who were being recruited to “direct operations during elections next year”.
The ZRP said it had “not at all recalled any single retired police officer and war veterans to take up whatever vacant top posts the paper alludes to”.
A Bulawayo magistrate granted Ndlovu US$100 bail on Monday but prosecutors invoked a controversial law which granted them power to further detain him and overrule the magistrate while they prepared their appeal to the High Court.
Ndlovu’s colleagues told of their delight at Justice Mathonsi’s ruling.
Journalist Nqobile Bhebhe, writing on a Facebook page calling for the journalist’s release, said: “I will witness his long awaited release … all logistics for his welcome bash or gala are in place and only true cadres invited.”
Former ZBC news anchor Nqobizitha Mkandla said: “Victory! Victory! Victory! Victory!"
The Zimbabwe Union of Journalists has planned a street demonstration in Bulawayo next Monday to “protest the government’s repression of the press”, Sibanda said.