THE editor of the weekly Standard newspaper was arrested on Tuesday after surrendering himself to police on a warrant of criminal defamation.
Nevanji Madanhire is the second journalist from the newspaper to be arrested over a story alleging that police had frozen internal promotions this year in order to parachute war veterans into senior ranks to “direct operations during elections next year”.
Police said the story was false and “a deliberate and futile attempt to tarnish the esteemed image and reputation of the force and at the same time sow seeds of discontent and disillusionment among serving members”.
Nqobani Ndlovu, the writer of the story, spent 10 days in prison and was only freed last Friday on US$100 bail.
Trevor Ncube, the Standard newspaper’s publisher, said Madanhire was taken into custody after attending the Harare Central Police Station voluntarily. Police had visited the newspaper’s office on Monday looking for him.
Ncube said: “The police have not disputed the veracity of The Standard story. High Court judge Nicholas Mathonsi, on setting Nqobani free, said the police action was a waste of the court’s time.
“We are concerned about this continued harassment of journalists. The police are clearly abusing their power to punish journalists who write stories they don't like. Alpha Media Holdings condemns this unwarranted action.”