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By Fikile Mapala

THE editor of the privately-owned Standard newspaper who was arrested Thursday on a contempt of court charge and publishing an article deemed to be for prejudicial to the state appeared in court on Friday and was remanded out of custody on Z$10 billion bail.

Davison Maruziva who spent the night in police cells appeared before a Harare regional magistrate Doris Shomwe facing two charges under the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.

Raphael Khumalo, the group CEO of the privately owned Standard and Independent newspapers, confirmed Maruziwa had been released with strict bail conditions.

Khumalo said: “He appeared in court at midday on Friday after spending the night in the cells at the Harare Central Police Station. The court asked him to pay $10 billion as bail fees.”

Maruziva, who has been asked to appear in court on May 23, is required to report at Marlborough Police Station once every Monday between 6AM and 6PM.

Maruziva said he had to endure more than 20 hours in a lice-infested cell with eight other cell mates who included Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) secretary general Wellington Chibhebhe.

He said: “I had to endure more than 20 hours of degrading treatment in a crammed cell infested with lice. Fortunately the overzealous police officer who was assaulting inmates at random for no apparent reason did not get to where I was. I was a bit lucky.”

The veteran journalist said he feared for Chibhebhe and other inmates who remained in custody as duty police officers were constantly threatening to assault the detainees.

The police are accusing the ZCTU leader of inciting violence during a speech delivered to commemorate Workers Day in Harare last week.

The Harare police arrested Maruziva for publishing an opinion article written by MDC faction leader Arthur Mutambara, who criticised a High Court ruling on delays in releasing presidential election results.

On April 20, the Standard published an article written by Mutambara titled “A Shameful Betrayal of National Independence” which criticised Justice Tendai Uchena for dismissing an application by the MDC to compel the
Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to release the delayed results of the March 29 poll.

Maruziva was represented in court by advocate Arthur Musonziwa assisted by Teepak Mehta of Atherston and Cook.

Muzonziwa confirmed Maruziwa had been charged for contravening section 31 of the Criminal Law Act.

Muzonziwa said: “He faces charges relating to publishing or communicating a false statement prejudicial to the State.”

In the article, Mutambara launched a withering attack on President Mugabe and his ruling Zanu PF.

He described the Zimbabwean political crisis as an “extreme illegitimacy where we have an abrasive caretaker president and an illegally constituted cabinet in cahoots with an imbecilic and cynical military junta”.

Muzonziwa said Maruziva also faces a contempt of court charge after allegedly breaching section 182 (a)/(b) of the Criminal Law Act which relates to an opinion he allegedly wrote on the judgment given by Justice Tendayi Uchena.
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