Journalist Blessed Mhlanga arrested accused of ‘inciting violence’

HARARE – Blessed Mhlanga, a journalist from NewsDay publishers Alpha Media Holdings was arrested on Monday and charged with transmitting a data message inciting violence or damage to property, his lawyers said.

The journalist was detained in Harare after attending a police interview with his lawyer.

He is due to appear in court on Tuesday.

“He was charged with two counts of contravening section 136 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, which relates to the transmission of data message inciting violence or damage to property,” the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights said in a statement.

“The charges emanate from interviews which Mhlanga reportedly conducted with Blessing Geza, an outspoken liberation war veteran and a Zanu PF political party central committee member on January 27, 2025, and on February 11, 2025.”

Heart and Soul TV, Alpha Media’s internet based video service, posted the two videos of Geza on YouTube. They did not appear in interview format but as a monologue.

Geza, claiming to represent a large majority of freedom fighters, said President Emmerson Mnangagwa had failed and must step down immediately.

He also vowed to call for a nationwide shutdown “soon” to force Mnangagwa’s exit.

AMH owner Trevor Ncube denounced Mhlanga’s arrest.

“I condemn in the strongest terms the arrest and detention of Blessed Mhlanga today. This is punishing Dhara (nickname) for doing his work as a journalist. Dhara is a principled and courageous journalist who will not be broken by this brazen harassment and intimidation,” Ncube wrote on X.

The Zimbabwe Editors Forum (ZINEF) said in a statement that Mhlanga’s arrest had a “chilling effect” on the journalism profession.

“It is always disturbing and unacceptable to us when journalists get arrested for merely doing their work,” ZINEF chairman Dumisani Muleya said.

“ZINEF calls on the government to respect constitutional rights of journalists, especially media freedom.”

ZINEF urged the government to ensure that Mhlanga “is not harassed, harmed or tortured while in custody.”

Mhlanga’s arrest received widespread condemnation, including from political parties.

Citizens Coalition for Change leader Welshman Ncube tweeted: “The arrest and detention of journalist Blessed Mhlanga is a troubling sign of shrinking democratic space in the country. Press freedom is a fundamental right, not a privilege to be granted or revoked at will.

“A government that resorts to arresting and detaining journalists for merely reporting news and the sayings of individuals no matter how unpalatable is far from showing strength, it merely exposes its own insecurities. The criminalisation of free expression under vague pretexts is a tactic of repression, not good governance.”