HARARE – Alpha Media Holdings (AMH) senior journalist Blessed Mhlanga will endure two more nights behind bars after a Harare magistrate on Tuesday postponed his bail ruling to Thursday.

Mhlanga is accused of inciting violence through broadcasts of firebrand war veteran and nemesis to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Blessed Geza on the publication’s broadcast unit HStv.

Geza, now in hiding, has slammed Mnangagwa for corruption and poor leadership while demanding his exit from power.

Mhlanga handed himself on Monday after police on Friday announced in a statement they were looking for him in connection with “distributing content deemed harmful to the State”.

When he appeared in court, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) opposed his bail application, telling the court that Mhlanga was likely to interfere with police investigations.

Prosecutor Ruvimbo Matyatya said Mhlanga is a boss at HStv and was likely to intimidate his subordinates whom they intend to call as witnesses in his case.

“There is a likelihood that he will commit similar offences.

“The same machinery which he used in the present case before the court are yet to be recovered by the police and procedures to recover same have commenced,” Matyatya said.

The state also called Josphat Chitambira, the arresting detail attached to CID Counter Terrorism Unit who supported State’s submissions.

Mhlanga’s lawyer Chris Mhike said there was no justification for continued detention of his client.

“My sister (prosecutor) made a strange comparison that because he is a political reporter, he is therefore a politician,” Mhike said.

“We now see politicisation of journalism.

“Silencing journalists is not part of law.

“Sports journalists are not sportsmen, political journalists are not politicians.

“May the court be told that the so-called juniors have been visiting the accused in solidarity.

“Accused is a journalist whose job is to gather news and disseminate the news.

“Section 61 of our Constitution speaks to freedom of expression and freedom of the media.

“What happened to press freedom in this country?

“I am pained that I am standing in court defending a journalist’s right to freedom of expression.

“The last point is that accused did not do this once but twice, yes he didn’t do it twice but many times. It’s his job.

“Whether you agree with what Geza said, the public is entitled to hear it. It’s not my client who put these statements to the public.

“I pray that the court makes a finding that on the law the state has failed to find compelling reasons to detain my client.”

Magistrate Farai Gwatima is presiding over the case.