Andrew Neshamba
| Andrew Neshamba | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Known for | Being a ZBC journalist |
| Political party | Zanu-PF |
Andrew Neshamba is a Zimbabwean former Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation TV reporter. Neshamba is a politician and member of Zanu-PF.
Background
Age
Neshamba was born on 11 April[1]
Career
ZBC
Andrew Neshamba served as Manicaland bureau chief for the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC). He was suspended without pay and stripped of their media accreditation after he was arrested in February 2007 and charged with criminal abuse of duty as a public officer.[2]
Politics
Neshamba submitted his curriculum vitae to run as a Zanu-PF candidate in the 2018 election.
Neshamba together with fellow journalist Tendai Munengwa participated against Godfrey Tsenengamu and James Makamba for the right to represent Zanu-PF in Mt Darwin South which was represented in Parliament by former Zanu-PF political commissar and Cabinet minister Saviour Kasukuwere.
At the time Andrew Neshamba and Tendai Munengwa were still journalists with the ZBC and took paid leave to allow them to campaign for the seat.[3]
Studio
On 11 April 2021, Andrew Neshamba launched a recording studio in Harare's Dzivaresekwa Extension suburb. The studio operates under Neshamba's Drewmars Media which is an online television outlet, which broadcasts via the video-sharing platform YouTube. The launch of the studio was graced by Dexter Nduna and Johannes Marisa. Kireni Zulu, The Impact (a two-member acapella group), Utakataka Express’s Shiga Shiga, as well as Obert Chari entertained guests.[1]
Arrest
On 9 February 2007, Andrew Neshamba was arrested and criminally charged in connection with footage of diamond trafficking in Manicaland. At the time Neshamba was Manicaland bureau chief for the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC).
He was arrested and charged with criminal abuse of duty as a public officer and released on bail the same day. Neshamba did not enter a plea and was ordered to appear in court again on May 14 2007.
Police alleged that Neshamba appeared as a translator in video footage produced by Peter Moyo, a journalist with South Africa’s private eTV channel, which depicted unregulated diamond mining in Manicaland. Moyo was later convicted of practising journalism without accreditation and fined under Zimbabwe’s Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
ZBC cameraman William Gumbo was also charged with abuse of duty, allegedly for assisting Moyo. Gumbo reportedly went into hiding. Both ZBC journalists were suspended without pay and stripped of their media accreditation.[2]
On 23 April 2008, Andrew Neshamba's trial was postponed to 2 June, because the trial magistrate was not feeling well.[4]
Mutare Provincial Magistrate Chipadze on 4 August 2008 refused to remove Andrew Neshamba from remand but allowed for a longer remand period to January 2009. He was ordered to be back in court on 12 January 2009.
On 2 June 2008, the defence made an application that Neshamba who faced charges of abuse of duty as a public officer in contravention of Section 174 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act was not a public officer as envisaged by the Act. The defence argued that under the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (Commercialisation) Act, Neshamba was working for a company duly incorporated in terms of the Companies Act.
The application was dismissed on 5 June 2008 and the defence applied to stop proceedings so that they could appeal to the High Court against the magistrate's decision which they argued was a gross misdirection on the part of the Magistrate Court.[5]
Awards
In 2017, Andrew Neshamba won the National Arts Merit Awards outstanding journalist in Television award.[6]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Ex-ZBC reporter opens recording studio, The Standard, Published: April 25, 2021, Retrieved: April 20, 2022
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 In Zimbabwe, state broadcast journalists face criminal charges, CPJ, Published: March 27, 2007, Retrieved: April 20, 2022
- ↑ ZBC Reporters, Sunday Mail Editor Submit Applications To Run As Zanu-PF Candidates, The Zimbabwe Mail, Published: April 3, 2018, Retrieved: April 20, 2022
- ↑ Former ZBC official pleads not guilty to charges of facilitating unaccredited journalist’s access to diamond mine fields; his trial postponed, IFEX, Published: April 28, 2008, Retrieved: April 20, 2022
- ↑ Former ZBC bureau chief granted longer remand, kubatana.net, Published: August 5, 2008, Retrieved: April 20, 2022
- ↑ Vongai Mbara, Highs, lows of Nama ceremony, The Herald, Published: February 20, 2017, Retrieved: April 20, 2022
