Police have launched a manhunt for Heart and Soul TV (HSTV) journalist Blessed Mhlanga, whom they are seeking for questioning.
Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed on Friday, 21 February, that Mhlanga is wanted in connection with allegations of violating Section 164 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, Chapter 9:23.
This section pertains to the unlawful transmission of a data message to any individual, group, or the public, with the intent to incite acts of violence using a computer or information system. Said Nyathi:
<blockquote>
The Zimbabwe Republic Police is seeking information on the location and subsequent interview of journalist, Blessed Mhlanga.
This is in connection with allegations of contravening Section 164 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, Chapter 9:23.
Anyone with information should contact any nearest Police Station or the National Complaints Desk number (0242) 703631 or WhatsApp number 0712 800197.
</blockquote>
In response to Nyathi on X, Mhlanga said he is not in hiding and will surrender to the police on Monday. He wrote:
<blockquote>
Having read the @PoliceZimbabwe statement, having presented myself twice after being requested. I have called Commissioner Nyathi &amp; assured him that I will be at CID by 9 am on Monday as I am currently unwell. I am not on the run. I have always complied to lawful orders.
</blockquote>
Section 164 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, Chapter 9:23, reads as follows:
<blockquote>
Any person who unlawfully by means of a computer or information system makes available, transmits, broadcasts or distributes a data message to any person, group of persons or to the public with intent to incite such persons to commit acts of violence against any person or persons or to cause damage to any property shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding level 10 or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding five years or to both such fine and such imprisonment.
</blockquote>
On 17 February 2025, three people with pistols reportedly visited the offices of HSTV in Harare, looking for Mhlanga.
Mhlanga’s lawyer, Chris Mhike, contacted the police about the situation and was informed that the summons for Mhlanga had been withdrawn.
Earlier this month, Mhlanga was summoned to Harare Central Police Station by the ZRP Law and Order Section.
Concerned about the police’s intentions, Mhlanga went to the station with Mhike, who is also the External Legal Counsel for MISA Zimbabwe.
It was later revealed that the police wanted to discuss a six-year-old case involving former Deputy Finance Minister Terrence Mukupe.
The summons followed an interview Mhlanga had conducted with ZANU PF Central Committee member and war veteran Blessed Geza, who had made critical remarks about President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
In the interview, Geza accused Mnangagwa of corruption, nepotism, and failing to address the country’s economic problems, while also calling for his resignation.
On Saturday, HSTV posted a statement on X, quoting Geza as saying that he was safe, not arrested, and not in hiding.

Pindula News

Police are looking for a journalist named Blessed Mhlanga who works for a TV station. They say he broke a law by sending messages that could cause violence. People with guns went to his office looking for him. The police first called him to the station, but then said they made a mistake. The journalist was talking to a man who criticized the president in an interview. The police wanted to talk to him about a case from six years ago involving a former government official. The TV station says the man is safe and not hiding.

HSTV Journalist Wanted By Police Over Alleged Violation Of Criminal Law

Midlands Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister, Owen Ncube, has banned journalists from The Mirror and NewsDay, which are privately owned, from all government functions in the province.
As reported by <a href="https://x.com/TheMirrorMsv/status/1762539889663353251?s=20">The Mirror</a>, Ncube kicked out the publication’s Midlands Bureau Chief, Sydney Mubaiwa, and NewsDay reporter Stephen Chadenga from a meeting organised by the Zimbabwe Gender Commission and ordered them not to attend future government engagements.
The meeting took place at the Minister’s boardroom in Gweru on Wednesday, 28 February, in the morning.
Ncube asked journalists to identify themselves and then singled out the two for representing newspapers that allegedly attacked the Government.
He ordered them to stand up and asked his security aides to escort them out of the meeting. Said Ncube:
<blockquote>
Who invited you here? We are building the country and discussing Government business and you are not welcome here. You are not wanted at any other Government function.
</blockquote>
The two journalists had been invited by Zimbabwe Gender Commission chairperson Margaret Mukahanana Sangarwe ahead of the official opening of the organisation’s Gweru offices.
Zimbabwe Gender Commission officials apologised to the two journalists.
Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) president George Maponga condemned the discrimination of journalists, saying journalism was not a crime. He said:
<blockquote>
ZUJ is disturbed by reports of private media journalists being chased away from Government programmes.
We want to make it clear that journalism is not a crime and all accredited journalists have a right to cover all events that are in the public interest.
ZUJ will not accept any attempts to divide the media along private/public media lines.
</blockquote>
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Owen Ncube Bars Private Media From Government Functions

Full statement by the Deputy Chief Secretary, Presidential Communications in the Office of the President and Cabinet George Charamba in response to an article by local daily newspaper, NewsDay.
<blockquote>
The front-page article, “ZANU PF ROPES IN MOZA MILITIA”, in today’s issue of NEWSDAY, passes for reckless, malicious, offensive and provocative yellow journalism which Zimbabwe is best without.
Timed to raise political temperatures in the country as we prepare for harmonised elections, and to deliberately impugn our long-standing bilateral relations with the neighbouring sister Republic of Mozambique, this piece of brazen, fake news shows what becomes of journalism when a discredited publisher, backed by an unprofessional editorial team prefers political partisanship to media ethics.
Nothing in Section 61 of our hallowed Constitution protects or condones the publishing of such reckless, politically motivated falsehoods.
We thus hope and expect that the Zimbabwe Media Commission, ZMC, takes a clear and bold position against this flagrant abuse of media freedoms whose impact on national security, and on inter-state relations, are dire and injurious respectively.
That the article repeatedly and self-consciously used the adverb “reportedly”, clearly shows deliberate, gratuitous malice, and a conscious decision to proceed to publish falsehoods regardless, as if to wilfully spite the rules of the craft.
So, too, does the tabloid paper’s decision to proceed on the basis of some spurious video clip anonymously placed and circulated on social media.
The intentions of the video are clear, namely to stir hostilities and to harm harmonious relations between communities on either side of our common border with the sister Republic of Mozambique.
Zanu PF, itself the Party of Liberation campaigning on a solid record of countrywide delivery, need not do anything to violate Zimbabwe’s territorial integrity, including enlisting the support of security arms of a foreign country for its election campaign whose momentum and success on the ground is self-evident.
Government thus demands an immediate public apology from AMH, and an unconditional retraction of this offensive article by the newspaper concerned.
Further, Government expects the apology and retraction to have the same prominence as the offending article.
Failure to publicly apologise, and to retract as demanded and on terms outlined above, automatically invites the injured parties, who include Government, to pursue and seek redress through legal options which are available to them.
As Government voices its protest against such reckless, fringe journalism, it continues to urge the mainstream media to show the way by upholding tenets of professional journalism in the country, especially now as we go through the last stretch of our election campaign programme which, to date, has been remarkably free, fair and peaceful.
Nothing must be allowed to wreck our hard-won national peace.
</blockquote>
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Govt's Response To Mozambique Militia Report | Full Statement

NewsDay editor Wisdom Mdzungairi has resigned from his post after President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s spokesperson, George Charamba, claimed he was working for the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works.
Mdzungairi, who doubled up as editor-in-chief of Alpha Media Holdings, resigned on Monday, a day after Charamba claimed an unnamed NewsDay editor was a public relations officer at the local government ministry.
Charamba had described a journalist from an online newspaper, calling her “an activist wielding a pen and profession.”
Responding to Charamba, another Twitter user claimed to have done a Google search of the journalist’s name, and said the named journalist was “a pure opposition member hiding behind the pen.” Charamba then said:
<blockquote>
There are a lot of them, some are at NewsDay, interned by a NewsDay editor who is now a government communicator at local government ministry.
</blockquote>
Executives at Alpha Media Holdings, which owns NewsDay, asked Mdzungairi to respond to Charamba’s accusations and he promptly offered his resignation, reported <a href="https://www.zimlive.com/newsday-editor-ousted-after-mnangagwa-spokesman-claims-he-is-on-payroll/">ZimLive</a>.
In a letter to staff dated 16 January, AMH’s human resources executive Levy Tswatswa said:
<blockquote>
We write to announce the resignation of Mr Wisdom Mdzungairi from the position of editor-in-chief effective January 16, 2023. Mr Mdzungairi has decided to pursue other interests.
</blockquote>
Tswatswa said The Standard’s editor, Kholwani Nyathi, would be acting editor-in-chief while Zerubabel Mudzingwa takes temporary charge as acting editor of NewsDay.
Former NewsDay reporter Nqaba Matshazi said Mdzungairi was “probably the worst editor under the sun.” <a href="https://twitter.com/nqabamatshazi/status/1615265672816386050">He tweeted:</a>
<blockquote>
It seems Zerrubabel Mudzingwa is the new editor of NewsDay after the inglorious exit of Wisdom Mdzungairi.
This ends the tenure of probably the worst editor under the sun. How Trevor stuck to that guy for so long beggars belief.
</blockquote>

NewsDay Editor Resigns After Mnangagwa Spokesperson Claims He Is On Govt Payroll

ZANU PF has refused to accredit journalists from privately-owned local publications among them NewsDay, The NewsHawks, and NewZimbabwe accusing them of bias.
Party spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa on Wednesday said the ZANU PF Politburo resolved to bar NewsDay from covering the event. He said:
<blockquote>
For your own information, we have not refused anyone registration except for one particular publication which we feel prefers to write fiction rather than to follow events at the party, if we invite them they will also write fiction.
So, this is where we are. Even the Voice of America will be there and even foreign correspondents.
We have no problem with critical journalism but we don’t tolerate invented stories when we have Press conferences. We also need to be criticised but not on fictitious stories.
</blockquote>
ZANU PF information director Tafadzwa Mugwadi said the matter was discussed in the Politburo because it is a serious one. Said Mugwadi:
<blockquote>
The matter was an issue in the politburo. When this is discussed in the politburo then it’s a serious issue and a cause for concern. I think this is the time for the publication to reflect.
</blockquote>
State security officers recently expelled Alpha Media Holdings (AMH) journalists from a State House event.
AMH publishes The Zimbabwe Independent, a business weekly published every Friday, The Standard, a weekly published every Sunday, and NewsDay/Southern Eye, a daily publication. | <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/local-news/article/200002620/newsday-barred-from-zanu-pf-congress">NewsDay</a>

Local Private Media Barred From ZANU PF Congress

MISA Zimbabwe has condemned the <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/seven-journalists-chased-out-of-state-house/">ejection of seven journalists from the State House</a> where President Emmerson Mnangagwa appointed a Tribunal to inquire into the removal from office of Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission’s Spokesperson John Makamure.
The Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Mr Nick Mangwana had earlier shared the details of this event on his personal Twitter page and indicated that “Media is invited”.
However, upon arriving at the State House and undergoing all the required procedures, it is reported that one of the security officers then asked for press cards. 
Resultantly, Alpha Media Holdings journalists Taurai Mangudhla, Shepherd Tozvireva, Blessed Mhlanga and Chengeto Chidi, Daily News reporter Katty Nyoni and Heart and Soul TV journalists Zibusiso Ncube and Atricia Gondo were then kicked out. 
The journalists highlighted that the security officer indicated that there were specific media houses that were welcome at this event. Journalists from state media representing ZTN, ZBC and The Herald were allowed to remain and cover the event.
In a statement seen by Pindula news, MISA Zimbabwe said all journalists should be afforded fair and equal opportunities to access information. Reads the statement:
<blockquote>
<h2>MISA’s position</h2>
MISA Zimbabwe condemns this continuation of discrimination against private media. All media practitioners, whether from state or private media, have a constitutional right to seek, receive and impart information as part of their media freedom.
The Constitution is very clear in Section 44 that the State and every person, including juristic persons and every institution and agency of the government at every level, must respect, protect, promote and fulfil the rights and freedoms set out in the Constitution.
There is, therefore no lawful, reasonable or justifiable basis for the discrimination of journalists from private media and the infringement to the realisation of their constitutional rights.
MISA Zimbabwe calls on all stakeholders within government, including the Zimbabwe Media Commission and the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services to undertake key and practical steps towards addressing this recurring media violation.
All journalists should be afforded fair and equal opportunities to access information.
</blockquote>
<h2><a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a></h2>

MISA Zimbabwe Condemns Ejection Of 7 Journalists From State House Event

State security officers Monday chased out seven journalists from State House where President Emmerson Mnangagwa was swearing in <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/president-mnangagwa-sets-commission-to-investigate-zacc-spokesperson/">a three-member tribunal</a> to <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/zacc-spokesperson-faces-expulsion-over-corruption-allegations/">investigate the removal from office</a> of Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) spokesperson John Makamure.
NewsDay chief reporter Taurai Mangudhla, photographer Shepherd Tozvireva, Heart and Soul head of current affairs and news Blessed Mhlanga and reporters Chengeto Chidi, Zibusiso Ncube and Atrishya Gondo were booted out by one of the security personnel without giving reasons.
Daily News reporter Katty Nyoni was also ejected.
This happened soon after the journalists had gone through the routine security clearance process plus COVID-19 tests at the State House clinic, according to <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/local-news/article/200002134/amh-journos-kicked-out-of-state-house-function">NewsDay</a>.
Meanwhile, Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) spokesperson, Fadzayi Mahere has criticised the ejection of journalists from a public event. She said:
<blockquote>
What kind of “government” chases journalists away from a national event paid for by taxpayers? It’s unconstitutional. You can’t only allow journalists you like and control. Media freedom is impossible under this regime. We need new leaders.
</blockquote>
AMH is owned by Trevor Ncube, a former member of the <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Presidential_Advisory_Council_2019">Presidential Advisory Council (PAC).</a> He <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/watch-zimbabwe-worse-under-mnangagwa-than-during-mugabe-era-trevor-ncube/">left PAC early this year</a> citing a lot of issues bordering on President <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Emmerson_Mnangagwa">Mnangagwa</a>‘s failure to transform the country’s fortunes. 
This ejection of the reporters comes amid calls for the implementation of media reforms to ensure the freedom of journalists and media houses.
<h2><a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a></h2>

Seven Journalists Chased Out Of State House

An opinionist writing for Newsday expressed his opinion about the government’s preparedness towards fighting COVID-19 which have killed over 18000 people worldwide.
Paidamoyo spoke about the action that was taken by interested parties in reviving St Annes Hospital and Rock Medical Foundation and said they were erected to save the rich.
Mazulu opined:
<blockquote>It needed a crisis, a death, for the Zanu PF leadership and the rich to show their true colours beyond the political rhetoric at rallies and media conferences.
Less than two years ago, during the 2018 polls electioneering, President Emmerson Mnangagwa not only traversed the length and breadth of the country on a campaign trail but also put up gigantic billboards across all major roads and towns extolling his promises. Promises of a better Zimbabwe.
His sign off was something biblical, a promise to servant leadership but more importantly that – the voice of the people was the voice of God.
Mnangagwa promised modern roads, adequate electricity supplies, revitalising the comatose industry and affordable, quality healthcare. These promises were grandiose.
<div>
<div data-ad-slot="vi_19664898" data-id="vi_19664898_895">
<div data-ad-slot="vi_19664898" data-google-query-id="CK7jmqmnvegCFUQo4AodD2AMQQ">They dared people to dream, particularly that he had promised — the voice of the people was the voice of God. Two years on, life has conspired to put Mnangagwa’s promises to test and he has woefully fallen short. He is out of depth. And the self-preservation mode has kicked-in. It is now about him and his cronies. The people have no voice so God is not there or the people have a voice, but they are screaming hoarse to a man who is seemingly deaf.</div>
</div>
</div>
This month, the World Health Organisation declared the coronavirus (COVID-19) a pandemic. The virus was first noticed in China in December 2019 and within three months had spread across the world with devastating effect in the northern hemisphere that is currently in winter.
The bug has shown to have no respect for social status — celebrities, prime ministers, ministers, sports superstars and the plebians have all fallen victim to the virus. Stockmarkets have tumbled across the world capitals forcing governments to offer bailouts to struggling companies. The United States Congress this week approved a US$2 trillion bailout to companies and vulnerable citizens.
<div>
<div data-ad-slot="vi_19664898" data-id="vi_19664898_615">
<div data-ad-slot="vi_19664898" data-google-query-id="CKy4mqmnvegCFVGr3godtEMM7w">Most world leaders and experts have called for self-isolation, social distancing and in extreme circumstances lockdowns of entire cities, regions or countries. Mnangagwa has mimicked these measures but he and his ministers have not taken heed of the advice. Mnangagwa flies into affected countries, still holds Cabinet meetings and Zanu PF politburo indabas. He does not self-isolate, neither does does his Finance minister Mthuli Ncube who has travelled to Europe (now the epicentre of the pandemic). Mnangagwa and Mthuli are not ordinary people and will not subject themselves to rules and regulations set for the common men and women.</div>
</div>
</div>
It needed Zororo Makamba to die for the leadership to take action. Zororo was a broadcaster and son of businessman and Zanu PF apparatchik James Makamba. He died at the national coronavirus institution — the Harare City Council-owned Wilkins Infectious Hospital. His family made a fuss of the incident.
We now know they had direct access to Mnangagwa, First Lady Auxillia and Health minister Obadiah Moyo, but this did not change their circumstances.
The regime was jolted into action. It was reminded that social status was no barrier to the coronavirus. Within 48 hours of Zororo’s death, government had found a solution to save rich, influential coronavirus victims – immediately opening long-forgotten private clinics. St Annes and Rock Foundation Medical Centre have new leases of life — all funded by Kuda Tagwirei, the fuel mogul and Command Agriculture financier. Wait for it, like all his deals in the past there was no tendering.
These two would be private coronavirus treatment centres – it goes without saying that patients will be forking out greenbacks to access care and treatment. On Thursday, less than 24 hours after the process of licensing the medical facilities the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe issued a statement that service providers can receive payment in United States dollars; a reversal of the mono-currency regulations and this would be applicable until the pandemic is put under control.
It needs no rocket science to see that the rich who have in relatively good times got forex from the central bank at 1:1 are set to benefit again having the rate fixed at 1:25 even if the parallel market is hovering around 45. The rich and political elite will have their five-star medical centres and pay in scarce forex while the poor will have to contend with treatment and care from Wilkins that has been condemned as near useless after Zororo’s death.
Cutting the political bullshit, one can see that beyond the rhetoric and political correctness — in good and bad times the regime wants to be treated differently.
They are worthier in measure than the plebians even if it’s the common men and women who elect them into power.
For now, the citizens are aware that electioneering is a well choreographed act. There is and will not be any guaranteed affordable, quality healthcare and the people’s voice is definately not the voice of God.
They eat for us and we die for them. Finish and klaar</blockquote>

OPINION: We Eat For You, You Die For Us

The following transcript was published by Newsday. It explicitly details the US’s position on Zimbabwe and it was given as a response to a Sunday Mail Editor who had asked:
<blockquote>“My name is Muchemwa Norman from The Sunday Mail in Harare, Zimbabwe. And my question is as you mentioned earlier on that you hoped for Africa and that is an encouragement for American businesses to invest in Zimbabwe. You know that Zimbabwe is open for — in Africa, rather, you know that <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Zimbabwe_is_Open_for_Business">Zimbabwe is open for business.</a> What measures are there in place for a win-win arrangement regarding the issue of investment for the benefit of the long-suffering Zimbabweans?</blockquote>
To which the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Tibor Nagy responded:
<blockquote>Well I love that question too because I’ve had occasions several times to have dialogue at highest levels of your government and our dialogue has been very frank and honest and I’m not going to go into details because those are private discussions. But your leadership understands what the United States is looking for, before we can begin to have a normal, constructive, positive relationship with Zimbabwe.
Now, I told you guys before that I have a very special place in my heart for Zimbabwe because not only did I help open up the embassy there shortly after the <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Lancaster_House_Agreement">Lancaster House Agreement</a> in 1980, I think my vehicle was the second one to cross the <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Chirundu">Chirundu</a> Bridge going from Zambia to Zimbabwe (at independence). My kids’ were born in Harare. So I really, really appreciate the country. I appreciate the tremendous talents, the positive attributes. Unfortunately, it’s no secret; we have a problematic relationship with Zimbabwe. There’s the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Amendment Act, which restricts, to a certain extent, what the United States can and cannot do.
However, there’s a very false narrative out there which I want to correct. Some people say that the United States has sanctions against the country of Zimbabwe. We do not, repeat, do not have sanctions against the country of Zimbabwe. We have sanctions against certain individuals and certain corporations and there could be greater detail on that, but not against the country of Zimbabwe. There is nothing to stop US businesses from investing in Zimbabwe, from going to Zimbabwe.
However, again, let’s be very frank. Zimbabwe has a reputational problem. We have great concerns over how the government treats its own citizens. We have great concerns over the space that’s available for democracy and governance in Zimbabwe. We have been alarmed with how the government has treated its own citizens. So those are the issues. But as I said, we’ve had very frank, honest and open discussions between ourselves and the highest levels of your government.
So you know, hopefully, again, you know my dream and prayer is that we can have fully normalised positive relations with every country in Africa. And Zimbabwe is near the top of my wish list.”
Again, given the personal connections I’ve had with your beautiful, beautiful country and your wonderful people.</blockquote>
More: <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/2019/10/zimbabwe-ill-treating-its-citizens-united-states/">Newsday </a>

FULL TEXT: Zimbabwe Has A Reputational Problem Hindering Progressive Engagement With The US

As the country is submerged in political and economic crises, the NewsDay has said that the workers’ situation is now unsustainable. It notes that the workers’ salaries have been eroded by the unrelenting inflation.
The publication notes that workers in all sectors are disgruntled as the cost of living is increasingly becoming unbearable. Part of the article reads:
<blockquote>While it is logical that any significant movement in the cost of goods and services should also translate into some kind of adjustment in the wage bill, this has not been the case in Zimbabwe; a situation we are afraid to say is becoming increasingly untenable.
All things being equal, we should never get to a situation whereby the country’s entire workforce resorts to petitioning the Head of State to press for better wages and working conditions. This merely points to a serious disconnect in the functioning of the whole State.</blockquote>
The publication further laments lack of communication between the government, workers, and business to iron out issues. The article further reads:
<blockquote>It seems government and the employers are now largely interested more on their own survival at the expense of the workers. But this kind of attitude is not only unsustainable, but is a serious indictment on any efforts to revive this troubled economy. We have said before, and repeat it again here, that a disgruntled workforce is the last thing this economy needs.</blockquote>
The publication recommends a discourse amongst concerned parties as a way to prevent the situation from exploding.
More: <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/2019/06/workers-situation-now-untenable/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">NewsDay</a>

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