Zimbabwean journalist known as Blessed Mhlanga has been arrested and charged with inciting violence after interviewing a senior ruling party official who openly opposed President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s alleged bid to extend his rule.
The arrest which took place in Harare has ignited fierce debate on press freedom with opposition calling it a blatant oppression of independent journalism.
Mhlanga a journalist at an online based station called Heart and Soul Television channel (HStv) was detained after authorities accused him of “stoking public unrest” following his interviews with ruling party insider and liberation war veteran Blessed Geza who publicly denounced Mnangagwa’s potential third-term ambitions.
The arrest comes amid growing tensions within Zimbabwe’s ruling ZANU-PF party. In both interviews that took place on 27th January and 11th February, Geza criticised the faction allegedly pushing for a constitutional amendment that would allow the 82-year-old Mnangagwa to seek another term.
He warned that extending Mnangagwa’s presidency would be a betrayal of the country’s democratic principles and could trigger nationwide instability. Geza went as far as demanding that the president to resign adding to the pressure on an already divided party.
Authorities launching a nationwide manhunt against Mhlanga after the interviews went public before they eventual arrested him on Monday.
Government officials claim Mhlanga’s reporting “promotes sentiments that could lead to violence,” though they have yet to provide any substantial evidence.
The journalist’s detention has been widely condemned as politically motivated with opposition leaders and press freedom advocates calling for his immediate release.
“This is an attack on press freedom. No journalist should be arrested for merely doing their job,” said a spokesperson from the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists.
Amnesty International and Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) have also joined the cause to condemn the arrest urging Zimbabwean authorities to respect freedom of speech and release Mhlanga unconditionally.
