Harare – The ongoing detention of Alpha Media Holdings (AMH) senior journalist, Blessed “Dhara” Mhlanga, has taken a dramatic turn, with his bail ruling postponed until 12 PM on Friday. The stand-in magistrate, Marewanazvo Gofa, cited the bereavement of Farai Gwatima, the magistrate who initially heard Mhlanga’s bail application, as the reason for the delay.
Mhlanga, who appeared at the Harare Magistrates’ Court on Thursday clad in prison attire, faces serious charges under Section 164 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act for allegedly transmitting messages that incite violence. The charges stem from interviews Mhlanga conducted with Blessed Geza, a liberation war veteran and ZANU PF central committee member, on January 27 and February 11, 2025. These interviews were broadcast on AMH’s terrestrial television station, HSTV.
The State alleges that Mhlanga broadcast content from a press conference addressed by Geza, in which the war veteran called on President Emmerson Mnangagwa to resign over alleged grand corruption and other misdeeds. AMH are the publishers of NewsDay, The Standard, and Zimbabwe Independent.
Mhlanga had initially appeared in court on Tuesday and was remanded in custody by Magistrate Farai Gwatima, pending the bail ruling, which was initially scheduled for Thursday.
The decision to make Mhlanga wear prison garb ahead of the bail ruling has sparked outrage and accusations of selective justice. Critics have pointed out that other high-profile figures, such as journalist Hopewell Chin’ono and politician Job Sikhala, were allowed to wear their own clothes while in remand.
Abel Runga, speaking to Change Radio before the postponement, described Mhlanga’s treatment as a case of selective justice. “Blessed Mhlanga should not be treated like a convicted prisoner, especially since the state’s case against him is weak,” Runga said. He also argued that the arrest was an attack on constitutional provisions, particularly Section 61 (freedom of expression), Section 62 (right to access information), and Section 141 (protecting public participation in law-making processes).
Toneo, a local media personality, has even called for a media blackout in protest of Mhlanga’s detention, stating, “If they don’t give Blessed Mhlanga bail, my media house will stop publishing or posting news for 14 days.”
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has also weighed in on the matter, calling on Zimbabwean authorities to immediately release Mhlanga. “It is absolutely shameful that Blessed Mhlanga has been thrown behind bars simply because he gave voice to a war veteran’s criticism of Zimbabwe’s government,” said CPJ Africa Program Coordinator, Muthoki Mumo, in Nairobi. “Zimbabwean authorities should free Mhlanga unconditionally and respond to their citizens’ concerns, rather than punishing the messenger.”
Mhlanga, who works with the privately owned Heart and Soul TV, had previously reported that three armed men came to his office searching for him on February 17, soon after which the police phoned him to ask him to come in for questioning. On February 21, the police issued a statement seeking information about Mhlanga’s whereabouts. Mhlanga responded to the police summons on February 24 and was subsequently arrested.
According to the Zimbabwe chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa, the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights network, and Mhlanga’s lawyer Chris Mhike, he faces two counts of transmission of data messages “inciting violence or damage to property” under the 2021 Cyber and Data Protection Act. If found guilty, Mhlanga could face up to five years in jail and a fine of up to US$700.
Prosecutors had opposed Mhlanga’s bail application, arguing that he was a flight risk, Mhike told CPJ.
Mhlanga was previously assaulted and arrested in 2022 while covering the attempted arrest of an opposition politician, highlighting a pattern of harassment against journalists in Zimbabwe.
Veteran award-winning journalist Hopewell Chin’ono expressed his lack of surprise at the postponement, stating that authorities “always do that when their victim is innocent.”
Hopewell Chin’ono posted on X: “As expected, the ruling on journalist Blessed Mhlanga’s bail application has been postponed to 12 PM on Friday. They always do this when their victim is innocent—cowards!”
The postponement of Mhlanga’s bail ruling has further heightened concerns about the state of press freedom in Zimbabwe and the potential for the government to use the law to silence critical voices. The eyes of the nation, and the international community, will now be on the Harare Magistrates’ Court at 12 PM on Friday, awaiting the outcome of this crucial case.
