Zaba to spend another night in custody

Zimbabwe Independent editor Faith Zaba, who was arrested yesterday, has been further detained for another night in chilly and dingy prison cells – she will appear in court tomorrow for her bail application.

Zaba, a veteran journalist who is one of the few female editors, is charged with “undermining authority of the President” over a newspaper satirical column which described President Emmerson Mnangagwa as “head of a mafia state”.

Her arrest has been widely condemned by media and human rights organisations. However, there are also serious concerns about her health as she is not well.

Her lawyers have made that known to the courts and the state.

The state has placed her on remand pending bail application tomorrow at 11:15am, saying it first wants to verify her medical records.

Zaba’s lawyer Chris Mhike said: “We understand that challenging remand could cause delays. We will not oppose this to avoid further complications.”

Zimbabwean journalists are facing harassment, intimidation and arrests under President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government as part of a wider political crackdown on dissent.