Location: Zimbabwe, Chitungwiza    
Date: May 10, 2022

Chengeto Chidi and her colleague at Alpha Media Holding (AMH), Blessed Mhlanga, were granted bail against surety bonds of ZWD $20,000 each on charges of contravening electoral regulations or alternatively, disorderly conduct in polling station. Arrested on May 7, 2022, for documenting state abuses against politicians during by-elections Chitungwiza, they were produced before court two days later. Their trial is set to begin on May 24. The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the arrests and deliberate obstruction of journalists on the job. We call on the authorities to immediately drop legal proceedings against Chengeto and her colleague. 

The journalists were reporting on water challenges in the area when they spotted the police attempting to arrest politician Job Sikhala. Recognizing the importance of the development amid by-elections, Chengeto and her colleague started recording the police’s actions, wrote local media freedom and digital rights group, Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Zimbabwe, on Twitter. For this, they were arrested and charged with contravening electoral regulations. Shortly afterwards, MISA provided legal aid to the journalists.

According to MISA Zimbabwe, the journalists were granted bail on May 9, when they were produced before the court after two nights in police custody. They have each been directed to pay bail bonds of ZWD $20,000 and report to the police every two weeks. Their trial is set to begin on May 24. 

The state alleges that on May 7, 2022, one or both of them, “acting in common purpose” took photographs or recorded a video within the jurisdiction of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission during by-elections in Chitungwiza, without permission of the constituency elections officer.

On the day of their arrest MISA reported that Mhlanga was physically assaulted by the police, who also smashed his phone. Digital equipment of both the journalists, including mobile phones and cameras, have been confiscated by the police. 

Mhlanga reportedly stated that a local resident of the area, namely Moses Hakata, intervened and saved both the journalists “from death” at the hands of the police. “They have no shame, they lie, they are evil, they have little egos inflated by police uniforms, outside that they have nothing, mere humans filled with hate and greed.I salute Moses Hakata he saved us from death,” he wrote on Twitter. 

The journalist also said that the charges against them were later changed. 

Chengeto and her colleague’s arrests were also denounced by the the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) group on Twitter and in a statement issued later. They mentioned that another citizen was also arrested from the site as he attempted to restrain the police from attacking the journalists. 

“While the matter is still pending, our position as MISA Zimbabwe is that we value media freedom, and that journalists should be allowed to undertake their work without fear of arrest and without any potential for harassment and unjustifiable infringement,” said MISA representative Nompilo Simanje, commenting on the matter. 

The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the arrests of Chengeto Chidi and her colleague. We call on the Zimbabwean authorities to immediately drop legal proceedings against the two journalists and allow members of the press to do their work without fear of government reprisal. The country has ranked 137th out of 180 on the World Press Freedom Index 2022. According to global media freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF), which releases the report annually, the political climate has been relatively more peaceful for Zimbabwean journalists since Emmerson Mnangagwa took over as president in 2017 but extremely harsh laws are still enforced against journalists and the country’s media landscape remains dominated by state-controlled broadcasters. Other reports point to Mnangagwa’s human rights violations and suppression of independent reportage.  The authorities also influence the selection of members of the board of the media regulator, the Zimbabwe Media Commission. The CFWIJ has observed a disproportionate impact of violations against the independent press on women journalists and continues to monitor the region. 

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

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