Journalist Blessed Mhlanga’s Detention Triggers International Outcry
By Kwedu News
Harare, Zimbabwe – The detention of Blessed Mhlanga, a prominent journalist, has sparked international outcry with
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemning the move.
Mhlanga, the head of news at Heart & Soul Television (HSTv), was taken into custody on February 25.
The charges against Mhlanga stem from his reporting on press conferences featuring Blessing Geza, a war veteran and member of the ruling Zanu PF party.
Geza had called for President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s resignation, citing the country’s economic woes.
Mhlanga’s lawyer, Chris Mhike, accused the State of criminalizing journalism.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has condemned Mhlanga’s arrest, urging authorities to drop the charges.
IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger said Mhlanga committed no crime.
“Journalist Blessed Mhlanga has committed no crime, and his arrest and detention is a travesty of justice,” he said.
He stressed that intimidating journalists with vague charges undermines their constitutional rights and leads to self-censorship.
Bellanger called on the Zimbabwe government to abandon its history of media repression and create a favorable environment for journalists.
Mhlanga’s arrest has also been denounced by local and regional media freedom advocacy groups as an attempt to intimidate and harass journalists.
