Jonathan Moyo speaks on Sunday Mail editor's arrest

Information Media and Broadcasting Services minister Jonathan Moyo on Friday said the arrest of Sunday Mail editor Edmund Kudzayi was an indication that there is rule of law in Zimbabwe.

Speaking at a graduation ceremony for a Bulawayo based journalism school, Moyo said judging from the way Kudzayi was arrested on Thursday the journalist could be facing a serious offence.

However, the minister said this did not mean that there was anything 'special' happening at Zimpapers, the publishers of The Sunday Mail.

Armed police officers on Thursday morning raided Kudzayi's office after visiting his home.

The detectives reportedly confiscated his computer, iPad and mobile phone among other things.

Kudzayi, who replaced Brezhnev Malaba as editor of the paper early this year under controversial circumstances, reportedly handed himself over to the police.

Moyo said the arrest should not alarm people but serve to assure them that there is rule of law in Zimbabwe.

"There is nothing special to say about what is happening, to address members of the practicing fraternity, except to say what is happening is very serious indeed from whatever perspective one may look at it and this is with respect to the situation at Zimpapers and the arrest of the Sunday Mail editor," the minister said.

"I think all rational fair minded people will understand that when police take action or when law enforcement agents take action, it should give us from a legal constitutional point of view some relief that at least the rule of law or the course of justice is taking place.

"It's much easier for everyone concerned especially when we take into account the fact that there is no individual and indeed no institution that is above the law."

Moyo said it was good that legal processes were being respected in dealing with Kudzayi's case.

"That is always far better than sitting to resolve an issue through other means," he said.

"That is the essence of a constitutional democracy that a matter, however, important is ultimately resolved in terms of the law and in this connection I am very pleased that Zimpapers have made it very clear that they are a law abiding institution and that they are going to fully cooperate with the law enforcement authorities in terms of the law."

Kudzayi's arrest has been linked to President Robert Mugabe's outburst a fortnight ago where he labeled Moyo a devil incarnate for allegedly employing editors who had links with the opposition.

On Thursday police also visited Zimbabwe Independent offices searching for the paper's editor Dumisani Muleya.

In an incident that police say was not linked to Kudzayi's arrest burglars broke into Chronicle editor Mduduzi Mathuthu's house in Bulawayo the same morning.

The Zimbabwe Union of Journalists has called on the police to halt the harassment of the journalists.