Zim-born Chris Maroleng deported from Zimbabwe

Zimbabwean authorities have reportedly deported former SABC broadcaster, and Global Advisor and the SADC Executive Director of Good Governance Africa Chris Maroleng who flew into the country Tuesday to cover elections set for this coming Wednesday.

Reports said the Zimbabwe-born broadcaster was deported back to South Africa together with his three colleagues.

There was no official word from government spokespersons on the reasons behind the journalist's apparent ban.

Maroleng, also a public policy analyst and communication expert, said he got the nod to fly into the country after meeting Zimbabwean embassy officials in Pretoria.

Journalist Hopewell Chin'ono, who was following the incident, said Thursday Maroleng was set to be flown out on the 4.15PM Air Link flight.

Good Governance Africa had received a supporting letter from its Zimbabwean partner, Southern Africa Political and Economic Series SAPES run by Ibbo Mandaza.

The NGO is a research and advocacy non-profit organisation with centres across the continent focused solely on improving governance across the continent.

Maroleng is not the first international journalist to be deported from the country in the past few weeks.

Nigerian journalist David Hundeyin was also deported from the country in July this year after immigration authorities queried his travel into the southern African country without a visa.