Zimbabwean journalist faces month in jail over investigative article

Journalist Gideon Madzikatidze of Bulawayo24News has been denied bail and ordered to return to Harare Magistrate's Court on March 17, meaning he will have spent a full month in detention over an article alleging bribery by the leadership of a local business.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has condemned the detention and called on Zimbabwean authorities to respect press freedom and stop criminalizing legitimate journalism.

"Zimbabwean authorities should not use licensing regulations or cybercrime provisions to censor or criminalize legitimate journalism," said CPJ Africa Director Angela Quintal. "Keeping a journalist in detention for more than a week over their reporting is a totally disproportionate response. Authorities should free Gideon Madzikatidze, drop all charges against him, and allow journalists to work without fear of arrest."

Madzikatidze, a reporter with the online news site Bulawayo24, was initially scheduled for a bail application on February 25, but the state opposed bail and a prior hearing was delayed due to the magistrate's absence.

The charges against him allege that between December 15 and 16, Madzikatidze published a story accusing Geo Pomona Waste Management's leadership of bribing journalists and editors to evade scrutiny. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison or a $700 fine under the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, and up to three months imprisonment or a $700 fine under the Broadcasting Services Act.

A source familiar with the case, speaking on condition of anonymity, questioned the relevance of the broadcasting charge, noting that the article was published online, not on radio or television.

Bulawayo24, named after Zimbabwe's second-largest city, has been providing local and international news coverage for over a decade.

Requests for comment from Geo Pomona Waste Management and police spokesperson Paul Nyathi were not immediately returned.