Police in Bulawayo have allegedly summoned and quizzed a local journalist, Busani Ncube, over court stories he wrote while covering the ongoing treason trial of Mthwakazi Liberation Front (MLF) leaders.
Ncube, who is acting news editor of Southern Star, said he was summoned by police detectives at Bulawayo Central Police Station on Wednesday and questioned over his coverage of the court case. Ncube said the police indicated they would charge him with casting them in bad light.
“I went to Central Police Station on Wednesday with my lawyer Sindiso Mazibisa for questioning at 12 noon where we stayed until 3pm,” he said.
“The police officers said they would be pressing charges against me over the stories I wrote during the treason trial.”
Two of the alleged offensive stories were published between March and May, headlined “Cop stings Zanu PF in court” and “Army chiefs are murderers”.
Mazibisa described the police action as tantamount to harassment.
“Yes, they have indicated they want to press charges against him,” he said.
“We went to the station to hear what they wanted and they said they would be charging him over the stories.”
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Bulawayo deputy police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Precious Simango declined to comment over the matter, referring all questions to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID)’s Law and Order Section.
However, Matabeleland region CID coordinator Assistant Commissioner Erasmus Makodza said he was not aware of the case.
