THE National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) yesterday finally withdrew criminal charges against two NewsDay journalists arrested for publishing a story claiming that officials from the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) received their December 2015 bonuses before the rest of the public service got their December salaries.
BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE
Nqaba Matshazi (NewsDay deputy editor) and Xolisani Ncube (reporter) together with company representative, Sifikile Thabete were being charged for contravening section 31(1)(ii) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act for allegedly publishing falsehoods following their arrest in January last year.
Following their appearance before Harare magistrate Josephine Sande last year, the journalists were released on bail and they later filed a constitutional challenge against the law under which they were being charged.
The case was set down for hearing at the Constitutional Court (ConCourt), but when the full bench was ready to entertain the matter, NewsDay lawyers, Taona Nyamakura and Mzo Mbuyiso of Mtetwa & Nyambirai Legal Practitioners submitted that the State had withdrawn the charges against the scribes.
The NewsDay lawyers’ submissions were confirmed by the Prosecutor-General and Attorney-General’s representatives, Editor Mavuto and Vernanda Munyoro, who indicated that the administrative withdrawal of criminal charges against the journalists would be done at the magistrates’ court.
