
ALPHA Media Holdings’ (AMH) senior journalist Blessed Mhlanga was summoned to Harare Central Police Station earlier Monday, sparking concerns about press freedom in Zimbabwe.
Mhlanga had been summoned by the law and order section and he was accompanied by Misa Zimbabwe's external legal counsel Chris Mhike.
In a statement, Mhike said the police wanted to discuss the status of a six-year-old case against former deputy Finance minister Terrence Mukupe.
"We were astonished to arrive at the police station to be informed, after some dilly-dallying by officers in attendance at the station, that police only wanted to establish the status of Mhlanga's very old case against Terrence Mukupe, Zimbabwe's former deputy finance minister."
The case in question dates back to May 2018, when Mukupe allegedly assaulted Mhlanga during a live political debate and took away a phone belonging to Mhlanga's wife.
Mhike highlighted that both criminal and civil proceedings were instituted, but the civil matter was resolved in June 2018, and the criminal cases were terminated through mutual agreement a few months later.
He emphasised that the police had been notified about the termination of the proceedings at the time, making it unclear why Mhlanga was summoned.
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"It is therefore extremely odd to hear of the police digging up a case that was terminated more than six years ago. The police were notified about the termination of the criminal, as well as the civil proceedings in the Mukupe cases, at the material time. There was therefore no good reason for the Police to summon the journalist Mhlanga to the police station today. This behavior amounts to harassment of the press," he said.
Mhike condemned the move as "harassment of the press" as he urged the authorities to refrain from disturbing the journalistic endeavours.