(MISA/IFEX) – Mduduzi Mathuthu and Grey Chitiga, two reporters from “The Daily News” reporters who were arrested on Sunday 18 November 2001, have been released. The two journalists were released on the evening of Monday 19 November, without being charged. They spent the night of Sunday 18 November in different prisons: Mathuthu was detained at […]
(MISA/IFEX) – Mduduzi Mathuthu and Grey Chitiga, two reporters from “The Daily News” reporters who were arrested on Sunday 18 November 2001, have been released.
The two journalists were released on the evening of Monday 19 November, without being charged. They spent the night of Sunday 18 November in different prisons: Mathuthu was detained at Esigodini and Chitiga spent the night at Figtree. Both prisons are about forty kilometres from Bulawayo.
According to the 20 November edition of “The Daily News”, the police tried to persuade the two reporters to become state witnesses in an alleged case of kidnap and torture by opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) youths. However, the two reporters are said to have refused.
“The Daily News” operations manager Innocent Kurwa said that the police took their time before releasing the two reporters after being told that they had no case to answer.
Background Information
Mathuthu and Chitiga were arrested together with opposition MDC youths who are accused of having kidnapped and tortured a Bulawayo resident. The MDC youths had accused the victim of being a state secret agent operative.
