The editor of NewsDay Wisdom Mdzungairi and reporter Everson Mushava were on 20 June 2017 questioned by police in Harare following the publication of a story arising from a press conference held by former Zanu PF Mashonaland Central youth leader Godfrey Tsenengamu.
On 20 February 2017, Tsenengamu held a press conference in Harare during which he allegedly urged Zimbabwe’s war veterans to push President Robert Mugabe out of office through unconstitutional means.
NewsDay published the story arising from the press conference on 21 February 2017.
Mdzungairi told MISA Zimbabwe the police wanted them to make a statement with the possibility of turning them into state witnesses in the matter.
“We told them that our statement is the story that we published and that we are protected by the law (Section 61 of the Constitution), and we do not think we should be state witnesses,” said Mdzungairi.
He said they told the police to contact their lawyer Belinda Chinowawa, who accompanied them to Harare Central Police station if they needed any further information. “They took the details of the lawyer and that if they need any other information they would let us know.”
Tsenengamu is on bail facing charges of subverting a constitutionally elected government or alternatively undermining the authority of the President.
