Zimbabwe Independent editor Faith Zaba was arrested on Tuesday, July 1, 2025, by the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) over a satirical article published in the weekly newspaper’s Muckraker column. The article, which mocked Zimbabwe’s recent assumption of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) chairmanship by describing the regional bloc as a “trade union of dictators,” was deemed by authorities to have “undermined the authority” of President Emmerson Mnangagwa. Zaba’s arrest followed two unsuccessful attempts by officers from the Criminal Investigation Department’s Law and Order division to apprehend her at the offices of Alpha Media Holdings (AMH), the publisher of the Zimbabwe Independent. She later voluntarily surrendered herself to the police, accompanied by her lawyer Chris Mhike and AMH legal representative Tatenda Chikohora.
After being arrested, Zaba was charged with “undermining the authority or insulting the President,” a controversial charge under Zimbabwean law. Despite medical confirmation of her severe illness at the time, police insisted on detaining her overnight before her scheduled court appearance at the Harare Magistrates Court on Wednesday morning. Her lawyer, Chris Mhike, expressed disappointment at the authorities’ decision to detain her despite her health condition.
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