ZIMBABWE Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) welcomes the acquittal by the High Court of veteran journalist and Zimbabwe Independent Editor, Faith Zaba, who was under prosecution answering to a charge of allegedly undermining the authority of or insulting the President.
Zaba was arrested in July 2025 and charged with undermining the authority of or insulting the President as defined in section 33 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act while Alpha Media Holdings (AMH), publishers of Zimbabwe Independent, represented by the media group’s Editor-In-Chief Kholwani Nyathi, was also charged for violating the same law following the publication of a satirical Muckracker column in the weekly newspaper.
In court, prosecutors alleged that the newspaper article entitled “When you Become a Mafia State” contained contents which were false in material and were designed to engender feelings of hostility by citizens towards President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Last year, Zaba and AMH’s lawyers Chris Mhike and Alec Muchadehama of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights had asked Harare Magistrate Apollonia Marutya to quash charges preferred against the duo and set them free. However, on 11 December 2025, Magistrate Marutya dismissed the duo’s application, which compelled their legal practitioners to file an application for review of proceedings at the High Court. In their application, Mhike and Muchadehama asked the court to quash charges preferred against Zaba and AMH arguing that Magistrate Marutya had erred and misdirected herself when she dismissed their initial application.
On 22 June 2026, High Court Judge Justice Emilia Muchawa upheld Zaba and AMH’s application and set aside Magistrate Marutya’s ruling and quashed the charges against the duo and removed them from remand.
The High Court’s decision to acquit Zaba, a long-serving journalist and AMH is an absolute victory for freedom of expression and freedom of the media, access to information and the rule of law in Zimbabwe, which reaffirms and safeguards the constitutional protections guaranteed under Sections 61 and Section 62 of the Constitution.
ZLHR commends Zaba for her resilience throughout the 11-month period, during which she endured arrest, detention and a pro-longed criminal prosecution and remains committed to defending media practitioners whose rights are threatened for carrying out their professional duties.
While we welcome Zaba’s acquittal, ZLHR remains gravely concerned about the increasing use of criminal law to target media practitioners and ordinary citizens for freely and legitimately expressing opinions, publishing commentary or reporting on issues of public interest. Such unwarranted targeting of journalists and prosecutions have a chilling effect on free expression and undermine democratic participation.
ZLHR calls upon law enforcement agencies and prosecuting authorities to respect fundamental and constitutional rights and desist from pursuing criminal charges that unnecessarily restrict freedom of expression and freedom of the media and access to information.
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ENDS
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights
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Phone: (+263 8677005347, +263 242 764085/705370/708118
Email: info@zlhr.org
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