1 April 2008

Alert

Two South African journalists arrested while covering election press conference, charged


Incident details

Sipho Moses Maseko, Abdulla Ismail Gaibee

journalist(s)

(MISA/IFEX) - On 27 March 2008, two South Africans were arrested in Harare and charged with violating the repressive Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA).

The two, Sipho Moses Maseko and Abdulla Ismail Gaibee, were arrested at the Harare International Conference Centre while covering a press conference on the elections held by Minister of Information and Publicity Sikanyiso Ndlovu.

Maseko and Gaibee appeared on 31 March before Harare Regional Magistrate Lilian Kudya, where they were charged for contravening Section 78 (2) of AIPPA as amended. The allegations against them are that they "held themselves as accredited journalists" without being so accredited.

Magistrate Kudya set 2 April as their trial date.

Chris Mhike and Thabani Mpofu are representing the duo while Ms Maposa appeared for the state.



Source:

Media Institute of Southern Africa
21 Johann Albrecht Street
Private Bag 13386
Windhoek
Namibia
director (@) misa.org
Phone: +264 61 232975
Fax: +264 61 248016
 

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Updates to this story

Court acquits South African media workers 15 April 2008 Two South Africans released on bail, plead not guilty at trial on spurious charges of misrepresenting themselves as accredited journalists 11 April 2008

Zimbabwe

Foreign newspapers to be banned 6 February 2012 Charges against MMPZ staffers reduced 26 January 2012 Detained MMPZ staff freed on bail; journalist questioned 22 December 2011 Media Monitoring Project Zimbabwe personnel denied freedom 13 December 2011 Unlawful detention and harassment of Media Monitoring Project Zimbabwe personnel 7 December 2011 See all alerts: Zimbabwe


 
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