By Agencies
Confusion and possible defiance of a court order surrounded the continued detention of journalist Blessed Mhlanga on Wednesday morning, despite the High Court having granted him bail on Tuesday afternoon.
Mhlanga, a senior journalist with Alpha Media Holdings, was granted bail at around 3:30 PM on Tuesday after spending 72 days in remand prison. However, by 10:50 AM on Wednesday, he was still being held at Harare Remand Prison.
A prison official who spoke on condition of anonymity said authorities were refusing to release Mhlanga, citing a technicality.
“Prison authorities say the court order granting him bail is missing a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) number and must be retyped and signed again,” the source said.
On Tuesday, High Court Judge Justice Gibson Mandaza granted Mhlanga US$500 bail following a successful appeal mounted by his legal team, Advocate Thabani Mpofu and Chris Mhike. The judge ruled that the lower court had misdirected itself in denying the journalist bail on previous occasions.
“There are indeed changed circumstances,” Justice Mandaza said. “The appellant is a permanent resident of this country. To allay the fears of the State, the court may impose conditions to ensure that he does not interfere with investigations or abscond.”
