Chitungwiza Magistrate Isheunesu Matava has granted ZWL$20 000 bail to Alpha Media Holdings (AMH) journalists Blessed Mhlanga and Chengeto Chidi following their arrest on Saturday while working on a story on water challenges in the dormitory town.
Mhlanga and Chidi have been ordered to reside at their given addresses also to report at Harare Central Law and Order once every fortnight.
Mhlanga and Chidi were charged for contravening Section 25 of Statutory Instrument (SI) 21/05.
They were interviewing residents at a borehole when they observed the police attempting to arrest Zengeza West legislator Job Sikhala, and they started recording the incident.
The police then pounced on them and one of them (named) allegedly physically assaulted Mhlanga and smashed his mobile phone on the ground.
The journalists’ phones and cameras were seized by the police.
The two journalists were detained overnight on Saturday.
Mhlanga and Chidi were represented by Jeremiah Bamu of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR).
