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Editor of The Mirror (Masvingo newspaper) arrested over story
Media Institute of Southern Africa - Zimbabwe Chapter (MISA-Zimbabwe)
January 06, 2003

Norna Edwards, the editor of The Mirror a Masvingo weekly newspaper was arrested and charged for contravening section 80 of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act on 3 January 2003.

Edwards was charged for a story that appeared in the paper on 19 December 2002 on the arrests of National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) activists in the town. Masvingo is 293 kilometres to the south of the capital Harare.

A warned and cautioned statement was recorded on Friday from Edward in the presence of her lawyer Thomas Makonese. Edwards is expected to appear in court today (6 January 2003). The police are reported to be looking for Kennedy Murwira, the reporter who wrote the story. MISA-Zimbabwe could not get in touch with Makonese but sources in Masvingo said that Edwards was released from police custody on 5 January. MISA-Zimbabwe also understands that Murwira will hand himself over to the police today (6 January 2003).

In the story, the paper said four NCA and opposition Movement for Democratic Change activists slept in the cells for two nights and had their homes searched by the police following their arrest for allegedly masterminding a stay away (civic disobedience). The paper chronicled the events surrounding the arrest of the four and their alleged ill-treatment by the police.

For more information, contact:
Rashweat Mukundu
Research and Information Officer, MISA-Zimbabwe
221 Fife Ave
Box HR 8113, Harare, Zimbabwe
Phone 263-(0)4-712841, 735441/2
Mobile 263-(0)11-602685
E Mail misa@mweb.co.zw

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