Victim/ Concerned Party

Violation/ Event/issue

Date

Status of matter

Father Nigel Johnson

Arrested by police for filming musical dances, detained overnight and released

5 January 2004

Police to proceed by way of summons

The Daily News/Media and information Commission

Supreme Court demands consolidation of appeals

8 January 2004

Hearing of appeals postponed to 18 February

Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe (ANZ) publishers of The Daily News and The Daily News on Sunday/Police

Police ordered to leave ANZ premises

9 January 2004

Police have since moved from the premises

The Business and Weekend Tribune

Offices broken into and computer hardware and accessories worth Z$200 million (US$250 000) stolen in the newsroom.

9 January 2004

Nothing has been recovered so far

Zimbabwe Independent editor Iden Wetherell/ News Editor, Vincent Kahiya/Chief Reporter Dumisani Muleya

Detained for publishing an alleged defamatory story titled "Mugabe grabs plane for far East Holiday"

10 January 2004

Granted bail $20 000 each on 12 January

Police/ ANZ

Police defy High Court order to vacate ANZ premises and not to interfere with the operations of the newspaper company

13 January 2004

Police have since left the premises.

Media and Information Commission/Iden Wetherell

Dr Tafataona Mahoso threatens to penalize Iden Wetherell over publication of alleged "racist" letters to the editor.

14 January 2004

No action has been taken so far

Zimbabwe Independent, Raphael Khumalo, managing director/Reporter Itai Dzamara

Charged under criminal defamation after the publication of an alleged defamatory story that President Robert Mugabe had commandeered a plane to tour Far East Asia on his holiday.

15 January 2004

Remanded out of custody

The Chronicle, Reporter, Owen Gagare/Photographer Kaddy Kamashu

Detained by supermarket management for taking photographs of employees going through lie detector tests

20 January 2004

Police took management for questioning

Attorney General/ Police/ ANZ

AG’s office says police are in defiance of law after they ignored court orders demanding that they vacate offices of The ANZ

21 January 2004

Police have left the ANZ premises.

The Daily News

The Daily News starts publishing after the High Court ruled that police should not interfere with its operations

22 January 2004

The Daily News has stopped publishing

Media and Information Commission/The Daily News/The Daily News on Sunday

Daily News to continue publishing pending hearing of case

23 January 2004

Hearing postponed to 18 February

The Media and Information Commission/The Daily News/The Daily News on Sunday

Supreme caught fails to grant The Daily News an interdict barring it from publishing until the Court case is finalised

28 January 2004

Hearing has been postponed to February