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Journalist arrested
MISA-Zimbabwe
Janaury 19, 2006

Sidney Saize, a journalist with the banned Daily News was on 18 January 2006 arrested in the eastern border town of Mutare on allegations of practising journalism without accreditation in terms of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA). Saize is still in police custody.

Officers from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) reportedly interrogated Saize for three hours following his arrest and subsequent detention at Mutare Central Police Station.

Mutare Police in Mutare confirmed to MISA-Zimbabwe that they were holding Saize, but declined to give details.

MISA-Zimbabwe has since engaged a lawyer, Trust Maanda, a member of the Media Lawyers Network, to look into the matter and secure his release.

Maanda visited the police station this morning where he was told that Saize would be charged under AIPPA for practising journalism without accreditation and that he was likely to appear in court tomorrow. Police also indicated they are likely to charge Saize for publishing falsehoods

Background
The government appointed Media and Information Commission (MIC) refused to accredit Daily News journalists in 2003 arguing the newspaper they worked for had defied the law by refusing to be registered. Daily News journalists were subsequently charged for practising journalism without accreditation. One of the journalist, Kelvin Jakachira, also based in Mutare, was, however, acquitted on similar charges on 31 August 2005. It is an offence under AIPPA's section 83 (1) Chapter 10:27 to practice journalism without being accredited by the Media and Information Commission (MIC).

The offence carries a two-year prison term or alternatively a fine of $400 000 or both such fine and imprisonment.

During Jakachira’s trial, the State’s sole witness, MIC chairman Dr Tafataona Mahoso, conceded that he had not responded to Jakachira’s application, but had rejected wholesale applications by Daily News journalists because their publishing company was not registered with the MIC.

However, Harare Magistrate Prisca Chigumba said that Jakachira was entitled to continue practicing as no proof had been produced as to whether there was communication on the determination of his application as required under Section 82 of AIPPA.

MISA-Zimbabwe could not immediately ascertain whether Saize is among the Daily News journalists whose applications had been rejected wholesale by Mahoso.

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