British journalist arrested in Zimbabwe

BULAWAYO - The police clampdown on foreign journalists is continuing in Zimbabwe, with the arrest of a British journalist, Clayton Michael here last week.

Michael, who is based in Johannesburg, South Africa, was arrested in Bulawayo at a lodge in Suburbs area on Wednesday last week after detectives spotted him allegedly practising journalism without being
accredited by the Media and Information Commission (MIC).

In addition to allegedly working as a journalist without accreditation, Michael is accused of giving false information to immigration officials upon arrival at the Joshua Nkomo International Airport.

Almost a dozen more foreign journalists have been arrested countrywide since late last month when scores of scribes descended on the country to cover the March 29 elections, which Zanu PF lost.

Because the government refused to accredit several journalists, some of them sneaked into the country to cover the elections, risking arrest.

Michael was briefly taken to court Friday afternoon but his case was not heard and is expected to be heard today, Monday.
Police claim that the scribe arrived at the local airport on a South African Airways flight from Johannesburg and told immigration officials that he was coming to the country as a tourist.

Unconvinced, a team of detectives and the Central Intelligence Organisation trailed him and arrested him at the lodge as he allegedly was in the process of interviewing some people, a police source said.

In addition to allegedly contravening Section 78 (2) of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA), Michael would be charged with violating parts of Section 36 of the Immigration Act (making false declaration).

Several other foreign correspondents have been arrested and brought to court over the past two weeks.

They include South Africans, Sipho Moses Maseko and Abdulla Ismail Gaibee and Stephan Bevan, and New York Times’ award winning Barry Bearaik.

Their cases are at different stages in court.   Zimbabwe has become one of the most difficult places for journalism practice in recent years as the increasingly dictatorial President Robert Mugabe sustains his media controls.

About half a dozen newspapers, including mass circulating The Daily News have been shut down while scores of journalists have been sent into exile.

On the eve of the elections, the government denied permission to South Africa's independent station ETV and British TV networks ITV and Sky and US global network CNN to cover the election.