ZIMBABWE: GUARDIAN JOURNALIST GOES ON TRIAL

ALERT UPDATE

13 JUNE 2002

GUARDIAN JOURNALIST GOES ON TRIAL

Andrew Meldrum, a foreign correspondent for the British paper, The
Guardian's in Zimbabwe, was put on trial in Harare yesterday accused of
publishing a false story in a test case for the state's restrictive media
laws. If convicted he could face up to two years in prison or a fine of $100
000 (approxUS1 800)

Meldrum, 50, a US citizen and Zimbabwe permanent resident and has lived in
Zimbabwe since 1980, pleaded not guilty to knowingly publishing false
information without verifying the facts. The state prosecutor, Thembani
Mpofu, said Meldrum had been charged under the Access to Information and
Protection of Privacy Act because he had abused journalistic privilege by
publishing falsehoods.
The story that led to the prosecution was printed in the Guardian in April.
It reported claims in a local newspaper, the Daily News, that Brandina
Tadyanemhandu, 53, a mother of eight, had been decapitated in front of
several of her children by supporters of the ruling Zanu-PF party near
Karoi, 120 miles north-west of Harare. The story was carried by a number of
British papers and international news agencies.
The account was confirmed, at the time, by the opposition Movement for
Democratic Change. But doubts have since been raised about the credibility
of the woman's husband, and the MDC has admitted it fears he tricked it.
The only prosecution witness to appear yesterday was Julia Musopero, who,
the court was told, was the sister of the dead woman. Musopero said Brandina
had died of Aids in Seke several weeks before the Daily News reported her
alleged beheading.
She said the dead woman's boyfriend, who identified himself to the Daily
News as Enos Tadyanemhandu, was in fact George Nyadzayo. Meldrum's lawyer,
Beatrice Mtetwa, told the court the prosecution had not proved that Brandina
was the woman referred to in the article, nor that there was any case to
answer. The police had not initially responded to inquiries and the main
source of the report, the husband, had still not been questioned, she said.
"Political violence has been a reality in Zimbabwe in the past two years.
The story was consistent with other reports of political violence [from
previously reliable sources]," Mtetwa told the court. Meldrum's story was
factually correct in describing what was published in the Daily News said
Mtetwa.
The lawyer said no action had been taken under the new media laws against
state media for repeatedly publishing false information. Meldrum, who holds
a permanent residency permit, is the first of 12 journalists arrested under
the new laws to face trial. The trial resumes today, 13 June 2002.

Background
Check alerts of 29 April, 1,2, 3 and 8 May 2002.
END

Rashweat Mukundu
Research and Information Officer
MISA-Zimbabwe
221 Fife Ave
Box HR 8113
Harare
Zimbabwe

Phone: 00 263 4 721 841, 735 441-2
Cell : 00 263 4 011 602 685
E mail: [email protected]