Zimbabwe Police Arrest State-Controlled Weekly Newspaper Editor
In a seemingly related matter, the home of Chronicle Editor, Mduduzi Mathuthu, was broken into Wednesday night by as yet unidentified people.
WASHINGTON — Police in Harare on Thursday arrested the recently-appointed  Editor, Edmund Kudzayi, and are also looking for Zimbabwe Independent Editor, Dumisani Muleya. Police are still to speak about the arrrest and charges they are preferring against Kudzayi. In a seemingly related matter, the home of  Editor, Mduduzi Mathuthu, was broken into Wednesday night by as yet unidentified people. newspaper is reporting that armed police demanded access to Kudzayi’s office and took a laptop, cell phone, other electronic gadgets and an MDC-T debate disc for April 29, 2014. Police had earlier visited Kudzayi’s Hillside home in Harare and spoke with his parents. Newsday confirmed that police officers also visited their sister paper, asking for Muleya’s home address. Muleya is on leave. Sources at say police refused to disclose why they were after Muleya. All they could say was they had some “business” to discuss with him. It is not clear if the raids are linked to recent complaints by President Robert Mugabe that Information Minister Jonathan Moyo is a “counter-revolutionary” who has employed Zanu PF “enemies as editors at Zimpapers.” Zanu PF insiders say the attack on Moyo came after a faction allegedly led by Deputy President Joice Mujuru complained that Moyo was using the state media to prop-up rival faction leader, Justice Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa. Both Mujuru and Mnangagwa have denied allegations that they lead factions in their party. Efforts to get a comment from Police Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba and Moyo were futile as they were said to be attending meetings. Zimbabwe Union of Journalists secretary general Foster Dongozi condemned the raids. The union is demanding to know the reasons leading to Kudzayi’s arrest. Political analyst Earnest Mudzengi, who is also director of the Media Centre, said Zanu PF factional fights are to blame for the raids and Kudzayi’s arrest.