ANOTHER Zimbabwean journalist was arrested on Monday in connection with a now-discredited story of a woman’s decapitation, according to John Gambanga, the news editor of the independent Daily News.
Pius Wakatama, a columnist for the Daily News, was arrested in connection with the same story that led to the arrest of two other Daily News staffers and a foreign correspondent last week, Gambanga said.
Police representative Wayne Bvudzijena confirmed Wakatama was picked up Monday morning in connection with a column he wrote about the alleged beheading.
”He is being interviewed over the beheading story,” Bvudzijena said.
US journalist Andrew Meldrum, who works for The Guardian newspaper, and Daily News reporters Collin Chiwanza and Lloyd Mudiwa, were arrested last week over the story alleging that a Zimbabwean woman had been decapitated by pro-government militias in full view of her two daughters.
A magistrate on Thursday released the three from police custody while she considered their lawyers’ request to either toss out the case or make an appeal to the Supreme Court. The story has been denied by police, while the Daily News has apologized for running the story. The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), which initially backed the story, later said it was false. – Sapa-AFP