Mail & Guardian owner, Zimbabwean-born Trevor Ncube, could lose full ownership and control of his media assets should the Zimbabwe government succeed in its latest attempts to strip him of his citizenship.
Speaking to eMedia this week, Ncube says he was shocked to learn that the Zimbabwean government wants to prevent him from getting a new passport.
‘I didn’t expect something like this to happen. This time they have gone a step further.â€
Ncube owns Zimbabwe’s last two remaining independent newspapers, the Zimbabwe Independent and The Standard, which have been critical of President Robert Mugabe and his government.
His lawyers have filed papers with the Zimbabwe High Court to oppose the move and that they are now waiting for a court date to be set.
The South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) has condemned the latest developments.
‘Sanef has noted that the government’s actions have been directed at his application to obtain a fresh passport and that officials have been highly obstructive.
‘This can only mean that Mugabe wants to close down the papers or to change their critical stance by forcing on them a new ownership structure more supportive of him,†the body said in a statement.
Should Ncube lose his citizenship, Sanef says he would not be able to own a majority interest in his papers and would only be entitled to a 40 percent share.