The Department of Foreign Affairs on Friday confirmed that three South Africans have been arrested in Zimbabwe.
In a statement, the department said the men were due to appear in court and it would render assistance to the detainees as required.
On Tuesday Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) reported that three people, two of them South Africans, had been arrested in Zimbabwe in connection with ”illegal broadcasting equipment” for British television network Sky TV.
Sky News bureau chief in Johannesburg Dan Williams said he was aware of the matter. However, the three people arrested were not Sky employees. ”They are not staff of Sky. We are investigating the matter,” he said, declining any further comment.
According to state radio, reported by dpa, the three were detained at the weekend in the western city of Bulawayo.
This was after a factory was found to contain Sky television broadcasting equipment as well as laptops, computers, disks, tapes and a South African registered car.
It claimed the three had ”tried to bribe police” with R25 000.
The equipment had been in the factory since March 23, a week before elections on March 29.
It was not immediately known what the charges were that Zimbabwe had brought against the men. — Sapa