Zimbabwe Independent editor Faith Zaba has been arrested and charged with undermining the authority of the President, following the publication of a satirical column that appeared to criticise President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
The charge stems from a recent edition of the paper’s long-running satirical feature “Muckraker”, which described Zimbabwe’s new chairmanship of SADC as symbolic of how the regional bloc had become a “trade union of dictators.”
Authorities allege that the article constitutes a criminal offence under Zimbabwe’s stringent laws concerning presidential defamation and national security.
Media rights groups and journalists’ unions have condemned the arrest, calling it a blatant attack on press freedom and a worrying escalation in the state’s intolerance of criticism, satire, and dissent.
Zaba, a seasoned journalist with decades of experience, is expected to appear in court in the coming days. Her arrest has sparked renewed concerns over shrinking civic space ahead of Zimbabwe’s anticipated 2028 general elections.
More updates to follow as the story develops.
