Zimbabwe Independent Editor Faith Zaba Granted U.S.$200 Bail
Zimbabwe Independent editor Faith Zaba has been granted US$200 bail by Harare magistrate Vakayi Chikwekwe.
Zaba is charged with undermining the authority of the President following the publication of a satirical article in the weekly newspaper’s Muckraker column.
Zaba was due to go home on Thursday, but was sent back to jail after the magistrate failed to type his ruling due to a nationwide power outage. She had spent three nights behind bars.
The state did not oppose bail.
In granting her bail, Chikwekwe said bail was a constitutional right unless there are compelling reasons warranting detention.
“The fears of the state have been allayed by the bail conditions which the defence agreed with,” the judge noted.
As part of her bail conditions, Zaba was ordered to surrender her passport to the Clerk of court, continue residing at her given address, not to interfere with witnesses and to report once every Friday at CID Law and Order Harare.
By New Zimbabwe.
