Zaba’s Bail Ruling Deferred Again Amid Power Cuts

Faith Zaba, the editor of the Zimbabwe Independent newspaper will spend another night at Chikurubi Female Prison after a Harare magistrate failed to deliver a ruling on her bail application due to a power outage.

Zaba (55) was arrested on allegations of “undermining the authority of the president” following the publication of her column titled “When you become a mafia state,” which included a photo of President Emmerson Mnangagwa shaking hands with Mozambican President Daniel Chapo.

Her lawyer, Chris Mhike, told journalists outside the court on Thursday that the bail hearing had been postponed again despite the state confirming the authenticity of medical documents showing Zaba is in poor health.

“You will recall that yesterday at the initial court appearance, the bail proceedings were postponed since the state needed to consider the medical documentation… The state has now confirmed the documents are legitimate and genuine,” Mhike said.

He added that although the state did not oppose bail, it remained the magistrate’s duty to assess whether Zaba was a suitable candidate for release.

“We made detailed submissions in support of the granting of bail. Regrettably, when it was time for the ruling the magistrate said he had not finished writing it due to a power cut at the magistrates’ court,” Mhike said.

As a result, the matter was deferred to tomorrow.

“It is extremely unfortunate that Faith Zaba spends yet another night in custody. She returns to Chikurubi pending the finalisation of the bail proceedings,” Mhike added.

Zaba was reportedly on bed rest under medical supervision at the time of her arrest and is still taking medication.

“She is definitely not in good health. But she is holding up bravely. She is disappointed at the delay but remains hopeful,” Mhike said.

The court is expected to rule on the bail application tomorrow.