Harare—Zimbabwe Independent editor Faith Zaba was granted bail amounting to US$200 by Magistrate Vakayi Chikwekwe on Thursday, following her arrest on charges of allegedly undermining the authority of the president.
The charge stems from a satirical piece published in the paper’s well-known Muckraker column.
Zaba, who had already spent three nights in custody, was expected to be released earlier in the day. However, her release was delayed after a nationwide power outage prevented the magistrate from typing out the ruling.
The state did not oppose bail, and the court acknowledged that there were no compelling reasons to justify continued detention. In his ruling, Chikwekwe stated that the right to bail is enshrined in the Constitution and must be upheld unless there is a significant reason to deny it.
“The concerns raised by the state have been adequately addressed through the agreed bail conditions,” the magistrate said.
As part of the bail terms, Zaba must surrender her passport to the Clerk of Court, reside at her stated address, avoid contact with witnesses, and report once a week, every Friday, to the CID Law and Order section in Harare.
