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Jonny Oates demanded stern action against Mnangagwa's govt
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The plight of incarcerated Zimbabwean journalist Blessed Mhlanga sparked fiery debate in Britain's House of Lords on Thursday, as Liberal Democrats peer Lord Jonny Oates demanded stern action against President Emmerson Mnangagwa's government for continued repression of media freedoms.
Mhlanga, a senior journalist with Alpha Media Holdings and host on Heart and Soul TV, has now spent 60 days in pretrial detention after airing an interview with former war veteran Blessed Geza, who publicly called for Mnangagwa's immediate resignation and criticized high-level corruption.
Authorities arrested Mhlanga shortly after the broadcast, accusing him of "transmitting data messages that incite violence or damage to property.”
Lord Oates, a former Zimbabwe resident and longtime critic of the Harare administration, used his platform to press the UK government to halt any normalization of relations with Zimbabwe until basic rights - including media freedom - are upheld.
"As we speak, the journalist Blessed Mhlanga has been detained for 59 days and denied his constitutional right to bail,” Oates told the Lords.
"His crime is having the temerity to conduct an interview with a former war veteran who opposes President Mnangagwa's desire to extend his term in office and has highlighted the criminal corruption of the regime and the President's family.”
Oates called on the British government to make it "crystal clear” that there will be no diplomatic thaw as long as Zanu PF continues to defy democratic norms. He also issued a bold challenge to MPs who plan to attend a summit in June where Zimbabwe's First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa is scheduled to speak.
"I hope that Members of our Parliament who are choosing to take part will challenge Zimbabwe's First Lady on the continued detention of Blessed Mhlanga and the overall brutality of the regime she represents,” he said.
Relations between Zimbabwe and the UK have remained frosty since the early 2000s, following the chaotic land reform programme that displaced white farmers and entrenched Zanu PF loyalists in power. Human rights abuses, corruption, and economic collapse have since deepened the diplomatic rift.
Mnangagwa, who took power through a 2017 coup that ousted longtime leader Robert Mugabe, initially pledged to re-engage with the West. However, accusations of grand corruption and authoritarianism have dashed those hopes.
He is now reportedly facing internal resistance from a faction led by his deputy and coup ally, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, who is increasingly seen as a possible successor amid Zimbabwe's deepening poverty and economic turmoil.
Despite a tough reputation of his own, Chiwenga is viewed by some within Zanu PF as the figure capable of restoring credibility and addressing rampant graft.
Mhlanga's case has sparked outcry from journalists, rights groups, and the public, who view his detention as a stark warning to the media. With the British Parliament now weighing in, pressure is mounting on Harare to either release Mhlanga or face heightened international scrutiny.
Mhlanga, a senior journalist with Alpha Media Holdings and host on Heart and Soul TV, has now spent 60 days in pretrial detention after airing an interview with former war veteran Blessed Geza, who publicly called for Mnangagwa's immediate resignation and criticized high-level corruption.
Authorities arrested Mhlanga shortly after the broadcast, accusing him of "transmitting data messages that incite violence or damage to property.”
Lord Oates, a former Zimbabwe resident and longtime critic of the Harare administration, used his platform to press the UK government to halt any normalization of relations with Zimbabwe until basic rights - including media freedom - are upheld.
"As we speak, the journalist Blessed Mhlanga has been detained for 59 days and denied his constitutional right to bail,” Oates told the Lords.
"His crime is having the temerity to conduct an interview with a former war veteran who opposes President Mnangagwa's desire to extend his term in office and has highlighted the criminal corruption of the regime and the President's family.”
Oates called on the British government to make it "crystal clear” that there will be no diplomatic thaw as long as Zanu PF continues to defy democratic norms. He also issued a bold challenge to MPs who plan to attend a summit in June where Zimbabwe's First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa is scheduled to speak.
"I hope that Members of our Parliament who are choosing to take part will challenge Zimbabwe's First Lady on the continued detention of Blessed Mhlanga and the overall brutality of the regime she represents,” he said.
Relations between Zimbabwe and the UK have remained frosty since the early 2000s, following the chaotic land reform programme that displaced white farmers and entrenched Zanu PF loyalists in power. Human rights abuses, corruption, and economic collapse have since deepened the diplomatic rift.
Mnangagwa, who took power through a 2017 coup that ousted longtime leader Robert Mugabe, initially pledged to re-engage with the West. However, accusations of grand corruption and authoritarianism have dashed those hopes.
He is now reportedly facing internal resistance from a faction led by his deputy and coup ally, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, who is increasingly seen as a possible successor amid Zimbabwe's deepening poverty and economic turmoil.
Despite a tough reputation of his own, Chiwenga is viewed by some within Zanu PF as the figure capable of restoring credibility and addressing rampant graft.
Mhlanga's case has sparked outcry from journalists, rights groups, and the public, who view his detention as a stark warning to the media. With the British Parliament now weighing in, pressure is mounting on Harare to either release Mhlanga or face heightened international scrutiny.
Source - NewZimbabwe
