Journalist Blessed Mhlanga Appears in Court Wearing Prison Attire

Alpha Media Holdings (AMH) senior journalist, Blessed “Dhara” Mhlanga, was seen in prison attire as he appeared at the Harare Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.

Mhlanga is facing charges under Section 164 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, accused of transmitting messages that allegedly incite violence. The charges stem from interviews he conducted with Blessed Geza, a war veteran and ZANU PF central committee member, on January 27 and February 11, 2025.

Initially, Mhlanga appeared in court on Tuesday, where Harare Magistrate Farai Gwatima remanded him in custody pending a bail ruling scheduled for Thursday. Before the court’s decision, he was required to wear prison-issued clothing, a move that has sparked debate over the fairness of his treatment.

Critics have drawn comparisons to other high-profile figures like journalist Hopewell Chin’ono and politician Job Sikhala, who were allowed to wear their own clothes while on remand.

Speaking to Change Radio, Abel Runga described Mhlanga’s treatment as selective justice. He argued that Mhlanga should not be treated as a convicted prisoner, especially given what he called the state’s weak case. Runga further criticized the arrest as an infringement on constitutional rights, citing Section 61 (freedom of expression), Section 62 (right to access information), and Section 141 (public participation in law-making).

In response to Mhlanga’s detention, media personality Toneo has proposed a media blackout. He stated that if Mhlanga is denied bail, his media house will halt news publication for 14 days.

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