Newspaper staff to face trial over ‘defamation’

Nevanji Madanhire

By Alex Bell
15 December 2011

Staff from The Standard Newspaper will face trial for criminal defamation, after a Harare magistrate dismissed their attempt to have the matter referred to the Supreme Court.

Standard Editor Nevanji Madanhire, and former Standard reporter Patience Nyangove, are being jointly charged with Alpha Media Holdings group human resources Manager, Loud Ramakgapola.

The ‘defamation’ charges stem from an article published in late June this year, titled: “MDC-T fears for missing Timba”.

The story was based on an MDC-T statement, which said that the party feared for the life of its Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Jameson Timba, after he was arrested for allegedly calling Robert Mugabe a liar.

The three have been trying to get the case referred to the Supreme Court for intervention, arguing that the charges infringe on their constitutional rights. This is based on Section 24 (2) of the constitution which dictates that, as members of the press, they can disseminate information “without fear or favour.”

But Harare provincial magistrate Kudakwashe Jarabini on Wednesday dismissed the application and said the matter should proceed to trial. He remanded the case to January 24th next year.