HARARE — A warrant of arrest has been issued for journalist Blessed Mhlanga after he failed to appear in court for his trial on charges of transmitting information allegedly intended to incite violence or cause damage to property.
Mhlanga travelled to Switzerland last month where he spoke at the Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy on February 17.
He missed his scheduled court appearance on Monday, with his lawyers saying he was absent due to a medical problem currently being assessed in South Africa.
Defence lawyers Doug Coltart and Chris Mhike presented a medical report to the court indicating that Mhlanga is in South Africa seeking treatment.
However, prosecutor Anesu Chirenje objected to the report, arguing that its authenticity needed to be verified.
Magistrate Sheunesu Matova subsequently issued a warrant of arrest for Mhlanga and postponed the matter to April 10, 2026.
The magistrate said that when Mhlanga appears in court, a default inquiry will be conducted to determine whether his absence was wilful or reasonably justified.
The outcome of the inquiry will determine whether the warrant is cancelled or if further conditions are imposed.
Mhlanga is facing charges of transmitting data messages allegedly intended to incite public violence following the broadcast by HStv of videos by the late war veteran Blessed Geza urging Zimbabweans to rise up and remove President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government over what he described as industrial-scale corruption.
At the Geneva Summit, Mhlanga accused the government of using the legal system to suppress dissent, describing the strategy as “lawfare.”
“This, ladies and gentlemen, is the new face of repression in Zimbabwe, laced with sophistication,” Mhlanga said in his presentation.
“In the past, it was naked violence on the streets, abductions, and forced disappearances. It is now violence committed through the legal system.”
He also spoke about his 75-day pre-trial detention in 2025 which left him questioning the independence of the courts.
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