A South Africa-based journalist and a student have been questioned over their links to anonymous Facebook blog group ‘Baba Jukwa’, which gained notoriety for exposing Zanu PF secrets in the run-up to last year’s elections.
The Zimbabwean journalist, Mxolisi Ncube, who handed himself at the Zimbabwe Embassy in South Africa at the weekend, is being quizzed via telephone by Chief Superintendent Christopher Makedenge, the investigating officer in the case.
Police chief spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba confirmed University of Zimbabwe student Romeo Musemburi’s arrest on Monday (June 30) for posting on Baba Jukwa that he wanted guns to fight in the street. Musemburi handed himself in, accompanied by his lawyer, Tonderai Bhatasara and signed a ‘warned and cautioned statement’.
“He was arrested for making a statement and posting it to the Gmail account of Baba Jukwa saying give us guns and we will hit the streets and fight for democracy,” Bhatasara said, adding that this was “a statement the police said was likely to disturb peace, convenience of the public section thereof.” Musemburi, who denied the charge, is a second year student of Economics at the University of Zimbabwe.
Ncube, who is officially on South African asylum, said police had offered to provide him a flight ticket to Harare, but said he was reluctant to take up the offer for security reasons.
Other people wanted in connection with the anonymous blogger include Zimbabwean journalist Wilf Mbanga and his wife Trish, a system and software engineer based in the United Kingdom (UK) Walter Shoko, a computer programmer based in the UK, Samson Chifamba, a Zimbabwean based in UK, George Chirakasha, Anomie Drew, Piniel Nhokodi, and Sarudzai Florence.
To date, two people – The Sunday Mail editor Edmund Kudzayi and his brother Phillip – have been locked up over the issue.
