JOURNALISM IS NOT TERRORISM: BLESSED MHLANGA’S BAIL IS NOT JUSTICE

Zimbabwe under Emmerson Mnangagwa has become a country where truth is punished and fear is used to control people. The recent bail given to journalist Blessed Mhlanga is not a sign that the government is changing for the better. It is just a small, forced action from a regime that wants to keep people quiet.

Mhlanga was arrested on 24 February 2025 and was kept in prison for 72 days. His crime? Doing his job. He interviewed Blessed Geza, a member of ZANU PF and war veteran, who spoke strongly against Mnangagwa. Geza accused the president of corruption and breaking the law. He even said Mnangagwa must resign. Mhlanga gave him a platform. That’s what good journalists do. But in Zimbabwe today, that is now called a crime.

Instead of being treated like a professional doing his work, Mhlanga was charged with “inciting violence” and investigated by the Counter-Terrorism Unit. This is shocking. The government now acts like journalists are terrorists. This is a very dangerous message. It means that anyone who speaks the truth or gives others a chance to speak the truth can be treated like a criminal.

Mhlanga’s case is just one of many. In Zimbabwe, journalists are beaten, followed, arrested, and threatened. The courts are supposed to give justice, but they are now seen as tools of the government. When Mhlanga was finally given bail on 6 May 2025, the judge said it was because of “changed circumstances”. But nothing really changed. The evidence and the situation were clear from the start. So why did it take so long?

Many people believe the courts were just following orders from powerful people. This is not how justice is supposed to work. A court should be fair and free. But now, many Zimbabweans see the courts as part of the problem.

The timing of Mhlanga’s bail — just three days after World Press Freedom Day — is also strange. It looks like the government wanted to look good to the world. But we must not be fooled. The charges are still there. The pain Mhlanga went through is still real. And other journalists are still in danger.

In a normal country, getting bail is not something to celebrate. It is a basic right. But in Zimbabwe, even simple rights are only given to those who do not speak against the system. If you speak out, you are punished. If you tell the truth, you are called a liar or worse — a threat to peace.

The same government that once used journalists to stay in the spotlight has now turned against them. In 2017, when Mnangagwa was fighting Mugabe, it was the press that gave him a voice. Now that he is in power, he wants to silence that voice.

Laws in Zimbabwe are being used to hurt, not help. The government hides behind big words like “peace” and “security”, but in truth, it is afraid of free people with free voices. It is afraid of questions. It is afraid of the truth.

We must not forget that Mhlanga is not free. He is only out on bail. He still faces charges. And that is wrong. Speaking the truth is not a crime. Interviewing someone is not terrorism. Journalism is not the enemy. It is a service to the people.

We must keep fighting. The battle is not over. The goal is not just bail. The goal is full freedom. The goal is justice. Until all charges are dropped and journalists can do their work without fear, Zimbabwe will remain in darkness.

This is not yet Uhuru. We must not stop.