{"id":298744,"date":"2017-03-03T16:52:33","date_gmt":"2017-03-03T16:52:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=298744"},"modified":"2017-03-03T16:52:33","modified_gmt":"2017-03-03T16:52:33","slug":"zimbabwean-journalists-arrested-over-mugabe-health-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2017\/03\/zimbabwean-journalists-arrested-over-mugabe-health-report\/","title":{"rendered":"Zimbabwean journalists arrested over Mugabe health report"},"content":{"rendered":"
Two Zimbabwean journalists were arrested Friday over a newspaper report that described President Robert Mugabe as “in bad shape” when he flew to Singapore for what officials called a scheduled medical check-up.<\/p>\n
Editor of independent newspaper NewsDay Wisdom Mudzungairi and journalist Richard Chidza were released ahead of a court appearance on Saturday.<\/p>\n
The front-page story said that Mugabe, 93, had “sneaked out of the country” this week, and quoted an unnamed source saying “it’s a tricky health situation”.<\/p>\n
The report, headlined “Mugabe in fresh health scare”, said that first lady Grace Mugabe had flown to Dubai to organise the charter flight.<\/p>\n
“They have been arrested and charged with undermining and insulting the office of the president,” said their lawyer Obey Shava before their release.<\/p>\n
He said their arrest was “in relation to the paper’s lead story”.<\/p>\n
Mugabe’s trip to Singapore, shortly after his lavish 93rd birthday party, was announced by his press spokesman on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The president is expected to return early next week.<\/p>\n
Mugabe’s health has been subject of increased speculation in recent years, and he regularly flies to Singapore for medical attention.<\/p>\n
Despite his advanced age, Mugabe’s ruling ZANU-PF party last year endorsed him as its candidate for the 2018 general elections.<\/p>\n
In recent speeches, he has paused for lengthy periods and mumbled at times.<\/p>\n
–<\/p>\n
Source: AFP<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Two Zimbabwean journalists were arrested Friday over a newspaper report that described President Robert Mugabe as “in bad shape” when he flew to Singapore for what officials called a scheduled medical check-up. Editor of independent newspaper NewsDay Wisdom Mudzungairi and journalist Richard Chidza were released ahead of a court appearance on Saturday. The front-page story […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[107],"tags":[562,563],"yoast_head":"\n