Bail Reprieve for Fake News Peddler who said ED Extended Lockdown

A 36-year-old Zimbabwean man who recently grabbed news headlines after he was arrested and subsequently docked on allegations of peddling falsehoods about President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s lockdown extension has been granted bail.
The accused, Lovemore Zvokusekwa of Chitungwiza, who faces a 20-year-jail term if convicted, had already spent ten days after he allegedly doctored a false Mnangagwa statement titled: “EXTENSION OF LOCKDOWN PERIOD BY 13 DAYS ONLY”.
The High Court granted Zvokusekwa bail and he is being charged with “publishing or communicating false statements prejudicial to the state as defined in section 31 (a) (i) of the Criminal law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23.”
Before Zvokusekwa’s arrest, Mnangagwa had said the falsehood peddler must be jailed 20 years and set an example to would-be fake news peddlers.

Agencies