MISA Zimbabwe is concerned with the increase in cases involving attempts by government officials within the southern African region to curb legitimate media investigations.
This follows the recent detention and deportation from Malawi of Ntombizodwa Patience Makhoba, a City Press journalist.
On Monday 18 February 2019, Makhoba travelled from South Africa to Malawi to investigate a story involving a Malawian entrepreneur based in South Africa.
According to media reports from Malawi, police confiscated Makhobana’s mobile phone and detained her overnight at a Blantyre police station while awaiting the next available flight from Malawi to South Africa. Malawian immigration officials said Makhoba did not have the necessary documentation to carry out investigations in Malawi.
