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Home 9 Media Violation 9 Provision of trial date for journalist Madzikatidze deferred 

Provision of trial date for journalist Madzikatidze deferred 

25 Mar, 2026

What happened

The Magistrates’ Court in Harare on 24 March 2026 postponed the case of detained journalist Gideon Madzikatidze, employed by Bulawayo24, to 9 April 2026 for the scheduling of a trial date.

The State informed the court, before Magistrate Ruth Moyo, that the docket was not yet complete as they planned to record an additional witness statement, and they successfully applied for a postponement.

Initially, Madzikatidze was remanded to 24 March 2026 for the provision of a trial date when he appeared in court on 17 March 2026 for routine remand.

background

Madzikatidze is  facing two charges:

  • Contravening Section 7 (1) as read with subsection 4 (b) of the Broadcasting Services Act [Chapter 12:06] (providing a broadcasting service without a licence).
  • Cyberbullying as defined in Section 164B of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act [Chapter 9:23].
MISA's position

About MISA

The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) was founded in 1992. Its work focuses on promoting, and advocating for, the unhindered enjoyment of freedom of expression, access to information and a free, independent, diverse and pluralistic media.

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Those affected:
Journalist Gideon Madzikatidze
Number affected:
1
Perpetrators:
Zimbabwe Republic Police
Types of actors:
State, Quasi-state
Location:
Harare