Monday, May 15, 2006

Daily Mirror legal battle intensifies

HARARE – Dr. Ibbo Mandaza, former the chief executive officer of the Zimbabwe Mirror Newspapers Group (ZMNG), has filed a High Court application for the company’s directors to be found in contempt of court, charging they have defied a court order to reinstate him.

The ZMNG newspapers, publishers of the Daily Mirror and the Sunday Mirror, have lost their independent voice and generally sound like other state-run newspapers since being taken over by the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) last year.

In December, Judge Bharet Patel ordered that Mandaza be reinstated as Editor-in-Chief and CEO. But the publishing group slapped Mandaza with a fresh suspension letter outside the court.
In his application to court, Mandaza says directors Jonathan Kadzura, John Marangwanda, Charm Makuwane, Alexander Kanengoni and Thomas Meke, should be imprisoned “until such a time that they comply with the order of this honourable court”.

“There can be no question that all the respondents disobeyed a lawful order of this court. I understand that in law, this proves their wilful disobedience and inherent mala fides,” he added, MISA-Zimbabwe reported.- Own Correspondent

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