The Zimbabwe High Court on Tuesday granted bail to journalist Blessed Mhlanga, who was arrested over two months prior.
His arrest on February 24 followed his interview with a former ruling party figure, Blessed Geza, who had called for President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s resignation.
Rights and media organizations strongly criticized Mhlanga’s detention, raising concerns about increasing authoritarianism in Zimbabwe.
Justice Gibson Mandaza, who had previously denied Mhlanga bail in March, ruled to grant it with a $500 bond, stating the court had “misdirected itself” and that circumstances had changed.
Previous court rulings had argued that Mhlanga’s interview with Geza, a veteran of Zimbabwe’s independence struggle, would “incite violence” and that releasing the journalist would “put the nation in unrest.”
Geza, known as “Bombshell,” was expelled from the ruling Zanu-PF party and has become a prominent voice against attempts to extend Mnangagwa’s power beyond his term in 2028.
In widely shared videos, dressed in military attire, Geza repeatedly urged demonstrations and a national shutdown against Mnangagwa and his “corrupt cabals.”
However, a planned protest on March 31 saw low turnout amidst a significant police presence, with nearly 100 arrests made.