Mathuthu denies fleeing Zimbabwe
The editor of the state owned Chronicle newspaper Mduduzi Mathuthu has scoffed at online reports that he has fled Zimbabwe in the wake of a government crackdown on people suspected to be behind the Facebook page Baba Jukwa.
The UK based Zimbabwe Mail on Thursday ran the headline “Baba Jukwa Family under siege: Mduduzi Mathuthu flees Zimbabwe” but Mathuthu the founding editor of the New Zimbabwe website however clarified his recent visit to the UK.
“Truth is I’m on my annual leave and have exercised my right as a free citizen to visit England. My leave ends Aug 4 and I return to work 3/3,” he posted on the social networking site Facebook on Thursday.
Information Minister Jonathan Moyo, who appointed Mathuthu, was on Thursday questioned by police over the case in which Sunday Mail editor Edmund Kudzayi (also appointed by Moyo) and his brother Phillip are accused of running the Baba Jukwa page and plotting to topple the Mugabe regime.
Police sources close to the investigations confirmed Moyo’s questioning and said the minister went to the Police General Headquarters in the morning to assist with the ongoing investigations. The meeting was held in the presence of senior police officers, but by Thursday night it was still not clear what transpired.
On Wednesday, detectives from the CID Law and Order Section went to Prof Moyo’s offices where they left summons, ordering him to report at PGHQ at around 8am.
Police sources said this comes after the Officer Commanding CID Law and Order Section Assistant Commissioner Crispen Makedenge on Wednesday ordered one Chief Supt Nsingo to summon the minister over the case.
