Armed men claiming to be police raided the home of Daily News editor Guthrie Munyuki in Harare on Friday, following a newspaper advert error that mistakenly suggested President Emmerson Mnangagwa was dead.
The raid occurred after The Financial Gazette, a sister publication of the Daily News, published an advertisement from the Zimbabwe Defence Forces congratulating Mnangagwa on his 82nd birthday. The advert erroneously concluded with the phrase “May his soul rest in eternal peace.”
Armed men searched Munyuki’s home and temporarily seized family members’ phones. The editor was not present during the raid. The Daily News has since published an apology, blaming “lapses in the production process.” Lawyer Alex Muchadehama is seeking clarity from the police on the situation.
The incident comes days after a military helicopter, due to transport President Mnangagwa, crashed in Masvingo. Sources suggest the events have heightened paranoia among the president’s aides, potentially affecting his plans to attend the UN General Assembly in New York.
The raid raises concerns about press freedom and the reaction of authorities to what appears to be an inadvertent publishing error.
