BLESSED MHLANGA CLOCKS 50 DAYS IN JAIL

It has now been 50 days since Zimbabwean journalist Blessed Mhlanga was sent to jail. He is still locked up in Harare Remand Prison. This is one of the worst prisons in Zimbabwe. The prison is dirty, overcrowded, and has little food. It smells bad. There are many sick people in the cells. People do not get proper care. It is a very hard place to live, even for one day.

Blessed Mhlanga is not a criminal. He is a journalist. His job is to write news and tell people what is happening. But the government does not like what he writes. So they put him in jail. He is being punished for doing his job. He is not yet on trial. He has not been found guilty. But he has been in jail for 50 days. He has asked for bail many times, but the court says no. They keep him in jail without trial. This is not fair.

In Zimbabwe, this kind of thing happens a lot. Journalists are treated like criminals. If they write something the government does not like, they are arrested. Sometimes they are beaten or locked up. This makes it hard for people to know what is really going on in the country. The government wants to hide the truth. They do not want the people to know about the problems in the country.

Zimbabwe has many problems. The economy is very bad. There is not enough food. People do not have jobs. Many people are poor. Life is hard. The hospitals are broken. Schools do not have books or teachers. The roads are full of potholes. There is no clean water in many places. Power cuts happen almost every day. People are tired and angry. But if you speak out, you can be arrested, just like Blessed Mhlanga.

The government of Zimbabwe has been in power since 1980. That is more than 40 years. It is led by Zanu PF. This party does not want to lose power. It uses the police and the army to stay in control. They do not allow people to protest. They do not allow fair elections. Many people are scared to speak. They are scared of being arrested or killed.

Blessed Mhlanga’s story is one of many. But his case shows us clearly that press freedom in Zimbabwe is under attack. Journalists are important in any country. They help us understand what is happening. They ask leaders hard questions. They tell the truth. If journalists are not free, then the people are also not free. We cannot build a better country if the truth is not allowed.

Keeping Blessed Mhlanga in jail for 50 days without a fair trial is wrong. It breaks the law. Every person should have a right to defend themselves. Every person should be innocent until proven guilty. But in Zimbabwe, the courts are often used to punish people who speak out. This is not justice. It is abuse of power.

We must speak up for Blessed Mhlanga. We must speak up for all journalists who are being attacked. A country without free media is a country without hope. Zimbabwe needs brave voices. Blessed Mhlanga is one of those brave voices. We must not forget him. We must keep calling for his freedom.

It has been 50 long days in a terrible prison. That is 50 days too many. Blessed Mhlanga must be freed now. Let journalists do their work. Let the people hear the truth. Only then can Zimbabwe move forward.