Guthrie Munyuki, the editor of the privately owned Daily News, is reportedly on the run following a raid on his Harare home by armed men claiming to be law enforcement agents.
This dramatic turn of events comes in the wake of a controversial error in a birthday advertisement for President Emmerson Mnangagwa, which mistakenly suggested he was deceased.
The raid occurred at dawn on Friday, targeting Munyuki’s home while he was absent.
According to online news agency ZimLive, the armed men temporarily seized the phones of Munyuki’s wife and children, scrutinising their communications for information about his whereabouts.
Munyuki’s wife reported being followed by some of the men when she left home on Friday morning.
The armed men’s presence in the neighbourhood has heightened fears for the family’s safety.
Daily News lawyer Alex Muchadehama was scheduled to meet with police on Friday in an effort to clarify the situation, according to an unidentified newspaper executive quoted by ZimLive.
The incident stems from an advertisement published by one of DailyNews’ titles, The Financial Gazette, on Thursday, placed by the Zimbabwe Defence Forces to congratulate Mnangagwa on his 82nd birthday.
The ad infamously concluded with the phrase, “May his soul rest in eternal peace,” leading to public outcry and accusations against the publication for the blunder.
In response to the backlash, the Daily News issued an apology, attributing the mistake to “lapses in the production process” and expressed regret for the “anguish and inconvenience” caused to Mnangagwa, his family and the government.
Errors in advertisements are common in Zimbabwean media as many are managed by advertising department staff who often rely on outdated templates, leaving editors unaware of the content before publication.
JN/APA