August On 15 August, police resumed their onslaught against journalists by devoting two days to interrogate Jan Raath, a veteran foreign correspondent for The Times, a British newspaper over the publication of a story alleging that the government had orchestrated a (secret) deal to export uranium raw materials to Iran for the manufacture of nuclear weapons. Detective Chief Inspector Run’anga led the interrogation in which the police expressed concern over what they claimed to be “publication or communication of false statements prejudicial to the State.” On Thursday 15 August, the veteran journalist returned to Harare Central Police Station’s Law and Order Section, where he appended his signature to an affidavit detailing his contribution to the newspaper article after interrogations, which lasted for an hour. July On 28 July, Morgen Komichi, the outgoing Deputy Minister of Transport, Communication and Infrastructure Development was arrested and charged with committing fraud in contravention of Section 136 of the Criminal Law or alternatively for allegedly destroying or opening a pack of ballot papers without authority in contravention of Section 85 of the Electoral Act [Chapter 2:13]. Komichi was sentenced to a wholly suspended 18-month jail term after a full trial before Harare provincial magistrate Tendai Mahwe. Prosecutors alleged that Komichi approached the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) on 25 July and handed the elections management body an envelope containing a stray ballot paper cast in his MDC-T party’s favour by Constable Mugove Chiginya stationed at the Zimbabwe Republic Police General Headquarters’ transport administration section to support his party’s claims that ZEC rigged the Special Voting process in Zanu PF’s favour. However, the prosecutors charged that the State proved through examining Chiginya’s fingers using an Ultra Violet light detector that the police officer had failed to cast his vote during the chaotic Special Voting process conducted on 14 and 15 July, contrary to Komichi’s testimony to ZEC. Komichi spent a 100 days in remand prison from the time of his arrest on 28 July. Mahwe reduced the sentence by 8 months on the condition that he wouldn’t commit a similar offence in the next 5 years. He further suspended the balance of the sentence on the condition that the senator performed 350 hours of community service at Mabelreign Clinic in Harare. However, on the 23 November 2013, the State decided that they would appeal against Komichi’s community service sentence, which they viewed as ‘lenient’ demanding a custodial sentence instead. More than thirty Zimbabweans, mostly MDC supporters were arrested, detained and charged for pulling down President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF party’s political campaign posters in contravention of the country’s electoral laws. Authorities in Mashonaland Central province appeared to be enforcing the clampdown on dissent as the mining town recorded the highest number of Zimbabweans charged with committing electoral transgressions. The following incidents were recorded: On 8 July, Nqobani Ngwenya and Charles Ncube, MDC-T party activists were arrested in Victoria Falls, Matabeleland North Province for wearing MDC T T-shirts. However, they were released without a formal charge being levelled against them. The police indicated that they were conducting further investigations and would summon the two activists if need be. On 16 July, Memory Nyambuya, MDC-N member stood trial after she was arrested and charged with contravening Section 152 (1) of the Electoral Act in that she allegedly removed a Zanu PF campaign poster bearing the picture of Innocent Benza, an aspiring parliamentary candidate representing the former ruling party in Mutasa Central constituency on 16 July at Mutasa District Community grounds. On 25 July Godfrey Munyama, an MDC member and the party’s aspiring parliamentary candidate for Mutasa South constituency stood trial after he was arrested on Saturday 20 July for allegedly breaching Section 152 (1) of the Electoral Act. Prosecutors alleged that Munyama unlawfully and intentionally defaced a poster displayed by Irene Zindi a ZANU PF aspiring parliamentary candidate 7