Armed men, claiming to be law and order officers, raided the home of Daily News editor Guthrie Munyuki early on Friday after an error in an advert in the sister publication, The Financial Gazette, implied that President Emmerson Mnangagwa had died.
Although Munyuki was not at home during the raid, the gunmen temporarily confiscated phones from his wife and children, inspecting their communications, according to a Daily News executive familiar with the incident.
“Guthrie’s brother, who lives in the same Westgate neighborhood, was also awoken by nearly a dozen men arriving in a Toyota Fortuner and a Toyota Hilux. They were demanding to know where Guthrie was,” the executive said, speaking anonymously.
Munyuki’s wife, during her morning run, reported being followed by some of the men, while others stayed behind to guard their house.
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Lawyer Alex Muchadehama was scheduled to meet with the police on Friday to seek clarification on the situation.
The Financial Gazette had published an advert on Thursday from the Zimbabwe Defence Forces congratulating Mnangagwa on his 82nd birthday, but it mistakenly ended with the phrase: “May his soul rest in eternal peace.”
On Friday, the Daily News issued an apology, attributing the mistake to “lapses in the production process,” and apologizing to Mnangagwa, his family, government, and the ZDF for the distress caused.
Ad errors like this are not unusual in Zimbabwean newspapers, as advertising staff often reuse old templates for regular clients, only modifying certain parts of the text.
This incident occurred at a particularly sensitive time for the publication, following the crash of a military helicopter that was supposed to transport President Mnangagwa from Masvingo to Harare.
Sources indicated growing paranoia among Mnangagwa’s aides and supporters, with speculation that he might skip the United Nations General Assembly in New York due to heightened concerns.
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