Zimbabwe Expels BBC Correspondent Over Work Permit Irregularities

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) correspondent Joseph Winter has been deported by the Immigration Office of Zimbabwe following irregularities in acquiring an extension to his work permit, The Sunday Mail reported.

Winter was Saturday given 24 hours to leave the country.

The Department of Information and Publicity in the President's Office said Winter's application had been irregularly processed by an official in the then Ministry of Information, Posts and Telecommunication who had already been placed on retrenchment.

Winter confirmed that he had been asked to leave but denied that there were any irregularities in his application.

"I have been told to leave the country within 24 hours. They canceled my work permit, which was extended three weeks ago. I was told that the rules for accrediting foreign journalists had changed," said Winter, who has been the BBC correspondent for four years.

Minister of State of Information and Publicity of Zimbabwe Jonathan Moyo said Winter's deportation was merely an application of the rule of law.






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