The three South African journalits working for British television channel SkyNews, who were jailed last month for six months after being found in possession of broadcasting equipment, have been deported.

This was after a Zimbabwean High Court judge, Mr Justice Maphios Cheda, substituted the prison terms with an option of fines.

The Zimbabwean principal immigration officer for the Matabeleland region, Mr Godfrey Kondo, said the trio was deported last week after paying fines as ordered by Mr Justice Cheda.

Bernet Hasani Sono (34), Resemate Boy Chauke (46) and Simon Maodi alias Musimani (38), all residents of Johannesburg, had pleaded guilty to contravening Section 33 (1) of the Postal and Telecommunications Act, Chapter 12.03 before Matabeleland provincial magistrate Mr John Masimba.

Sono and Musimani were given a further six weeks in jail for contravening a section of the Immigration Act.

When the matter was taken before Mr Justice Cheda for review, he altered the six-month jail terms to a fine of Z$50 billion or four months in prison.

Sono and Musimani had their six-week imprisonment terms substituted with a fine of Z$15 billion (or two months in prison).

The judge did not interfere with the forfeiture order made by Mr Masimba. The forfeiture was of the motor vehicle that the trio was travelling in and all the broadcasting equipment that they were trying to take to South Africa. The equipment included satellite transmission equipment and various other pieces of technical equipment needed for broadcasting.