[1] In his homeland, Peta was persecuted and he fled for his life after receiving threats from the Robert Mugabe regime in 2001 and incurring a brief detainment in Harare before the April 2002 elections.
Since his exile in February 2002 to South Africa, Peta has reported for newspapers in the United Kingdom and New Zealand.
[3] Peta was the Secretary General of the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists and had contact with the government in its attempt to draft a new constitution, but the results were not favourable and the ZUJ planned to challenge them.
[3] Ahead elections in Zimbabwe in the next year, Peta was one of seven journalists on a hit list by Mugabe's Central Intelligence Organization.
"[16] His editor for the two papers Darlington Majonga left in 2011 to establish another English-language newspaper called the Free State Times with regional coverage.
[17] When Basildon Peta worked for Modus Publications and wrote for Financial Gazette, Christopher Mushowe, principal director in Robert Mugabe's office, attempted to sue him for implicating him in corruption.
Mushowe was a member Mugabe's party, Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front.