The 37-year-old Zimbabwean freelancer, arrested in May, is accused of having obtained for Christina Goldbaum and Joao Silva, journalists also working for the NYT, false accreditations for a week-long report.
He was released on bail last June, after three weeks in prison, while his two colleagues were deported to South Africa four days after their arrival.
The Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC), which accredits media, said the journalists had been denied permission to work in the country.
Several state witnesses, including ZMC officials, appeared in the trial which began last month.
An official at ZMC Academy Chinamhora said the duo had not obtained written approval from the Ministry of Information, as is usual practice.
But the defense disputed that argument, saying the ZMC, an autonomous body, can make independent decisions without government interference.
Defense lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa, known for her human rights work, asked the official whether there was a law requiring foreign journalists to seek government permission before obtaining an accreditation.
She claimed that if there had been an error in the accreditation of NYT reporters, it was an internal administrative matter that had nothing to do with her client, for whom she requested release.
The court will rule on March 7.
Zimbabwe has a long and fraught relationship with the foreign press.
In the early 2000s, the country introduced legislation prohibiting them from working in the country for long periods of time and requiring them to apply for accreditation for each assignment.
The law has since been repealed, but the regulations are still in effect.
© 2022 AFP