Members of the riot police on 3 August 2016 assaulted freelance journalists Lawrence Chimunhu, Christopher Mahove and Tendai Musiya as they covered demonstrations against the Zimbabwe government’s plans to introduce bond notes in the wake of the deteriorating socio-economic environment.
Source: Police assault journalists – The Zimbabwean 03.08.2016
Chimunhu sustained bruises on his right elbow following the assault by the police. The police reportedly continued assaulting the journalists despite being shown accreditation cards issued by the Zimbabwe Media Commission.
The police also confiscated Mahove’s recorder.
MISA-Zimbabwe position
The safety and security of journalists is now at great risk in Zimbabwe as evidenced by the increasing number of cases involving the assault of journalists while conducting their lawful professional duties.
MISA-Zimbabwe notes with great concern that the assault of the three journalists comes barely a week after the assault of Mugove Tafirenyika, a journalist with the Daily News, by Zanu PF supporters while covering a meeting at the party’s headquarters in Harare.
It is indeed worrying that the police as custodians of the law should themselves be on the forefront of these wanton unlawful assaults of journalists whose work and right to cover and report events as they unfold is protected by the Constitution.
MISA-Zimbabwe reiterates its calls for these cases to be thoroughly investigated and bring the perpetrators to book.
COMMENTS
LET US ALL TAKE COURAGE, ANDHOPE, FROM THESE LAST KICKS FROM A DYING, BUT EVIL, H0RSE!!!
Stop wasting your time MISA. The simple and only answer is for the police to get the message that ONE CIVILIAN INJURED – ONE POLICEMAN WILL SUFFER IN RETURN. A simple language universally understood.
A CALL TO THE POLICE, ZRP! For goodness sake men you are putting yourselves in an extremely precarious position and do not for one minute consider that when things change abruptly you are not going to have to answer for your cruelty and torture of the people of Zimbabwe. Many of you have faces on the internet and are known well by you adversaries , so tread wearily gentlemen because it will, not may, it WILL come back to bite you. If one of you cops reads this do pass it on to your “comrades” as they need to know! People of Zimbabwe have no respect for the ZRP any more and you are the enemy of the people, so be very very careful.
An emphatic YES! Long ago there was a call to keep a record of incidents… date, time, circumstances and description of each incident, witnesses, and of course, the names of those causing intimidation or injury. The days of reckoning are coming when sanity will again rule, when the judgments in courts will be depoliticized and unbiased, and those who terrorize are brought to justice. I recommend an ear be taken from each of the guilty, so that when they are finally released, they will ever after carry the shame of what they did in the name of evil.
Zvimapurisa zva Mugabe chenjerai uku muri kurarama nekutengesa sadza pama office moti pay chaiyo hamupiwi vanhu vanotobatsirawo imimi, ne kuita ma demonstrations imi zve movarova. Makafa pfungwa zvamuchose. Mugabe apera bASA hapana kwaacha svika he is finished, ndozvakaita Kamuzu Banda pama zuva ake ekupedzisira exactly saizvozvi, ndicho chakamupa mishonga yese iyi, nokuti akange asingabvi kuna Banda iye Banda ava kutoda kubva pachigaro. CHENJERAI MAPURISA muri vanhu imi vazhinji tinoto kuzivai chaizvo Munozovepi kana kuguma kwasvika. Sori ya sori!!!!
I think judgement day is coming.. Come elections we won’t vote ❎4 you.. Ok you will force yourselves into power again no this time around no rigging.. We will get zimbabwean people… Pressure groups.oppositions..churches to stick together and sign a massive partition with over 5 million signatures..to asky the United nation to run our elections…not just to monitor but run them for us.this is justified since zanu pf has a history of rigging elections.. Zimbabweans muriko ere the time is running out..no sadcc no they are as corrupt…united nations did that in zimbabwe when mugabe short to power why not now.. Ian Smith did not refuse to let united nation run our elections why not mugabe
Vamawarire .
Its sad day for democracy