MISA-Zimbabwe Media Alert
27 July 2016
Daily News journalist Mugove Tafirenyika was on 27 July 2016 reportedly assaulted by Zanu PF supporters while covering a meeting at the party’s headquarters in Harare.
Stanley Gama, editor of the Daily News confirmed the incident and said they were still getting the finer details of what had exactly transpired.
The meeting attended by the party’s supporters had been convened in solidarity with President Robert Mugabe’s leadership following a communiqué issued last week by the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association attacking the Zanu PF leader.
MISA-Zimbabwe position
MISA-Zimbabwe urges Zanu PF to thoroughly investigate the incident and bring the culprits to book. The authorities should act on these cases involving the unlawful assaults of journalists conducting their lawful professional duties.
To allow these wanton acts of lawlessness to continue unpunished puts the lives of journalists at great risk and is a serious breach of the journalists’ right to media freedom and citizens’ right to access to information.
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