Musengi's unknown circumstances came to light after he failed to return
home after normal working hours on 31 March 2009 prompting his wife to
check with colleagues as to whether they knew of his whereabouts. He
was last seen by his colleagues in Gweru late on Tuesday afternoon
after attending a meeting they held to plan for the May 3 World Press
Freedom Day commemorations.
MISA-Zimbabwe has since engaged Tonderai Chitere, a member of the Media
Lawyers Network who said they had checked, but to no avail, all the
police stations and hospitals in Gweru including a visit to the Central
Intelligence Organisation's (CIO) offices in the Midlands town. Chitere
said concern over Musengi's whereabouts come on the backdrop of alleged
reports he received from unidentified persons on 26 March 2009 at a
local hotel over reports of fresh invasions of commercial farms.
Chitere said they had since made a report to the police law and order
section in Gweru following their fruitless search for Musengi. The
police said they were going to conduct their own investigations and
that we should not hesitate to contact them if we get any leads on his
whereabouts, said Chitere.
He said the police had advised them to file a formal missing persons
report on 2 April 2009 if Musengi is not found within the lapsing of
the stipulated 48 hours from the time he went missing on 31 March 2009.
MISA-Zimbabwe position
MISA-Zimbabwe is gravely concerned with Musengi's safety and security
as this comes on the backdrop of the abduction of Zimbabwe Peace
Project director and former Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation
television news anchor Jestina Mukoko and freelance photojournalist
Shadreck Manyere in December last year.
Mukoko and Manyere were allegedly tortured by their abductors when they
went missing on 3 December and 13 December 2008 respectively as their
whereabouts remained unknown until their appearance in court on 24
December 2008 together with alleged Movement for Democratic Change
(MDC) activists on alleged charges of banditry.
MISA-Zimbabwe strongly appeals to the authorities and law enforcement
agencies to do everything within their power and means to ensure that
they find Musengi and in particular issue stern warnings that the
abductions, threats and harassment of journalists conducting their
lawful professional duties will be met with the full wrath of the law.
Journalists will only be assured of their safety and security once the
government and law enforcement agencies assert their authority
impartially by getting to the bottom of these unlawful actions against
journalists as this will act in sending a strong and deterrent message
to would-be other perpetrators.
MISA-Zimbabwe further commends journalists in Gweru for immediately
rallying behind their colleague through their swift response and
continuing efforts to ascertain his whereabouts.
MISA
Post published in: News