Tatenda Chitagu, a Newsday correspondent based in Masvingo was on 5 December 2010 reportedly harassed by ZANU PF youths at the instigation of senior party members at an inter-district meeting held at Masvingo Polytechnic College.
Senior party members are alleged to have instructed the youths to chuck Chitagu out of the meeting. Among senior party members who attended the meeting were party chairman, Simon Khaya Moyo, Higher and Tertiary Education Minister Stan Mudenge, Josiah Hungwe and Lovemore Matuke.
Surprisingly the Minister of Media, Information and Publicity Webster Shamu who is also ZANU PF Political Commissar was also in attendance but did not come to Chitagus aide. On his way to town Chitagu was reportedly approached by two unidentified men who confiscated his notebooks. At the moment I am so disturbed with what happened, said Chitagu.
Addressing the meeting, the Zanu PF chairman reportedly accused the private media of exaggerating issues particularly those pertaining to the countrys security. He vowed that this could not be allowed to continue.
Background
There has been an increase in the number of cases involving the harassment and arrests of journalists particularly those from the private media. On 17 November police arrested Standard reporter, Nqobani Ndlovu and charged him in terms was of Section 31 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act which deals with publishing false statements prejudicial to the state. He was released from Khami remand prison on bail after spending nine days in custody.
On 30 November 2010 police arrested his editor Nevanji Madanhire detained him over night and charged him with the same offence arising from a story written by Ndlovu on the postponement of police promotional examinations.
Zimbabwean journalists and representative media organisations on 26 November 2010 petitioned Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and other relevant authorities expressing concern with the increase in the number of cases involving arrests and harassment of journalists.
Post published in: Politics