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The Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) is disturbed by recent arrests of journalists in Zimbabwe and has condemned such acts.
The condemnation comes after 10 journalists were arrested and detained at Harare Central Police station after the law enforcers picked them up while covering a Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) stakeholders meeting at the commission’s Harare provincial offices at 1030hrs on the 30th of September 2021.
In a statement yesterday, ZUJ said actions by police were disgusting and highlighted that it hinders the media practitioners from freely executing their duties of informing the nation.
“ZUJ finds such police actions highly unacceptable and clearly designed at foiling the 10 journalists’ coverage of the ZEC proceedings and thus stifling the truth, which is fundamental to national development.
“As frontline workers, journalists are already overburdened with other numerous operating challenges in the country without some overzealous police details adding on to them,” the statement reads.
The arrested journalists include Thomas Madhuku, Nyashadzashe Ndoro, Leopold Munhende, Marshall Bwanya, Gaddaffi Wells, Adrian Maratu, Tongai Mwenje, Tinashe Muringayi, and Robert Tapfumaneyi. They are from different local media houses in the country. The journalists were released two hours later (around 1230hrs after the intervention of media lawyer Chris Mhike and the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights.
No charges were laid against the journalists.