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Writes Elvis Dumba
Kariba – A worrying trend of the involvement of young children has been noticed in the current political landscape as politicians solicit votes in the forthcoming harmonized elections.
The media has been urged to be ethical and sensitive to children in covering election stories.
The sentiments came out during the Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) training workshop on political reporting held recently in Kariba.
Presenting a paper on “Responsible Media Reportage, social media platforms, and ethical considerations in reporting elections”, Terrence Antonio, a media expert with Harare Polytechnic, urged journalists to be ethical when children are involved.
“We have noticed the presence of children in some political activities such as rallies. As the media, we need to be ethical in doing our work so as not to expose the identity of these innocent children who usually will not even understand what will be going on,” he said.
Pictures of innocent children in political party regalia have been circulated on various media platforms with some politicians using children during their political engagements as a form of entertainment.
During the same event, Senior Assistant Police Commissioner, Paul Nyathi, revealed that the police received a total of 2 663 notifications on holding political rallies, public gatherings, and other political gatherings with 2 369 of these being approved.
Assistant Commissioner Nyathi said whilst both acts of the Maintenance of Public Order Act and Electoral Act are silent on door-to-door and night political campaigns, he urged political parties to exercise caution against elements that may lead to violence.
“Whilst there is nothing much said on night rallies or political door-to-door campaigns, political parties need to be cautious. For example, how safe will be your supporters in the dark, and how would you know the response of the people you are visiting who might be belonging to a rival group when doing door-to-door campaigns?” he said.
Zimbabwe Media Commission Deputy Chairperson Commissioner, Jasper Maphosa, urged journalists to carry out their duties in a professional way by rising above personal interests in political reporting. He urged the media to promote the creation of a peaceful election environment.
Commissioner Maphosa said Zimbabwe Media Commission is committed to promoting a conducive environment for the media to carry out their roles in promoting the free flow of information.