HARARE: An African media watchdog charged Monday that Zimbabwean police had assaulted a journalist and forced him to delete pictures of them enforcing a COVID-19 lockdown.
Freelance journalist Panashe Makufa "was beaten up by members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police" in Harare’s Kuwadzana township "while undertaking his professional duties," the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Zimbabwe office said.
Makufa told the media rights watchdog he was taking pictures on Sunday of police as they dispersed people to enforce a stay-at-home order. "Four police officers ordered Makufa to get into their truck where he was assaulted by two officers and forced to delete his pictures before he was dropped off," MISA said in a statement.
Police spokesman Paul Nyathi said they had received no formal report about the incident. "We don’t condone the assault of people going about the legitimate work but we have had incidents of people who commit offences and then say they were arrested while performing their duties," he told AFP.
"We are appealing to the journalist Makufa to come and make a formal report if indeed such an incident happened," he said.
Makufa’s assault came after the arrest last week of two other journalists in separate incidents. Police briefly detained freelance reporter Kudzanai Musengi in the central city of Gweru accusing him of working with an expired accreditation card, according to MISA.
In another case, the police arrested Voice of America (VOA) correspondent Nunurai Jena and charged him with disorderly conduct after he took pictures of police at a roadblock, the media watchdog said.
He appeared before a magistrate’s court and was released on bail. Zimbabwe began a three-week total lockdown a week ago. The southern African country says it has so far recorded nine COVID-19 cases, including one fatality.
Harvey Weinstein. — AFP FileNEW YORK: Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 conviction for sexual assault and rape was...
Liberal Justice Elena Kagan on Sept. 13, 2016. — Slate website WASHINGTON: U.S. Supreme Court justices, wading back...
A representational image of inmates behind jail bars. — Unsplash/FileMOSCOW: A Russian court on Wednesday ordered...
Sudanese soldiers guard the surrounding area of the UNMIS compound in El-Fasher, the administrative capital of North...
US quietly shipped ATACMS missiles to Ukraine. — Report news agencyWASHINGTON: The United States in recent weeks...
US President Joe Biden during his address in California. — AFP FileWASHINGTON: President Joe Biden signed a...