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The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi shocked all and sundry after he told media stakeholders that they have not received reports of journalists harassments by members of his team.
The event was held at a time the United Nation set aside the second of November as an International Day to End Impunity for Crime against journalists and media stakeholders.
Addressing media stakeholders at the Media Alliance of Zimbabwe Annual Stakeholders Conference on Monday in Harare, Assistant Commissioner Nyathi dismissed reports of known and reported cases of journalists who have fallen victim of police harassment.
“We have not received clear reports about journalists being harassed by police, we just heard rumours through social media,” Nyathi shockingly said.
Adding that victims of such cases are free to report to police for further investigations.
“Journalists should feel free to report for any harassment or assaults for us as the law enforcer to do some investigations,” he added.
Assistant Nyathi has however admitted that there are some rogue elements within the police and that is not in the government’s policy to harass journalists while performing their duty.
However, a number of journalists have been recorded being assaulted by police officers and some were imprisoned including freelance journalist James Jemwa, senior journalist Godwin Mangudya and Thomas Madhuku of 263Chat.
Investigative journalist Hopewell Chin’ono spent more than forty days in prison for allegedly inciting public violence ahead of the July 31 demonstration.
In another recent incident, journalists who were covering a press conference called by Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) president Takudzwa Ngadziore were also attacked and their equipment were destroyed by suspected state security agents in Harare.
Meanwhile, the permanent secretary for the Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and Publicity, Hon Nick Mangwana who was also part of the event officials said that journalists should be professional in their duties whenever approached by law enforcement agents.
“…if journalists are professional in their responses they will not be assaulted or harassed,” said Hon Mangwana.
He however condemned the harassment of journalist by some rogue elements in the republic police and assure to take measures to hunt those officers.
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