serious head injuries on October 25 after being assaulted by four men alleged to be soldiers from the Zimbabwe National Army. The reason for this assault has been reported as being that the men accused Sikwila of wearing army replica pants without authorisation. The incident occurred in the Midlands city of Gweru. It is reported that Sikwila was bundled into a car by four men who drove off at a high speed towards the mining town of Shurugwi. The four men, who it is alleged claimed to be soldiers, later threw Sikwila out of the moving vehicle resulting in him sustaining serious head injuries. • ALERT Date: October 30, 2008 Person/institutions: Makomborero Mutimukulu Violation/issue: Beaten A sports reporter with the state owned weekly, The Sunday Mail, Makomborero Mutimukulu, was on October 26 assaulted by three bouncers soon after a CBZ FA Cup quarter-final match between Dynamos FC and Gunners FC. Mutimukulu said the bouncers accused him of “writing nonsense” as they assaulted him. Mutimukulu has professed ignorance as to what they meant in their accusations and added that up to now he does not know which story could have infuriated the bouncers. • ALERT Date: November 3, 2008 Person: Phillip Warington Taylor Violation/issue: Detained/charged A British journalist, Phillip Warington Taylor, was on October 30 arrested by members of the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) at Harare International Airport on allegations of practicing journalism in Zimbabwe without accreditation. He was arrested aboard an aeroplane, which was about to take off, after he had spent 30 days in Zimbabwe. Taylor, who is being represented by Lawyer Harrison Nkomo, denied the charges, saying he was only a visitor and never practiced journalism during his stay in Zimbabwe. He was granted Z$150,000 bail and ordered to surrender his travel documents. • ALERT Date: November 10, 2008 Person: Harrison Nkomo Violation/issue: Threatened MISA Zimbabwe received reports of the Police’s intention to arrest human rights lawyer, Harrison Nkomo, who was representing Phillip Warington Taylor, a British journalist who skipped bail. Taylor was expected in court on November 5 but failed to turn up after informing Nkomo through a text message that he had already left the country. Nkomo later told Harare Magistrate Catherine Chimanda that Taylor had already left the country and was in South Africa. It was reported that the Police wanted to charge Nkomo with defeating the course of justice under Section 184 subsection 1 paragraph A of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act. The Police officers from the law and order section reportedly visited Nkomo’s offices in Harare looking for the lawyer who was reported out of town. • ALERT Date: December 4, 2008 Person: Jestina Mukoko and Shadrack Manyere Violation/issue: Other (missing, abducted) The Media Alliance of Zimbabwe (MAZ) released a statement expressing its shock and concern over the alleged abduction of veteran broadcaster and Zimbabwe Peace Project Director, Jestina Mukoko, from her home in Norton on December 3, 2008. The veteran broadcaster’s So This Is Democracy? 2008 -150- Media Institute of Southern Africa