On 29 September 2017 journalists Mugove Tafirenyika and Brighton Goko, who work for the
privately owned Daily News, sustained serious injuries after being assaulted by the police
while covering demonstrations in Harare’s central business district.
Other cases involve the manhandling of NewsDay senior reporter Richard Chidza by ruling
Zanu PF youths who shoved and slapped him at the end of a press conference in Harare on
19 October 2017 demanding that he reveals the source of a story regarding an alleged
fallout within the youth league’s leadership ranks.
The previous year on 1 September 2016, freelance photojournalist Crispen Ndlovu, was
admitted at a private hospital in Bulawayo after he was reportedly assaulted and arrested by
members of the anti-riot police on 31 August 2016.
According to media reports, Ndlovu was arrested while taking pictures of the police as they
allegedly assaulted Alfred Dzirutwe, spokesperson of the Bulawayo Youths Arise during
protests against then President Mugabe’s leadership and rising unemployment.
Meanwhile, MISA Zimbabwe looks forward to working with the police and other security
arms of the state to secure a safe media environment ahead of the 2018 elections following
yet another meeting with the police in December 2017.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police and representatives of media organisations led by MISA
Zimbabwe Trustee, Cris Chinaka, on 20 December 2017, met in Harare and agreed on a raft
of actions to secure a safe and conducive working environment for journalists.
The police delegation was led by Police Spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity
Charamba.
In attendance during the meeting brokered by MISA Zimbabwe as a follow–up to the one
held in September 2016, was Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ), Secretary General Foster
Dongozi, Media Alliance of Zimbabwe (MAZ), Co-ordinator Nigel Nyamutumbu, MISA
Zimbabwe Programmes Co-ordinator Nyasha Nyakunu and freelance journalist, Godwin
Mangudya.
The proposed resolutions and action plans are aimed at improving the professional working
relationship between the media and the police through agreed work plans and timeframes
for ease of monitoring of progress.

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