THE Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) on Monday condemned recent attacks on journalists by supporters of the MDC-T and Zanu PF.
ZUJ warned that journalists would become “more vulnerable” as a referendum on a new constitution and elections draw near.
The union said it was “deeply concerned” by an incident in which the MDC-T’s national spokesman Nelson Chamisa “verbally abused” a journalist during a press conference.
Nkosana Dlamini, the Zimbabwe correspondent for the SABC, attracted Chamisa’s ire at a press conference addressed by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai at the party’s Harvest House HQ last month.
According to ZUJ, Chamisa “accused Comrade Dlamini of ‘bringing Zanu PF propaganda to Harvest House’ after he had asked Prime Minister Tsvangirai a question.”
Dlamini has written to ZUJ and the MDC saying he felt “harassed” by Chamisa, who is also the Minister for Information Communication Technology.
ZUJ secretary general Foster Dongozi said a few days after Chamisa’s outburst, Xolisani Ncube, a journalist from The Daily News, was attacked by MDC supporters outside Harvest House and had his camera stolen.
In an unrelated incident, ZUJ said Priviledge Musvanhiri, a freelance journalist, was beaten up and had his equipment stolen by Zanu PF supporters in Harare.
“Musvanhiri was punched and had his recorder stolen by Zanu PF supporters while Comrade Clarkson Mambo of New Ziana was man-handled by the same Zanu PF supporters,” Dongozi said.
“The Union is concerned about the safety of our members when senior party officials appear to incite their supporters against journalists.
“We strongly condemn the attacks against journalists and demand that the MDC-T leadership should guarantee the safety of journalists at their press conferences and their forth coming congress.
“We call on the Zanu PF leadership to warn its supporters to desist from attacking journalists. Equally, we demand that Zanu PF should guarantee the safety and protection of journalists while on assignment at their functions or anywhere else.”