(MISA/IFEX) – A “Daily News” crew, comprising features editor Nyasha Nyakunu, photographer Tsvangirai Mukwazhi and their driver, Shadreck Muchecheni, were detained for two hours by Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) youths outside Harare on 7 April 2000. The youths, armed with iron bars, knobkerries and golf clubs, threatened to kill the “Daily News” crew […]
(MISA/IFEX) – A “Daily News” crew, comprising features editor Nyasha Nyakunu, photographer Tsvangirai Mukwazhi and their driver, Shadreck Muchecheni, were detained for two hours by Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) youths outside Harare on 7 April 2000. The youths, armed with iron bars, knobkerries and golf clubs, threatened to kill the “Daily News” crew for allegedly supporting the opposition Movement for Democratic Change and sympathising with white commercial farmers (see IFEX alerts of 24, 10 and 6 March 2000).
The youths confiscated the journalists’ two cameras, national identity cards and their government-issued press cards. The news crew was forced to march to a farmhouse, where the youth leaders took turns questioning them on their motives for being in the area.
The news crew team was set free by the timely arrival of war veterans’ leaders who had come to the farm to address the invaders. The war veterans’ leaders denounced “The Daily News” for being against veterans and ordered the news crew to depart immediately. Their equipment was not handed back.
It was reported in “The Daily News” and the “Zimbabwe Independent” that the police refused to open a docket on the confiscated cameras, national identity cards and press cards.
