(MISA/IFEX) – Journalist Savias Parker Kwinika, who writes for several state-owned newspapers, was allegedly assaulted by member youths of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) at a roadblock they were manning at a funeral for a fellow activist killed in a petrol bomb attack, the state-owned “Herald” newspaper reported. Kwinika, who is a stringer for […]
(MISA/IFEX) – Journalist Savias Parker Kwinika, who writes for several state-owned newspapers, was allegedly assaulted by member youths of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) at a roadblock they were manning at a funeral for a fellow activist killed in a petrol bomb attack, the state-owned “Herald” newspaper reported.
Kwinika, who is a stringer for the “Manica Post”, “The Chronicle” and “Masvingo Provincial Star”, was reportedly rushed to Masvingo General Hospital where he was treated for deep cuts sustained on his legs and neck. He has since been discharged from hospital but is still nursing his wounds at home. According to the “Herald”, Kwinika was attacked because he wrote for the state-owned media.
Meanwhile, commenting on the upsurge in attacks and violence directed at journalists, the secretary-general of the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists, Basildon Peta, has blamed the Zimbabwe police. Speaking to MISA-Zimbabwe, Peta said that repeated appeals had been made to the police to act on reports of violence but to no avail.
Earlier, Peta condemned the bomb attack on Trustee House, which houses the “The Daily News”, urging the police to bring the culprits to book. He highlighted the lack of seriousness on the part of the police in investigating death threats made to journalists in the past, saying the current state of affairs was due to police inaction (see IFEX alerts of 26 and 25 April 2000).
