(MISA/IFEX) – “The Daily News” reporter Pedzisai Ruhanya was barred from covering the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) party’s Harare provincial elections as war veterans accused the daily paper of being “an enemy of war veterans and the party,” “The Daily News” reported on 2 April 2001. Two people who identified themselves as […]
(MISA/IFEX) – “The Daily News” reporter Pedzisai Ruhanya was barred from covering the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) party’s Harare provincial elections as war veterans accused the daily paper of being “an enemy of war veterans and the party,” “The Daily News” reported on 2 April 2001.
Two people who identified themselves as war veterans confiscated Ruhanya’s press card and threatened him with death if he wrote a story on the election. The reporter was manhandled and accused of trespassing. “Why did you come here when you know that ‘The Daily News’ is an enemy of ZANU-PF?” one of them said. “You want to spy on behalf of the MDC and the NCA,” said the men.
The reporter was taken to a basement of the building where, for about ten minutes, they demanded to know his political affiliation and jotted down his address. By the afternoon of 3 April, Ruhanya’s press card had not yet been returned.
