(MISA/IFEX) – On 6 April 1999, photographer Mduduzi Mngomezulu, who works for the “Times of Swaziland”, was beaten up by police in Manzini while trying to take photos of a march by civil servants. Mngomezulu’s camera was broken in the process, but his newspaper was able to salvage the photos he had taken before the […]
(MISA/IFEX) – On 6 April 1999, photographer Mduduzi Mngomezulu, who
works
for the “Times of Swaziland”, was beaten up by police in Manzini while
trying to take photos of a march by civil servants. Mngomezulu’s
camera was
broken in the process, but his newspaper was able to salvage the
photos he
had taken before the camera was destroyed.
Several marchers were also beaten up and detained by the police. The
“Times”
news editor, Vusie Ginindza, told MISA that Mngomezulu had identified
himself as a journalist to the police, and in fact had ridden in the
police
van shortly before the clashes with the demonstrators. After the
incident,
Mngomezulu complained to a senior police official in Manzini. A
spokesperson
for the police later promised that the matter would be investigated.
Mngomezulu and his paper have not pressed charges against the police
yet,
although they are considering this option.
