(MISA/IFEX) – On 27 August 2001, armed war veterans and supporters of the ruling party, Zimbabwe African National Unity Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), attacked “Daily News” reporter Mduduzi Mathuthu. Mathuthu, who is based in Zimbabwe’s second largest city, Bulawayo, was beaten while covering a farmland dispute meeting between war veterans, ZANU-PF supporters and farm owner Peter […]
(MISA/IFEX) – On 27 August 2001, armed war veterans and supporters of the ruling party, Zimbabwe African National Unity Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), attacked “Daily News” reporter
Mduduzi Mathuthu.
Mathuthu, who is based in Zimbabwe’s second largest city, Bulawayo, was beaten while covering a farmland dispute meeting between war veterans, ZANU-PF supporters and farm owner Peter Goosen, at the property, 50 kilometres out of Bulawayo.
According to a 28 August report in the “Daily News”, the knobkerry wielding war veterans and ZANU-PF supporters attacked Mathuthu after recognising the reporter. They accused the reporter of writing stories that put the land redistribution in a bad light. Even though there were police details at the incident, the policemen just stood by when the veterans and ZANU-PF supporters attacked Mathuthu. Mathuthu sustained a cut above his left eye and he also complained of chest pains after the attack.
“On realising that I could be injured, I took to my heals. A man who was wielding an axe caught up with me and attacked me with the handle of the axe and clenched fists before the rest of the mob moved in,” said Mathuthu.
Government officials, who were attending the meeting, and commercial farmers formed a human shield around Mathuthu, enabling him to escape and jump in a waiting car. Mathuthu reported the matter to the police at Tice Hurst police station, 7 kilometres from the farm.
The war veterans and ZANU-PF supporters threatened to burn the “Daily News” vehicle that Mathuthu, photographer Grey Chitiga and driver Eldiwn Sibanda had used to get to the farm.
