News / Local
Journalist drags BCC to court over camera
20 Jan 2015 at 17:07hrs | Views
A Bulawayo journalist has dragged three Bulawayo municipal police to court for allegedly stealing his broadcasting camera and damaging his digital camera during a scuffle that ensued after the news practitioner was caught filming the latter as they illegally raided some vendors in the city.
Chris Tabvura, a freelance journalist, was reportedly manhandled by the council officers at corner Fort Street and 10th Avenue in Bulawayo.
The municipal officers, Russel Lunga of Magwegwe, Lovemore Ndlovu of Emganwini and Watson Moyo of Emaganwini were not asked to plead when they appeared before Magistrate Charity Maphosa at the Tredgold Magistrates' Courts yesterday.
They are facing charges of theft and malicious damage to property.
The matter was postponed to January 28 2015 for trial.
It is the state's case that on November 13 2014 at around 1730hrs, Tabvura was at Fort Street and 10th Avenue in Bulawayo carrying out his newsgathering duties when he came across the BCC officers arresting illegal vendors and confiscating their goods.
The raiding exercise reportedly created commotion, thereby making it a case of interest to the journalist who began to shoot photos using his digital camera. Tabvura was noticed by the three accused municipal officers who were not in uniform.
They approached the journalist and bundled him into their BCC truck which was parked nearby.
The officers allegedly snatched Tabvura's digital camera and threw it into the truck, thereby causing damage to the property.
They drove to ZRP Licences Inspectorate where they intended to charge the complainant. The trio allegedly confiscated Tabvura's cellphone, a Nokia Asher and his Kodak high definition broadcasting camera which they never returned. Tabvura later made a report to the police, leading to the arrest of the trio.
Chris Tabvura, a freelance journalist, was reportedly manhandled by the council officers at corner Fort Street and 10th Avenue in Bulawayo.
The municipal officers, Russel Lunga of Magwegwe, Lovemore Ndlovu of Emganwini and Watson Moyo of Emaganwini were not asked to plead when they appeared before Magistrate Charity Maphosa at the Tredgold Magistrates' Courts yesterday.
They are facing charges of theft and malicious damage to property.
The matter was postponed to January 28 2015 for trial.
It is the state's case that on November 13 2014 at around 1730hrs, Tabvura was at Fort Street and 10th Avenue in Bulawayo carrying out his newsgathering duties when he came across the BCC officers arresting illegal vendors and confiscating their goods.
The raiding exercise reportedly created commotion, thereby making it a case of interest to the journalist who began to shoot photos using his digital camera. Tabvura was noticed by the three accused municipal officers who were not in uniform.
They approached the journalist and bundled him into their BCC truck which was parked nearby.
The officers allegedly snatched Tabvura's digital camera and threw it into the truck, thereby causing damage to the property.
They drove to ZRP Licences Inspectorate where they intended to charge the complainant. The trio allegedly confiscated Tabvura's cellphone, a Nokia Asher and his Kodak high definition broadcasting camera which they never returned. Tabvura later made a report to the police, leading to the arrest of the trio.
Source - Zim Mail
