News / Local
Journalists arrested outside Parliament
14 Apr 2016 at 08:40hrs | Views
Journalists Winstone Antonio, Sherpherd Tozvireva and Itai Zengenya were on 13 April 2016 arrested outside the Parliament of Zimbabwe together with playwright and actor Sylvanos Mudzvova.
According to the Media Institute of Southern Africa media alert Mudzvova had planned to stage a one-man play titled: Bring Back the $15 billion. Although details of the arrest are still scanty, the actor is on record inviting parliamentarians to come and watch his play which he would also later stage at the Chinese Embassy and Mbada diamond company in Harare.
His play follows President Robert Mugabe's statement that $15 billion in diamonds revenue had gone missing from mining activities in the Marange district of Manicaland Province.
ZUJ Secretary General Foster Dongozi condemned the arrests, describing them as attacks against Press Freedom, Freedom of Expression, Access to Information and the rights of workers.
"Once again we have to deal with a bungling establishment that thinks there is everything wrong with journalists covering a theatre production by a single individual outside Parliament Buildings. We strongly condemn the wayward and heavy handed response by the authorities. We urge responsible ministries to groom and school their officials on how to conduct themselves in the presence of of journalists," said Dongozi.
He added: "As members of the Fourth Estate, journalists should be accorded treatment in line with their status of holding other arms of government accountable. They should not be treated like common criminals who steal national resources to the detriment of ordinary people."
According to the Media Institute of Southern Africa media alert Mudzvova had planned to stage a one-man play titled: Bring Back the $15 billion. Although details of the arrest are still scanty, the actor is on record inviting parliamentarians to come and watch his play which he would also later stage at the Chinese Embassy and Mbada diamond company in Harare.
His play follows President Robert Mugabe's statement that $15 billion in diamonds revenue had gone missing from mining activities in the Marange district of Manicaland Province.
ZUJ Secretary General Foster Dongozi condemned the arrests, describing them as attacks against Press Freedom, Freedom of Expression, Access to Information and the rights of workers.
"Once again we have to deal with a bungling establishment that thinks there is everything wrong with journalists covering a theatre production by a single individual outside Parliament Buildings. We strongly condemn the wayward and heavy handed response by the authorities. We urge responsible ministries to groom and school their officials on how to conduct themselves in the presence of of journalists," said Dongozi.
He added: "As members of the Fourth Estate, journalists should be accorded treatment in line with their status of holding other arms of government accountable. They should not be treated like common criminals who steal national resources to the detriment of ordinary people."
Source - Byo24News
