News / National
Zimbabwean newshouse raided, laptop, hard drives stolen
27 Apr 2011 at 07:17hrs | Views
The Zimbabwean reports that unknown criminals broke into the offices of Newsday in Harare on 25 April 2011 and stole the editor's laptop, hard drives and other components from computers used by senior editorial staff.
The laptop belonged to editor Brian Mangwende who writes a hard-hitting column under the title: From the Editor's Bottom Drawer. Mangwende said the raid was a serious blow on press freedom coming as it did a few days before World Press Freedom Day commemorations on 3 May 2011. "We will not be deterred by these criminals who are not merely targeting the property of Newsday, but freedom of the media. "
Alpha Media Holdings (AMH) chief executive officer Raphael Khumalo said the break-in and theft was aimed at creating a negative psychological effect on the papers' staffers. AMH are the publishers of Newsday, Zimbabwe Independent and Standard newspapers. He, however, commended the swift response from the police after they reported the break-in and theft.
MISA-Zimbabwe position
MISA-Zimbabwe urges the police to be thorough in their investigations and bring the culprits to book thus sending a strong message to would-be other criminals of similar intent that Zimbabwe is more than ready to defend press freedom.
This incident should be given the seriousness it deserves and should not linger unresolved considering the deafening silence on what became of the investigations into the bombings of The Daily News offices and printing press in 2000 and 2001 respectively. No one has been arrested for the Daily News bombings since then.
The laptop belonged to editor Brian Mangwende who writes a hard-hitting column under the title: From the Editor's Bottom Drawer. Mangwende said the raid was a serious blow on press freedom coming as it did a few days before World Press Freedom Day commemorations on 3 May 2011. "We will not be deterred by these criminals who are not merely targeting the property of Newsday, but freedom of the media. "
Alpha Media Holdings (AMH) chief executive officer Raphael Khumalo said the break-in and theft was aimed at creating a negative psychological effect on the papers' staffers. AMH are the publishers of Newsday, Zimbabwe Independent and Standard newspapers. He, however, commended the swift response from the police after they reported the break-in and theft.
MISA-Zimbabwe position
MISA-Zimbabwe urges the police to be thorough in their investigations and bring the culprits to book thus sending a strong message to would-be other criminals of similar intent that Zimbabwe is more than ready to defend press freedom.
This incident should be given the seriousness it deserves and should not linger unresolved considering the deafening silence on what became of the investigations into the bombings of The Daily News offices and printing press in 2000 and 2001 respectively. No one has been arrested for the Daily News bombings since then.
Source - Zimbabwean
