News / National
'Grace Mugabe must stop attacking journalists in public'
23 Oct 2014 at 06:06hrs | Views
Local media organisations yesterday implored Grace to stop publicly attacking journalists as doing so would jeopardise their security.
Grace fired a salvo at journalists during her Marondera rally last week accusing them of taking bribes to write negative reports about the First Family.
The Media Institute of Southern Africa (Misa) Zimbabwe chapter chairperson Kumbirai Mafunda in a statement said: "Misa-Zimbabwe notes with very grave concern recent attacks and threats against the privately-owned media by Zanu-PF and government officials, including First Lady Grace Mugabe, which pose serious risk to the safety and security of journalists."
Mafunda said politicians and public officials "who wield immense power should exercise emotional restraint when addressing their excitable supporters.
"Journalists as is the case with any other citizen should instead feel safe when in the company of the First Lady or any other influential persons who have the constitutional obligation of ensuring their right to personal security," he said.
Zimbabwe National Editors' Forum (Zinef) chairman Brian Mangwende added politicians should not be ambiguous in their statements as this could result in all sorts of interpretations which could infuriate them.
"Singling out individual journalists and media organisations has the potential to endanger the safety of scribes especially in a volatile environment such as the one currently obtaining in Zimbabwe where intra and inter-party turmoil is rife," Mangwende said.
The Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) said it was irresponsible for the First Lady to single out private media journalists and label them appendages of the opposition.
"As ZUJ, we feel that labelling journalists as MDC supporters or attempting to fish them out in a politically charged environment such as a rally where there were earlier clashes compromises their safety and security," ZUJ said.
"The Union condemns any attempts by public officials, politicians or other powerful individuals or institutions to threaten, silence or endanger journalists for doing their work.
"We appeal to public officials to avoid actions or language which could result in journalists having their safety and protection compromised."
Grace fired a salvo at journalists during her Marondera rally last week accusing them of taking bribes to write negative reports about the First Family.
The Media Institute of Southern Africa (Misa) Zimbabwe chapter chairperson Kumbirai Mafunda in a statement said: "Misa-Zimbabwe notes with very grave concern recent attacks and threats against the privately-owned media by Zanu-PF and government officials, including First Lady Grace Mugabe, which pose serious risk to the safety and security of journalists."
Mafunda said politicians and public officials "who wield immense power should exercise emotional restraint when addressing their excitable supporters.
"Journalists as is the case with any other citizen should instead feel safe when in the company of the First Lady or any other influential persons who have the constitutional obligation of ensuring their right to personal security," he said.
"Singling out individual journalists and media organisations has the potential to endanger the safety of scribes especially in a volatile environment such as the one currently obtaining in Zimbabwe where intra and inter-party turmoil is rife," Mangwende said.
The Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) said it was irresponsible for the First Lady to single out private media journalists and label them appendages of the opposition.
"As ZUJ, we feel that labelling journalists as MDC supporters or attempting to fish them out in a politically charged environment such as a rally where there were earlier clashes compromises their safety and security," ZUJ said.
"The Union condemns any attempts by public officials, politicians or other powerful individuals or institutions to threaten, silence or endanger journalists for doing their work.
"We appeal to public officials to avoid actions or language which could result in journalists having their safety and protection compromised."
Source - newsday
