News / National
Arrest of journalist: why we need security sector reforms: MDC-N YOUTH
16 Nov 2011 at 11:34hrs | Views
THE youth wing of the Movement for Democratic Change led Professor Welshman Ncube has castigated police for arresting two senior Standard Newspaper scribes.
The youths said the arrest of the Standard Newspaper Nevanji Madanhire and reporter Nqaba Matshazi, on charges of criminal defamation and theft of documents from Green Card Medical Aid Society in Harare was "unlawful, arbitrary and a subversion of the latter and spirit of the Global Political Agreement (GPA)," singed by Zanu PF and the two MDC formations.
In a press statement the spokesperson of the MDC Bulawayo province, Khumbulani Malinga said:
"As a Party we believe that this is a calculated ploy by the ZANU PF regime and its numerous agents to gag the media and stifle its freedom.
"As an Assembly our sincere belief is that the public in Zimbabwe and around the world has the right to know what is happening around them even in the depths of Medical Aid Societies for the Public is a stakeholder too.
"It is thus intolerable that journalists and media workers are prevented to work and when they expose the truth they are faced with a massive arbitrary and unwarranted arrest from the influence of the powers that be," he said.
Malinga added that his party was adding its voice to the for a Free Media and conducive operating environment for the media practitioners free liberated from infringement by the State.
"The need for the Reformation of the Security Sector is now urgent than ever. When the uniformed forces allow themselves to be agents of anti-media reforms, the Public loses trust in them
"We call upon the Government of National Unity to fully to guarantee the safe and fair treatment and subsequent release of the Journalists for indeed they are Innocent and should be allowed to continue with their noble work of informing the public," he said.
The two journalists went to court in the morning with their lawyer Linda Cook and they were advised to return after lunch.
It is hoped that by now they have appeared in court for the initial remand in terms of the law and have made a bail application or an application for discharge since the state case is glaringly weak, if not there.
The youths said the arrest of the Standard Newspaper Nevanji Madanhire and reporter Nqaba Matshazi, on charges of criminal defamation and theft of documents from Green Card Medical Aid Society in Harare was "unlawful, arbitrary and a subversion of the latter and spirit of the Global Political Agreement (GPA)," singed by Zanu PF and the two MDC formations.
In a press statement the spokesperson of the MDC Bulawayo province, Khumbulani Malinga said:
"As a Party we believe that this is a calculated ploy by the ZANU PF regime and its numerous agents to gag the media and stifle its freedom.
"As an Assembly our sincere belief is that the public in Zimbabwe and around the world has the right to know what is happening around them even in the depths of Medical Aid Societies for the Public is a stakeholder too.
Malinga added that his party was adding its voice to the for a Free Media and conducive operating environment for the media practitioners free liberated from infringement by the State.
"The need for the Reformation of the Security Sector is now urgent than ever. When the uniformed forces allow themselves to be agents of anti-media reforms, the Public loses trust in them
"We call upon the Government of National Unity to fully to guarantee the safe and fair treatment and subsequent release of the Journalists for indeed they are Innocent and should be allowed to continue with their noble work of informing the public," he said.
The two journalists went to court in the morning with their lawyer Linda Cook and they were advised to return after lunch.
It is hoped that by now they have appeared in court for the initial remand in terms of the law and have made a bail application or an application for discharge since the state case is glaringly weak, if not there.
Source - Byo24News
