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AFP
Harare
An African media watchdog charged Monday that Zimbabwean police had assaulted a journalist and forced him to delete pictures of them enforcing a COVID-19 lockdown.
Freelance journalist Panashe Makufa “was beaten up by members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police” in Harare’s Kuwadzana township “while undertaking his professional duties,” the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Zimbabwe office said.
Makufa told the media rights watchdog he was taking pictures Sunday of police as they dispersed people to enforce a stay-at-home order.
“Four police officers ordered Makufa to get into their truck where he was assaulted by two officers and forced to delete his pictures before he was dropped off,” MISA said in a statement. Police spokesman Paul Nyathi said they had received no formal report about the incident.
“We don’t condone the assault of people going about the legitimate work but we have had incidents of people who commit offences and then say they were arrested while performing their duties,” he told AFP.
Harare
An African media watchdog charged Monday that Zimbabwean police had assaulted a journalist and forced him to delete pictures of them enforcing a COVID-19 lockdown.
Freelance journalist Panashe Makufa “was beaten up by members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police” in Harare’s Kuwadzana township “while undertaking his professional duties,” the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Zimbabwe office said.
Makufa told the media rights watchdog he was taking pictures Sunday of police as they dispersed people to enforce a stay-at-home order.
“Four police officers ordered Makufa to get into their truck where he was assaulted by two officers and forced to delete his pictures before he was dropped off,” MISA said in a statement. Police spokesman Paul Nyathi said they had received no formal report about the incident.
“We don’t condone the assault of people going about the legitimate work but we have had incidents of people who commit offences and then say they were arrested while performing their duties,” he told AFP.
