Zimbabwe Republic Police {ZRP}has gave journalists a positive assurance that they are free to exercise their professional duties across all sectors in the country without any obstructions whether be it from the police or members of the public.
Police and government officials yesterday said journalism was not a crime whilst insisting that media practitioners were free to carry out their duties freely without fear of arrest or harassment.
This was said by National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi during the International Day to End Impunity on Crimes against Journalists commemorations organised by the Gender Media Connect in Harare.
“It is correct that journalism is not a crime and as Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), we truly recognise that. I want to assure you that as journalists do their job, we will certainly recognise and respect their role as the Fourth Estate,” Nyathi said.
“As I said earlier, the media also helps police to do their work. We have a fight against armed robbers in the country, and we want to applaud the media for their coverage.”
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe Union of Journalist {ZUJ} yesterday also said they were going to push government to enact laws which protects journalist from police “harassment” when they will be performing their duties.
“The Zimbabwe Union of Journalists, ZUJ joins the rest of the world in making the international Day to end Impunity for crimes against journalists.
“These commemorations comes against continued operating challenges faced by journalists in the country especially in the unprecedented Covid-19 predicament.
“Journalist covering the coronavirus not only battled with the risk of contagion, they also faced numerous obstructions.
“It is in this light that ZUJ is bound to agree with suggestions by the survey respondents that part of the solution to end this impunity for crimes against journalists may lie with the enactment of “stiff” penalties to “punish” police officers and other members of the public who harass journalists,” he said.
The International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists is a United Nations-recognised international day observed annually on November 2.
The day seeks to draw attention to the level of impunity for crimes against journalists.
Yesterday’s commemorations were graced by European Union head of political section, Lourdes Chamoro, who said impunity on crimes against journalists was unacceptable.
