admin
to perpetrate violence as the country gears for harmonised elections due by July 31.
The warning comes in the wake of the assault of two journalists by MDC-T supporters in Harare and Bulawayo last week.
Police have attributed the violence visited on the journalists to reckless statements made by MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai who recently threatened journalists who do not toe his party line with unspecified action.
“You cannot have a newspaper with six articles saying Tsvangirai this and Tsvangirai that. Every day! Regai vakadaro.
‘‘But musi umwe gava richadambura musungo (one day all hell will break loose). That kind of a media has no future in a democratic Zimbabwe.
“I want to tell you this. Muchadya izvozvo (You will reap what you sow),” said Mr Tsvangirai who was addressing delegates at his party’s policy conference last month’’ Mr Tsvangirai said during the launch of his party’s policy conference in Harare on May 19.
He had earlier also told his supporters in Chiredzi that his battle was no longer with Zanu-PF, but with The Herald, which he accused of writing damning articles about him.
Related Stories…
In an interview with Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation last night, Zimbabwe Republic Police chief spokesperson, Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba expressed concern over utterances by some MDC-T leaders describing their speeches as incitement which caused their supporters to assault journalists.
“Of interest is the case of a Zimbabwe Independent journalist who was assaulted by MDC-T activists at Harvest House who decided not to report to the police instead chose to take it up with the MDC leadership.
“We are concerned that some political leaders issue out statements which are violent in nature. As police we will do our mandate but the political parties must also play their party in curbing violence,” said Senior Assistant Commissioner Charamba.
Herbert Moyo, a journalist with the Zimbabwe Independent, was severely assaulted last Friday by MDC-T security personnel at Harvest House, the party’s headquarters, while covering a demonstration by MDC-T activists from Sunningdale.
The attack on Moyo came barely 24 hours after MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai’s aides manhandled Chronicle senior reporter Mashudu Netsianda before confiscating his notebook and deleting recordings from his mobile phone.
Netsianda was attacked while covering a meeting between Mr Tsvangirai and the Bulawayo business community.
Online Reporter