Mangudya told local media that he was assaulted by members of the ruling ZANU – PF militants and members of the CIO “despite identifying himself and producing his constitutionally-accredited Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) press card”. He was detained for one hour and footage on his phone was deleted. Mundai sustained injuries on his back and arm. These assaults come against a backdrop of increased aggressions by political parties against media workers in Zimbabwe.
The Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) said “Violence and harassment of journalists must stop”.
IFJ Secretary General, Anthony Bellanger, said: “ We strongly condemn this act of intimidation against a journalist who was simplydoing his job in the public interest. We call on the government to ensure the safety of all media workers on duty. Freedom of expression and media freedom are fundamental rights guaranteed by the Zimbabwean Constitution and other international instruments such as the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights which Zimbabwe have also signed and ratified”.