[Marxism] Zimbabwe media

[Louis Proyect <lnp3@xxxxxxxxx>]

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk/viewinfo.cfm?id=3943
Gift Phiri tortured

HARARE - Chief reporter for The Zimbabwean, Gift Phiri, was tortured 
for three hours on Sunday afternoon at Harare Central police station, 
according to our lawyer Rangu Nyamurundira who was eventually given 
access to him on Monday afternoon.

"When I saw him, Gift could not sit down as he had been very badly 
beaten on his back and his buttocks. He told me four policemen, 
including the chief superintendent of the law and order section, had 
tortured him for hours.  One of them pinned him to the floor with his 
boot, while the others beat him with an assortment of baseball bat, 
metal handle and a police baton. He was also slapped on the face 
several times."

Soon after arrest, Phiri was accused of throwing petrol bombs at 
police stations and houses of Zanu (PF) supporters. But he has been 
charged for practising as a journalist without accreditation. He had 
not yet been taken to court at the time of going to press.
His application for accreditation has been with the Media and 
Information Commission for some time but no response has been 
received.  Most journalists operating in Zimbabwe are in the same position.

Nyamurundira said Phiri had been charged and made to sign a warned 
and cautioned statement before gaining access to his lawyer.  We 
understand he might appear in court tomorrow.

"Our worst fears have been realised," said Phiri's editor, Wilf 
Mbanga.  "The Mugabe regime has reached new heights of despicably 
barbaric behaviour in the past few weeks.  The failure of SADC 
leaders publicly to reign Mugabe in has undoubtedly emboldened him to 
give his thuggish militia, now employed by the police and army, the 
courage to abduct and torture Zimbabwean civilians with impunity. It 
seems that obtaining any sort of medical attention is out of the 
question," Mbanga said.

In January 2006, Phiri was waylaid on his way home and heavily 
assaulted by suspected state security agents using knuckle-dusters.

He is the fourth journalist to be assaulted by police in as many 
weeks, following savage attacks on Luke Tamborinyoka, Tsvangirai 
Mukwazhi and Tendai Musiyazviriyo.

The trio was brutally beaten by police while covering a prayer 
meeting by civic groups and MDC members opposition MDC in Highfield 
on March 11.Tamborinyoka was recently beaten and tortured, again in 
police custody. He is recovering at a private hospital in the city. -

MISA/Own correspondent

===

http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=304111&area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__africa/#
Independent Zim journalist murdered
Harare, Zimbabwe        
07 April 2007 07:54

Zimbabwe police said on Friday they have opened a murder 
investigation into the death of an independent journalist, and 
lawyers acting for another reporter arrested under sweeping media 
laws said he was assaulted and tortured in custody.

Police spokesperson Wayne Bvudzijena said the body of Edward 
Chikombo, a former cameraman at the government-run Zimbabwe 
television, the sole TV station, was found on March 31, dumped in the 
Darwindale district, about 30km north-west of his home in the Harare 
township of Glen View. He had been missing since March 29.

There were indications Chikombo was assaulted and died from injuries, 
state radio quoted Bvudzijena as saying. No further details were given.

No confirmation was available on reports that Chikombo, who left the 
state broadcaster in 2002, had sold footage of last month's political 
unrest to foreign media organisations, including images of the 
injuries of assaulted opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai and other 
pro-democracy activists.

A second independent journalist, Gift Phiri, was freed on bail on 
Thursday after nearly a week in custody, suffered a broken finger and 
other injuries in police assaults and "torture", said Rangu 
Nyamurundu, his lawyer.

Phiri was hospitalised for further medical examinations after his 
release. He was charged under media laws for allegedly writing 
"falsehoods" and working as a journalist without a government licence 
for the British-based newspaper the Zimbabwean and an online news 
service run by Zimbabwean exiles.

The alleged offences carry a penalty of a fine or up to two years in 
jail. Phiri is scheduled to go to trial on April 25.

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