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Dr Mushohwe

Felex Share Senior Reporter
Government will continue liaising with law enforcement agencies to ensure maximum safety for journalists on duty, Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Christopher Mushohwe said yesterday. Media organisations have also been urged to ensure their staff wear attire that easily identifies them while on duty. Dr Mushohwe took a swipe at opposition political parties that were fomenting chaos in the country using specious defences.

The comments come after MDC-T youths and social media domiciled Tajamuka tried to incite illegal forex and cash dealers to demonstrate against laws gazetted by Government last week. The regulations criminalise cash vending. The opposition elements stoned and looted shops in Harare while a Zanu-PF vehicle was damaged.

Daily News journalists Mugove Tafirenyika and Brighton Goko were injured in the protest. Said Dr Mushohwe: “Of particular concern is the injury suffered by journalists caught up in the ensuing melee. The law protects journalists who should be allowed to pursue their vocation unhindered and without fear or risk of bodily harm or injury.

“In the meantime, Government urges all media houses in the country to ensure that their staff members are clad in attire that makes for easy of identification of journalists on duty. Indeed this requirement came from the media industry itself, although it is still to be implemented. On its part, the Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services continues to liaise with law-enforcement agencies to ensure maximum safety for journalists on duty and of course to cultivate a healthy relationship between media personnel and law and order officers dealing with riotous situations that threaten the peace. My ministry wishes the affected journalists a speedy recovery.”

Dr Mushohwe said it was sad that opposition elements were demonstrating using baseless excuses.

“Government is gravely concerned with instances of violent protest perpetrated by opposition-affiliated organisations using spurious excuses. While the law of the land allows public expression of dissent the same law frowns at public violence and the disturbance of peace and tranquillity in the country. The responsibility of ensuring that authorised demonstrations are within the confines of the law rests with those responsible for sponsoring them in their first place,” he said.

“In any event the demonstrations must be well-founded, something quite hard to understand in respect of the mayhem that was unleashed last week on society by opposition elements. About two days before, Government had announced a raft of measures meant to comprehensively address the unwarranted price hikes and panic-buying triggered by reckless communication on the social media. Still that did not stop these merchants of violence, clearly showing a premeditated plan to disturb the peace in the country.”

The regulations gazetted empower police to arrest money peddlers and seize whatever currency involved. The dealers are now conducting their business covertly, either in vehicles or areas where there are less chances of being spotted by the police.