Staff Reporter
TheNewsHawks journalist, Ruvimbo Muchenje, who was assaulted by Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) security officials, has been coerced into silence by her employer, Harare Post has learnt.
A source at TheNewsHawks has revealed that Muchenje was directed to pardon CCC despite the assault and humiliation she went through at the hands of the party officials or face dismissal from her job. According to the source, Muchenje’s rights were sacrificed because CCC is the main client for the online publication.
“Muchenje was directed by our management to pardon CCC officers without conditions or face dismissal. She was sacrificed by management because they feared that any bad publicity from the publication would result in CCC taking their business elsewhere,” the source said.
Muchenje and Nunurai Jena were humiliated harassed and prevented from executing their duties as the Fourth Estate by CCC security as they tried to gain entrance into Gadzema stadium in Chinhoyi to cover a thank you rally on the 11th of September 2022.
Institutes like Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) have also attracted criticism from a journalist named as Martha who said that the institution’s approach to the matter was too lax in comparison to how they handle other political parties.
“There is selective use of criticism by MISA. The institute just gave paltry alert messages on their twitter handle and that was it. Had it been ZANU PF, a press conference was guaranteed. This should stop, we need to feel safe and protected by these institutions despite the perpetrator’s party,” said Martha.
According to a press release issued by Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Monica Mutsvangwa, Government is cognisant and disturbed by the increase in the number of harassments and assaults on reporters by CCC over the past few weeks.
Other stakeholders have also bemoaned the selective execution of criticism by the United States (US) Government saying their silence on CCC abuse of media and gender rights proves that they find human rights abuse by their surrogates acceptable.
