A
masked
journalist
is
seen
in
London
on
April
7,
2020.
As
journalists
face
the
challenges
of
covering
COVID-19,
CPJ
and
other
organizations
are
working
to
assess
the
global
impact.
(AP/Kirsty
Wigglesworth)
Around
2
p.m.
on
September
11,
in
Chinhoyi,
a
city
about
72
miles
(116
kilometers)
northwest
of
the
capital
of
Harare,
a
CCC
security
agent
denied
Muchenje,
a
reporter
for
privately
owned
website
NewsHawks,
access
to
the
Gadzema
stadium
to
cover
a
rally
held
by
party
leader
Nelson
Chamisa,
according
to news reports,
statements
by
the
Zimbabwe
chapter
of
the
regional
press
freedom
group, Media
Institute
of
Southern
Africa
(MISA), the International
Federation
of
Journalists,
and
the
journalist,
who
spoke
to
CPJ
via
messaging
app.
Muchenje
told
CPJ
that
a
security
agent
outside
the
stadium
refused
to
allow
her
in
despite
her
producing
her
press
pass,
which
was
supposed
to
grant
access
to
the
event.
When
Muchenje
tried
to
move
past
and
enter
the
stadium,
the
agent
grabbed
and
pulled
her
hair,
and
threw
her
to
the
ground,
she
said.
A
second
agent
joined
after
Muchenje
fell
to
the
ground.
When
a
driver
for
another
journalist
sought
to
intervene,
the
agent
who
attacked
her
defended
his
actions,
saying
that
Muchenje
had
been
“disrespectful,”
the
journalist
said,
adding
that
CCC
supporters
watched
but
did
not
intervene
during
the
attack.
The
attack
lasted
several
minutes
before
the
agents
allowed
Muchenje
to
stand,
but
one
held
her
by
her
belt,
she
said.
She
was
released
when
Stanley
Gama,
a
former
editor
of
the
Daily
News
who
recognized
Muchenje,
intervened
and
persuaded
the
agents
to
let
her
go,
Gama tweeted and
told
CPJ
via
messaging
app.
“Zimbabwe’s
authorities
should
transparently
investigate
and
hold
accountable
the
security
personnel
responsible
for
attacking
journalist
Ruvimbo
Muchenje,”
said
Muthoki
Mumo,
CPJ’s
sub-Saharan
Africa
representative,
in
Nairobi.
“Journalists
should
not
be
unduly
denied
access
to
events
of
public
interest
and
are
too
often
harassed,
attacked,
or
arrested
simply
for
doing
their
job.”
Separately
on
the
same
day,
Voice
of
America
reporter
Nunurai
Jena
was
similarly
denied
entry
to
the
stadium
to
cover
the
rally
and
harassed
by
coalition
security
personnel,
according
to media reports.
Coalition
spokesperson
Fadzayi
Mahere
told
CPJ
over
the
phone
that
the
incidents
involving
the
journalists
at
the
stadium
were
“unfortunate”
and
the
party
had
apologized.
Muchenje
said
she
had
received
an
apology
via
messaging
app,
but
CPJ
could
not
confirm
whether
Jena
had
received
an
apology.
CPJ
tried
to
reach
Jena
via
messaging
apps
and
phone
calls
but
received
no
response.
Mahere
also
promised
to
ensure
the
safety
of
all
journalists
who
cover
the
coalition’s
rallies,
Mahere
and
a
Bulawayo24 report said.
Zimbabwe’s
information
minister,
Monica
Mutsvangwa,
condemned
the
incidents
in
a
statement,
saying
attacks
on
female
journalists
“border
on
gender-based
violence,”
according
to news reports and
a
copy
of
the statement posted
on
Twitter.
For
years,
there
have
been incidents of
repeated
harassment,
arrest,
and
detention
of
journalists
in
Zimbabwe,
including
in
March,
when
a
member
of
Chamisa’s
security
detail attacked
journalist
Courage
Dutiro for
photographing
a
party
member
at
a
rally.
Post
published
in:
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