By Tendai Chisiri
The Fourth Estate who are regarded equally important in public life as the three traditional “estates” of society, the aristoracracy, the church and the ordinary people are at the target of unfair discrimination in many communities.
The Sunday Mail Sports Reporter Langton Nyakwenda was on Sunday brutalised after being mistaken to be the journalist who had carried a video interview.
In a statement Sports Writers Association of Zimbabwe (SWAZ), Executive Chairman Godwill Zunidza castigated the unruly behaviour of the perpetrators.
“The Sunday Mail Sports Reporter Langton Nyakwenda
was kidnapped by a group of men at Zengeza 2 Shopping Centre in Chitungwiza on Sunday.
The unfortunate cowboy-style kidnapping ordeal he endured was in connection with some video interview which he was not part of.
The Sportswriters Association of Zimbabwe (SWAZ) condemns in the strongest terms such flagrant abuse of human rights and uttermost disrespect of Press Freedom which is guaranteed and enshrined in the national constitution.
Every licenced journalist is free to practice within the confines of the law in Zimbabwe and any aggrieved parties should follow the laid-down legal proceedures for redress, instead of taking the law into their own hands as what happened on 21 February 2021.
What makes Nyakwenda’s abduction more appaling is that he was not even involved in the production that so agitated the gangsters leading to them committing a serious crime that they will live to regret.
According to Nyakwenda:
“The gang abducted me for almost three hours beating me up and threatening to burn my house with petrol bombs demanding that I admit I was part of the said video.”
To prove the gang was probably nothing more than criminal thugs on a robbing mission, Nyakwenda had this to add:
“They extorted $US20 which I had on me and also confiscated and destroyed my phone which was later recovered after police intervention.”
The matter is currently being handled by the Zimbabwe Republic Police, St Mary’s station under RRB 4581328.
SWAZ appeals to the law enforcers to leave no stone unturned in pursuing these violent outlaws and also urges Police to bolster Nyakwenda’s security until the kidnappers are brought to book”, read SWAZ statement.
In a separate incident, our writer was arrested whilst covering a story of Mukuru Money Transfer Agency’s closure at Machipisa Shopping Centre by police during the early stages of the Covid-19 lockdown in January.
After interviewing the agency attendant on the absence of people since the service was essential, police pounced on this writer and was held in custody at Machipisa Police Station.After managing to call Police Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi who inteverned and told them a journalist cannot be arrested for loitering if he is licensed this writer was set free.
In as much journalists are opinion leaders in the society, they do not have to be victimised when there is err on the side.
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