IPI calls on South Africa to ensure Zimbabwean government properly investigates journalist’s murder

Zimbabwe is an IPI Watch List Country

PRESS RELEASE

Vienna, 17 April 2007

IPI Calls on South Africa to Ensure Zimbabwean Government Properly
Investigates Journalist’s Murder

On 31 March, the body of Edward Chikombo, a part-time cameraman for the
Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC), was discovered close to the
village of Darwendale, outside the capital Harare.

Armed men had apparently taken Chikombo from his home in Glenview Township
on 29 March.

According to information provided to the International Press Institute
(IPI), the journalist may have been murdered because of his suspected
involvement in providing foreign news services with footage of opposition
members being attacked by the security services during recent strikes.

On 11 March, Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of the Movement for Democratic
Change (MDC), was badly beaten by the security forces. Pictures of his
injuries were later shown on the BBC and CNN.

In recent weeks, there have been rumours that the Zimbabwean government is
employing so-called “hit squads” to carry out abductions and beatings of
opposition members and their supporters.

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has also issued statements about the
right of the security services to attack people and these statements have
fuelled an aggressive and violent environment, particularly in Harare.

Chikombo’s murder was not the only serious press freedom violation to occur
recently. On 11 March, photojournalist Tsvangirai Mukwazhi was seriously
assaulted while in police custody, and Gift Phiri, chief reporter for The
Zimbabwean, was apparently tortured on 1 April.

Commenting on Zimbabwe, IPI Director, Johann P. Fritz said, “These brutal
attacks on journalists are a sign of the extraordinary lengths that the
government will go to hide the true state of affairs in Zimbabwe.”

“Given its important role in Southern African affairs and its influence
over Zimbabwe, I would call on the South African government to issue a
strongly worded statement reminding the Zimbabwean government of its duty
to uphold the rule of law and urging it to carry out an open and
transparent investigation into the death of Chikombo, and the assaults on
Mukwazhi and Phiri.”

“In doing so, I would remind the South African government that assaults and
murders of journalists are often an indication that other serious human
rights breaches may be occurring or are about to occur.”

“For this reason, the time to act on Zimbabwe is now and there are real
risks that a failure to do so will only exacerbate the current situation
and further encourage the Zimbabwean government to believe that it can
suppress the work of journalists and commit human rights violations with
impunity,” added Fritz.
_______________________________________
International Press Institute (IPI)
Spiegelgasse 2
1010 Vienna, AUSTRIA
Tel: (+43 1) 512 90 11
Fax: (+43 1) 512 90 14
E-mail: ipi@freemedia.at
http://www.freemedia.at

IPI, the global network of editors, media executives and leading
journalists, is dedicated to the furtherance and safeguarding of press
freedom, the protection of freedom of opinion and expression, the promotion
of the free flow of news and information, and the improvement of the
practices of journalism.

**The information contained in this autolist item is the sole
responsibility of IPI**

--
To unsubscribe from this list visit
http://listmgr.ifex.org/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=093ce408b30b677ea13ecac7f8b740fc

To update your preferences visit
http://listmgr.ifex.org/lists/?p=preferences&uid=093ce408b30b677ea13ecac7f8b740fc



--