The Malawi Chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) has described as shocking the assault and detention of Zodiak Broadcasting Station (ZBS) reporters who were taking pictures of the law enforcers evicting street vendors on Friday.
Despite getting permission to cover the crackdown on vendors, the journos Towera Kumwenda and Musase Cheyo, claimed that two officers assaulted them and tried to confiscate their cameras. The being treated as out patients at Mzuzu Health Centre having sustained soft tissue injuries.
NEWS UPDATE: Sad to inform the public that the police have beaten up our reporters: Musase Cheyo and Towera Kumwenda as they went about doing their job covering the fracas btwn the police and vendors. They are currently receiving treatment at #Mzuzu Health Centre #ZodiakNews
— Zodiak Online (@zodiakonline) June 22, 2018
MISA Malawi has so far condemned the conduct of the officers as “barbaric and retrogressive” in a democracy and demanded the Malawi Police to “take action” against the officers who attacked the reporters.
“It is shocking that in a democratic nation like Malawi the police continue to act barbaric and beat up journalists on duty. The matter should be investigated and the culprits brought to book. We condemn such brutality and demand the police to change” said MISA Malawi in a statement.
There is no Democracy under President Peter in Malawi,