BY TREVOR MUTSVAIRO STATE witness Innocent Tinarwo yesterday said Alpha Media Holdings journalists Blessed Mhlanga and Chengeto Chidi contravened the Electoral Act by taking pictures and videos at a polling station.
Tinarwo is the second State witness to give evidence in the matter in which the journalists were arrested on May 7 for breaching the Electoral Act.
The two, represented by rights lawyers Jeremiah Bamu and Moses Muchineripi, appeared before Chitungwiza magistrate Isheanesu Matova.
Tinarwo told the court that: “I was at the polling station when this took place. I was positioned 60 metres away from the polling station, accompanied by Superintendent Matsika and officer Chimhanga. The two accused started taking pictures and videos without showing us accreditation cards from the Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC).”
He further alleged that when the journalists were approached, Mhlanga assaulted Matsika, which then attracted a crowd of 400 to 500 people who blocked access to the polling station.
Tinarwo added that Mhlanga then shouted at Matsika alleging that he had damaged his phone worth US$2 000.
However, Bamu said the Electoral Act does not bar journalists from taking pictures at a polling station.
He said after arresting the journalists, police failed to collect a statement from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) concerning the pictures as required by the law.
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The journalists’ lawyer also averred that State witnesses also failed to produce pictures and videos that the journalists were accused of taking.
Bamu said shouting at a police officer was not part of the offences cited under the Electoral Act.
Allegations are that on May 6 at the corner of Hombarume and Dahuna roads in Zengeza 1, Mhlanga and Chidi used a Samsung A51 cellphone and a camera to take photographs and recorded a video near ward 7 polling station tent B in Zengeza West without Zec’s permission.
The matter was deferred to June 30 for trial continuation.
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