Police Delete Journalist's Photos, An 'Affront' to Press Freedom
The ‘Malawi First’ demonstrations turned violent in Mangochi Thursday when protesters clashed with police, who arrested several people.
MANGOCHI, Malawi - Police in Mangochi on Thursday deleted pictures in the phone belonging to Zodiak Broadcasting Station (ZBS) reporter Raphael Mlozoa during running battles between officers and protesters who turned violent during demonstrations organized by a group calling itself ‘Malawi First’, writes Winston Mwale.
According to Mlozoa, officers specifically deleted pictures of an arrest they made of a violent man with albinism.
The officers confronted Mlozoa, forced him to open his phone gallery and deleted the photos even after Mlozoa identified himself as a journalist and some recognized him as such.
"What the officers did is an affront to media freedom," said Golden Matonga, chairperson of the Media Institute of Southern Africa Malawi chapter.
Mlozoa said he took pictures of the demonstrations and arrests in public spaces, which is not a crime under Malawian law.
MISA Malawi condemned the deletion of pictures from the journalist's phone, calling it an attack on press freedom with a chilling effect on reporters.
The group said the public was also prevented from accessing accurate information about the protests.
Matonga called on Malawi Police Service authorities to discipline the officers involved in deleting Mlozoa's photos, adding that MISA Malawi "strongly condemns" the officers' actions.
Taking pictures of demonstrations and in public spaces is not a crime under Malawian law, MISA noted.
The ‘Malawi First’ demonstrations turned violent in Mangochi Thursday when protesters clashed with police, who arrested several people.
Mlozoa was covering the protests for ZBS when officers confronted him.