Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF), in a letter to Emmerson Mnangagwa, President of Zimbabwe has expressed concern over continued attacks on the media practitioners by police officers in Zimbabwe.

PPF Secretary General Owais Aslam Ali condemned such attacks on journalists and called on the authorities to immediately hold those officers involved in assaulting journalists. PPF also urges to provide security to the journalists and media workers in the line of duty.

According to Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), Panashe Makufa, a local journalist with online publication Mail & Telegraph was assaulted by an ununiformed police officer in Harare on October 18.

Makufa noticed police arresting illegal foreign money dealers while he was passing through the Road Port regional bus terminus, he then started taking pictures of the incident. A police officer slapped Makufa for taking pictures and briefly detained him, accusing him of being one of the illegal money dealers.

The journalist was released after he presented his press card. Police officers present on the spot denied to identify the ununiformed officer who assaulted Makufa and said the culprit was from the Law and Order Section.

Makufa registered a case under RRB number 3659367 at the police base station located at Road Port bus terminus.

MISA added, in the past two months this is the sixth incident of police attack on journalists for recording police actions in Zimbabwe.