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Photographer detained
Media Institute of Southern Africa - Zimbabwe Chapter (MISA-Zimbabwe)
May 06, 2004

Desmond Kwande, a photographer with the Daily Mirror was detained for one hour by the police on 4 May 2004 as he took pictures of a banner at a school that was under police guard.

According to The Daily Mirror of 4 May Kwande visited Eaglesvale High School, which is one of the 45 schools closed by the government over unauthorized hiking of school fees. Kwande was about to take a photo of a banner at the school when a police officer identified only as Constable Chirenje approached him demanding to know why he wanted to take the picture. The police officer is alleged to have informed Kwande that he could not take the pictures as this might result in the officer loosing his job.

“What is you took pictures of myself which would make my bosses think I was sleeping at work. In am here for a purpose, I am representing the state,” the paper reports the officer as having said.

When told that the picture had nothing to do with him, the officer insisted that Kwande’s fate would only be determined by his superiors. The photographer was only allowed to go after the arrival of the officer in charge of Marimba police station situated in one of Harare’s suburbs.

Background
On 4 May the Zimbabwe government closed 45, mostly private schools it accuses of hiking fess without approval. The police was deployed to enforce the closures.

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