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Police harass journalist
MISA-Zimbabwe
September 30, 2004

Frank Chikowore, a freelance journalist, was on 30 September 2004, barred from covering the initial remand hearing of women protestors who were arrested in the town while on their way to Harare to protest against the controversial Non-Governmental Organisations Bill.

The police confiscated Chikowore’s national identity card and passport and told him to collect the documents in question upon production of his press accreditation card issued by the Media and Information Commission.

Contacted for comment by MISA-Zimbabwe, the officer-in-charge of Chegutu police said he was not aware of the incident.

Chikowore said he would travel to Chegutu from Harare tomorrow to collect the confiscated identity documents as he did not have his accreditation card with him at the material time.

The 46 women who were arrested on Tuesday and detained in Chegutu, are members of the Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA). The magistrate yesterday deferred their initial hearing proceedings to tomorrow.

They are likely to be charged under the Public Order and Security Act for holding an illegal demonstration without police clearance.

The controversial NGO Bill is expected to be tabled before parliament when it resumes sitting on 5 October 2004.

The Bill prohibits foreign funding for organisations that deal with issues of human rights and governance. The government has accused NGOs especially those involved in human rights issue of working with the West and the opposition MDC to effect regime change in Zimbabwe.

Many NGOs rely on foreign funding for their activities and are arguing that denying them foreign funding is tantamount to closing them down.

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