The Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe took the Movement for Democratic Change formation of Prime Minister to task Wednesday for allegedly barring a TV crew from the state-run Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation from an MDC rally in Gweru.
The media council said it had received reports that MDC youth members initially blocked ZBC reporters from covering the rally and address by Prime Minister Tsvangirai, accusing them of engaging in biased reporting.
The council said it was concerned that anyone should interfere with journalists who were only performing their professional duties, regardless of their employer.
Sources who attended the Sunday rally said the MDC youths discovered that the driver of the ZBC crew was wearing a ZANU-PF T-shirt inside his shirt. The camera crew was admitted after the driver removed the offending T-shirt, the sources said.
But the council said senior MDC officials had to intervene to resolve the issue.
Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe Programs Officer Loughty Dube told VOA Studio 7 reporter Jonga Kandemiiri that his organization is urging political parties to respect the work of all journalists whether they work for independent or state outlets.
Tsvangirai MDC spokesman Douglas Mwonzora denied the party blocked journalists.
