"We sympathise with and send our solidarity message to the two colleagues and to all journalists working hard day and night in the frontline to report Covid19 and its impacts on the populations” said Alexandre Niyungeko, President of the Interim Governing Council of CAJ. "We wish them swift recovery”, he added.

According to reports by the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ), "the two journalists, Leopold Munhende and Munashe Chokodza were accosted by the security forces while coming from work. They informed the ZUJ office that when asked why they were out and  about, they explained that they were journalists coming from work and proceeded to produce their accreditation cards. One of the soldiers then called out loudly that they were actually on the hunt for journalists during their operations under the current COVID19 lockdown. The security forces then went on to torture and humiliate the journalists for their own amusement.The

journalists sustained injuries as they were tackled to the ground and beaten with truncheons and whips. They have received medical attention while efforts to make a police report were initially being resisted.”

  "The abuse and harassment of Zimbabwean journalists by Zimbabwean security forces has reached epidemic levels and we appeal  to the government to ensure that journalists are safe and protected” said ZUJ Secretary General, Foster Dongozi "These unwarranted acts of brutality, 
aggression and destabilisation of journalists doing their work must stop immediately,” Dongozi added.

The CAJ joins the ZUJ to call on Zimbabwean Government to protect the safety of journalists and end impunity by punishing police officers involved in wanton violence on journalists on duty.