MATABELELAND SOUTH – A senior Zimbabwe Republic Police officer has warned
politicians against abusing the media and police, especially during election period.
Addressing journalists at a media workshop organised by the Media Institute of Southern
Africa-Zimbabwe engagement meeting with the ZRP, the police national spokesperson,
Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi, said police and media practitioners must not succumb
to pressures of politicians to abandon professionalism.
The objective of the workshop was meant to cement professional relations between the media
and police ahead of 2023 harmonised elections and to also guarantee the safety of the media. 
“The media must be careful as we move towards elections, you must take note that there are
people who want to misuse the media.
There are people who want to create animosity between the media and the police. But now
that we know each other, it must be a thing of the past.
We want to caution politicians against misusing police, and against misusing the media
when it comes to coverage. We are against a situation where politicians want to move with a
journalist in his vehicle so that when they commit a crime, they want to be arrested in the
presence of a reporter.
At the end of the day they compromise the relations between police and the media.
However, I am happy that we have a common understanding with all structures of the media
in Zimbabwe,” said Assistant Commissioner Nyathi.
Journalists raised concern over the delay in getting comments and police confirmation for
their stories, a development which compels them to publish unbalanced articles without
police confirmation.
“There are issues we classify as national interest; these are handled from Head Office, even if
they occur in your province. This is because they may carry a lot of issues that need careful
handling as they would not only be of interest to the nation but the world at large.
“But on any other comments and confirmations, you can get information from your
provincial police spokespersons. In case of challenges, always get in touch with the district
commanders or tentatively the propols (provincial police commissioners) or the national
office.
Remember, you are the fourth arm of the State after the Executive, Legislature and the
Judiciary, hence there is no country the world over that can develop without the media.
Because of the immense contribution you make, no organisation can prosper if it shuts out
the media, even police is not an exception,” explained Assistant Commissioner Nyathi.
He applauded the existing cordial relations between media personnel in Matabeleland South
and the police and said this should continue as both parties are there to complement each
other.