User:Crtew/Edward Chikomba

Edward Chikomba, (ca. 1942 – March 31st, 2007), was a Zimbabwean Freelance journalist who formerly worked as a cameraman for the state-controlled Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation in Harare, Zimbabwe. Chikomba was murdered for allegedly selling videotapes of a police assault on anti-government protestors to foreign broadcaster.

Personal
Before his murder, Edward Chikomba was a freelance journalist in Zimbabwe. Chikomba was born in 1942 and he was 65-years-old when he was killed. According to one of his former colleagues, Chikomba had a jovial spirit and always wore a camera bag slung backwards over his shoulder.

Career
Chikomba worked as a cameraman for the state-controlled Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation until 2002. From the time he left his job until his death in 2007, Chikomba was an independent freelance journalist. Chikomba’s videos were always edited by the government and he thought that his wages were pathetic. Due to this, he began to shoot extra footage and sold it to foreign networks in hopes to make more money.

It was in 2007 when Chikomba captured footage the opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, after he was beaten by the authorities in Zimbabwe. This assault made many news headlines and caused worldwide condemnation. CNN, the BBC and other networks aired the clips, which lead to an awful global reaction.

Death
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On March 29th, 2007, Edward Chikomba was abducted from his home by a group of armed men. These men were driving a white, 4 by 4 truck. 2 days later, on March 31st, Chikomba was found dead on the roadside near the industrial farming area of Darwendale. The men who abducted and killed Chikomba are suspected members of Zimbabwe’s secret police, the Central Intelligence Organization. Chikomba had gotten a lead earlier in March that the governmental authorities/police were badly injuring people who were a part of the Movement for Democratic Change political party leaders and activists. It is believed that Chikomba’s killing is linked to his alleged leaking of footage to foreign networks that reached major media platforms and sparked outrage throughout the world. It was reported that Chikomba suffered a long death. No weapons were found on the scene, and the wounds/bruises were found to be only from physical abuse.

Context
Chikomba’s murder was connected to his involvement in selling footage of assault by police to foreign networks. The police in Zimbabwe had previously been accused of beating members of the Movement for Democratic Change political party while being held in their custody. Members of this group have previously been arrested for attending an anti-government prayer meeting and some of the reported being beaten by the police. Chikomba had captured footage of this political party’s leader walking out of police custody with severe injuries. He then sold this footage to foreign networks and it was broadcasted widely, across major networks, for the while world to see. The governmental authorities and police officers in Zimbabwe were quickly embarrassed and found themselves under condemnation due to Chikomba leaking this footage.

Impact
Edward Chikomba was killed as a result of selling his footage, as a cameraman, to foreign networks in an effort to make more money. After Chikomba’s footage was broadcasted, he jokingly told one of his friends that he had the feeling someone was following him. It is also reported that Chikomba received a note that said, “You will pay for Tsvangirai." However, Chikomba is not the only reporter/journalist how was effected by their job. There is a kind of hostility hovering over the topic of journalists and photographers trying to shed light on the situation in Zimbabwe. In the past four years, some 100 reporters have been arrested for doing their job and there has been little let up. Zimbabwe alone has forced 48 journalists into exile since 2001. It does not matter if the journalist is local or foreign, if they are caught practicing without a license, they can be put in jail for at least two years.

Reactions
According to BBC News, the UN “regrets” the Zimbabwe election. The UN Security Council regrets Zimbabwe’s decision to go ahead with the presidential poll because, conditions for a free and fair election did not exist.

The IFJ, International Federation of Journalists, strongly condemns the “brutal and cowardly” murder of Edward Chikomba. Director of the IFJ Arica Office, Gabriel Baglo said, “the deliberate killing of journalists anywhere in the world constitutes a crime against humanity.” The IFJ strongly expects the government of Zimbabwe to construct an independent search into the death of Edward Chikomba.

Temporary URLs

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