Zimbabwe Journalists.com
19 January 2010
By a Correspondent
Freelance photojournalist Andrison Manyere was on 18 January 2010 released without being charged following his arrest and detention at Harare Central Police Station while covering a march by members of the Women and Men of Zimbabwe Arise pressure groups.
Dzimbabwe Chimbga of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights confirmed Manyere’s release together with Comfort Nyakura, and Tabeth Chatanda.
Chimbga said the police had failed to establish any reasonable suspicions that three had committed an offence. The police wanted to hinge their case against Manyere on the grounds that he did not have an accreditation card.
This was, however, countered by the fact that the accrediting authority – the statutory Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) is still to be established.
Manyere was arrested while filming a demonstration by the Members of Women and Men of Zimbabwe Arise who marched to the Ministry of Education in Harare around noon on 18 January 2009 to hand over their report on the education system in Zimbabwe entitled – Looking Back to look Forward. The report contains recommendations and a list of demands that parents wanted addressed by the Minister of Education Senator David Coltart.
Manyere is also currently on bail in a separate matter in which he is being charged together with six other alleged MDC activists under Section 23 (1), (2) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act which criminalises acts of insurgence, banditry, sabotage or terrorism.