Maputo — Mozambican President Daniel Chapo on Thursday strongly condemned the attempt the previous day to assassinate prominent journalist Carlitos Cadangue, the correspondent in Manica province of the independent television station, STV.
Cadangue was attacked as he was approaching his home in the Manica provincial capital of Chimoio. He said that his four armed attackers wore uniforms of the Mozambican police and were all masked.
Cadangue was travelling with his son, and neither of them were hit. But the hail of bullets left its mark on Cadangue's car. It was generally assumed that he had been lucky and the intention of the gunmen had been to kill him.
Cadangue had powerful enemies because he had reported extensively on illegal gold mining in Manica, and the disastrous pollution of Manica's rivers arising from the miners' use of mercury and other toxic products.
Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines
Chapo demanded that the Mozambican police investigate the assassination attempt and ensure that the perpetrators were brought to justice.
"We are a country where freedom of the press must prevail', declared Chapo. "We shall continue to struggle firmly against organised crime, and there is no way that crime can triumph in our country'.
"Fear and insecurity are enemies of freedom, of democracy and of development', the President added.
Meanwhile, the Manica branch of the National Union of Journalists (SNJ), has threatened that journalists in the province will boycott government events unless there is a serious investigation of the assassination attempt.
"We, as the National Union of Journalists, demand a swift and independent investigation, an investigation that is, above all, transparent, because a dictatorial state cannot prevail', Manica SNJ representative, Nelson Benjamin, told reporters.
Benjamin insisted that, during the investigations, it will be imperative to prevent interference from "powerful people' because "our colleague suffered this attack at a time when reports about mining are becoming increasingly prominent. As you know, mining involves many powerful people, who are seeing their businesses weakened.'
"If a responsible and transparent investigation does not take place, we, as the SNJ, in coordination with the media, are even considering not covering certain government events, so that there is a clear and efficient response', he said.
A statement from the SNJ said it is unacceptable for journalists to be targeted with violence simply for fulfilling their duty to inform.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
"The SNJ calls on the competent authorities to carry out a serious and swift investigation, with a view to quickly clarifying the facts, identifying the moral and material authors of the attack and consequently holding them accountable, in order to avoid impunity', reads the SNJ note.
________________________________
