Maputo, Mozambique — A Mozambican policeman a week ago accidentally shot and seriously wounded a trainee journalist who was travelling on a mini-bus taxi in Maputo, the capital.

The incident occurred on the evening of 8 March. Only six days later did the colleagues of the journalist, Ilidio Jossai, discover that the reason he had suddenly gone missing was that he was in intensive care in Maputo Central Hospital, with a police bullet lodged just above his heart.

Jossai is studying at the Maputo Journalism School, and as part of his course is undertaking an apprenticeship at the privately-owned Miramar television station.

On 8 March Jossai was going home from the Miramar newsroom when a thief pursued by the police tried to escape by taking refuge in the mini-bus taxi.

A policeman ordered the vehicle to stop, and when the driver failed to do so, he opened fire on the minibus, with complete disregard for the lives of the innocent passengers. One of the stray bullets hit Jossai in the chest.

Worse was to come. Rather than take the seriously wounded Jossai to hospital, the policeman thought it more important to haul the driver to a nearby police station, and demand why he had not obeyed the order to stop. Only later that night did the police take the bleeding journalist to hospital.

Jossai is no longer in a critical condition although he is still in the intensive care unit.