Photographer arrested for taking pictures of victims as cleanup operation continues

By Tererai Karimakwenda
09 August 2005

The chief photographer of the "Daily Mirror", Desmond Kwande, was arrested last Friday, August 4th, in Harare by municipal policemen while he was photographing displaced people being rounded up in the city center. Kwande made sure the police knew he was an accredited photographer, and he had earlier asked for and received permission to take the photos.

The officers told Kwande that he was violating city by-laws by taking pictures of municipal police as they rounded-up people last Friday. But this cleanup campaign is supposed to have stopped already according to the government itself. Operation Garikai, the one in which people get houses from government, is supposed to be in full swing. Kwande's photographs might have told a different story. They might have been evidence that the government is still victimizing people while lying to the international community. Kwande's press card and camera were confiscated during the arrest. He was released three hours later after paying an admission of guilt fine.