OJM Members Harass Journalists

 Members of the OJM (Mozambique Youth Organisation), the youth wing of the ruling Frelimo Party, on Wednesday physically attacked journalists from the independent television station, STV, in the central city of Beira.

The STV crew was investigating a report that Frelimo was registering OJM members to act as staff at Beira polling stations during the municipal elections scheduled for 20 November.

Outside the Frelimo office in the Beira neighbourhood of Munhava, STV found that the report appeared to be true.

But as they tried to do their job, youths wearing OJM T-shirts manhandled the journalists and attempted to stop them from filming. In this they were unsuccessful, because the STV crew was using two cameras. One cameraman filmed the other being harassed and pushed by the youths - footage which appeared on the STV lunchtime news on Thursday.

The OJM members didn't want STV filming them - but apparently they didn't want the crew to leave either. They placed bricks against the wheels of the STV vehicle, preventing it from moving.

“Why are you doing this?”, a journalist asked, holding a microphone up to one of the youths. He refused to answer but just pushed the reporter away.

A second STV team arrived, led by the STV deputy director of news for the central region. But the OJM group was equally hostile to the second group and tried, unsuccessfully, to seize the cameras.

Eventually the police arrived. The STV team was taken to a nearby police station where the local commander, realizing that the journalists had committed no crime, let them go.

STV did find one of the youths who was willing to speak. He confirmed that he was applying to work at the polling stations and that was why he was outside the Frelimo office. He said there were two official brigades at the Munhava office, one from the Notary and Registry Office, and one for the Centres for Hygiene and Medical Analyses and Exams, both linked to the registration of polling station staff.

When AIM contacted Felisberto Naife, the general director of the Electoral Administration Technical Secretariat (STAE), the electoral wing of the civil service, he stressed that polling station staff are only recruited at STAE offices, and not at the offices of political parties.

“We are not doing this”, he said, in reaction to the STV story.

“The tender for recruiting polling station staff was advertised in the press, and candidates have to bring their documents to the STAE district office - in this case, the STAE Beira city office”, he said.

The recruitment of staff continues until 30 September. Candidates must have at least seventh grade (i.e. a complete primary education), they must live within the municipality, and they must be registered voters. Naife added that candidates should also speak one of the local languages, and participation as polling station staff in previous elections would be an advantage.

Source: Allafrica - 05.09.2013