NewsDay journalist Blessed Mhlanga recounted an incident where he was assaulted by Deputy Finance Minister Terence Mukupe during an interview on ZBC’s Spot FM. Mhlanga had been invited for an interview by Chamunorwa Murava on the programme Focus to discuss an amateur video of Mukupe addressing a Zanu PF cell meeting in Harare’s affluent surburb of Mandara.
Mhlanga had used the video to write a story for NewsDay in which Mukupe said the army had not taken power from former President Robert Mugabe so that they could hand it over to MDC-T leader Nelson Chamisa, should the latter win the forthcoming elections.
Mhlanga says in the middle of the interview Mukupe stood up as if to leave the studio but then turned on him. After being restrained by his aides, Mhlanga alleges Mukupe went for his wife Florence who had taken her phone to record the fracas that was ensuing. Below is part of Mhlanga’s story:
In the midst of the discussion, he stood up as if to leave the studio but turned on me, full of rage.
The last transmission in the radio programme was me crying out for help, “But minister why do you want to assault me.”His aides tried to restrain him as he said I needed to be taught a lesson. My wife captured the moment of madness on her phone, a Samsung S7 Edge. Mukupe then charged towards her and wrestled the phone from my wife with the assistance of his aides.
The deputy minister took the phone after tearing her jacket and dared us to report the matter to whoever we wanted.
Unfortunately, Murava’s studio does not have cameras so the only evidence of the vicious attack is in the phone which he stole.