By A Correspondent| A journalists association Zimbabwe Online Content Creators (ZOCC) has condemned the First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa for barring journalists from covering an event in which she was presiding over in Marondera on Tuesday.

According to Newsday, Auxillia’s media team led by a secondment from the military John Manzongo threatened to unleash state security on journalists from private media who were attending the event at the invitation of Telone.

In a statement, ZOCC said threats against journalists are unconstitutional and unwarranted.

“The Zimbabwe Online Content Creators (ZOCC) is greatly concerned by continuous harassment and intimidation targeted at its members and other media practitioners by officials from the Office of the First Lady.

“We note with concern that there has been growing trend of accredited personnel being blocked from covering events officiated by the First Lady,” the organisation said.

ZOCC added that they have since approached the First Lady’s office to register their displeasure at the events of yesterday.

“We have since engaged the Office of the First Lady’s Public Relations Department with our concerns and we await a formal position regarding the raised concerns.

“Presidential spokesperson, George Charamba has been very cooperative on the matter as he agreed that there has to be a mutual working relationship between the fourth estate and government, although he cautioned that the first lady was not a government official,” added ZOCC.