Sanef outraged by abuse of journalistsThe South African National Editors' Forum (Sanef) is outraged by four more incidents of the abuse of power by police officers, security personnel and taxi drivers against journalists... (Image extracted from the Sanef website) In the latest incidents on Tuesday, 21 April, a reporting team from the Daily Sun covering the burning of two Golden Arrow buses in Nyanga, Cape Town were assaulted and abused by so-called "Amaphela" taxi drivers. Reporter Mandla Mnyakama and photographer Lulekwa Mbadamane were covering riots by taxi drivers after traffic police had impounded 45 taxis in the past two weeks. Mandla and Lulekwa drove past a scene where a Golden Arrow bus was burning in Govan Mbeki Drive in Nyanga. They parked their car and got out when a group of men stormed them and asked why they were taking pictures. The men, who were carrying bricks, proceeded to search the journalists and asked them whether they were carrying cameras. Lulekwa was hiding her camera under her jacket when the men insisted on searching the journalists' car. A group of about 20 men surrounded them. They found Mbadamane's camera and destroyed it by smashing the camera on the road. The also took her cell phone and instructed the journalists to drive off if they didn't want to die, before pelting the vehicle with stones. Extremely concernedSanef is extremely concerned at the conduct of the police, metro police and security officers involved in these instances of the abuse of media freedom, which is contrary to the regulations in Police Standing Orders, which state that police should not obstruct journalists at a crime scene. Sanef will send a request for an urgent meeting with the national Police Commissioner, General Riah Phiyega, to whom it has complained in the past about police interfering with journalists carrying out their duties and ordering the deletion of pictures from cameras and cellphones. Sanef is deeply worried that this unlawful conduct of the police is increasing and is becoming almost a ritual followed by officers when journalists arrive at scenes of crime or accident. Sanef demands that the Commissioner should issue instructions to stop this conduct and take public action against those responsible. |