Subscribe & Follow

Advertise your job vacancies

Journo intimidation, call to meet with police minister

6 Jul 2011

The South African National Editors' Forum (SANEF) has requested a meeting with the minister of police, Nathi Mthethwa, to discuss with him, in his capacity as head of the Cabinet security cluster, and members of the cluster, the matter of death threats and other intimidatory moves against two Sunday Times' journalists, Mzilikazi Wa Afrika and Stephan Hofstatter.

Journo intimidation, call to meet with police minister

SANEF condemns these tactics, which are directed not only at the two journalists, both of whom have exposed malpractice and corruption by government officials in their newspaper, but at all journalists who write critically about the questionable conduct of public officials or those in high office in the private sphere.

The forum has grave concerns that the two journalists could be seriously harmed if the threats are carried out and that journalists as a whole will feel insecure and intimidated. It has also urged the minister to request all assistance from his colleagues in investigating these shocking incidents.

It welcomes the measures taken by the Sunday Times to protect its staff members and urges all media groups to be especially vigilant to protect their staff against any intimidatory actions. SANEF calls on the media to show solidarity towards their colleagues when situations become threatening and to be especially vigilant.

Government is urged to take action

The forum supports the call to the police to fully investigate the threats. The fact that one of the threats contains a reference to 'hit men' wearing police uniforms is an added reason for the investigation to be thorough and searching or else the police could be blamed for any untoward activity that is directed at the two men. In any event, the authorities should take note that the manner in which Wa Afrika was arrested by the police recently suggests that there is official antagonism towards him and that the authorities will readily be blamed for any attacks on him.

The government is urged to take action to ensure that the reputation of SA's functioning democracy is not harmed by gangster-like actions and assassinations that have damaged other countries.

For more: