Sanef condemns Tshwane journalist attacks, calls on SAPS to uphold lawFollowing incidents of violence against journalists covering the Tshwane metropolitan protests both by the public and the police, the South African National Editors' Forum (Sanef) is calling on all South Africans, and particularly the residents of Tshwane, to respect the constitutional rights afforded to journalists to report the news freely, without threats of violence, intimidation or arrest. Reporters from various news media outlets have been chased away by protesters; intimidated with violence; physically attacked or intimidated by police officers on the scene. IncidentsThe following incidents have been brought to its attention:
Dealing with unlawful police behaviour© Robert Lischka via Pixabay Sanef will once again approach the office of the Acting National Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Johannes Khomotso Phahlane, about the unlawful actions of police officers who had assaulted a journalist, confiscated equipment from reporters and forced them to delete pictures from their cameras and phones. Police Standing Order 156 explicitly states that the SAPS may not prohibit journalists from taking photographs or making visual recordings of crime scenes. Sanef and the SAPS recently published a joint publication on crime scene behaviour. Sanef encourages all newsrooms to ensure that every reporter is armed with the Z card that will be distributed at the forthcoming Sanef AGM in Johannesburg on 9 July. It will also call on General Phahlane to ensure all police officers know what the rights of journalists are on a crime scene or at public protests. Sanef is dismayed that previous efforts to meet with the present SAPS leadership over similar incidents have not been honoured by General Phahlane. The issue of attacks on journalists will be discussed at the Sanef AGM and it encourages all members to report incidences of abuse, intimidation and threats to the Sanef media freedom subcommittee. It further calls on the SAPS to investigate speedily the cases opened by reporters against their perpetrators and ensure that the offenders are brought to book. |