July 2017

The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) welcomes Black First Land First’s (BLF) compliance with the South Gauteng High Court’s order that they denounce violence against journalists through a statement on their websites and social media platforms.

SANEF and 11 journalists, commentators and editors had asked the High Court in Johannesburg for an urgent interdict against BLF members, to stop them from harassing, intimidating, assaulting and threatening the applicants. The court on Friday 7 July granted SANEF and the other applicants the interdict and ordered BLF and its founder Mr Andile Mngxitama to abide by the order within 12 hours.
In accordance with the court order, BLF has now issued a statement which it posted on its website on 11 July that it does not condone the following:

1. Intimidation, harassment, assault on and threats made to any journalists by BLF members;
2. Going to the homes of, or acting in any manner that would constitute an infringement of the personal liberty of any journalist by members of BLF, and
3. Conduct on social media directed at any journalist that is threatening, including intimidating gestures on social media and that references any violence, harm and threats.

The interdict followed an illegal protest at the private home of Tiso Blackstar editor at large Peter Bruce on Thursday 29 June and the intimidation and harassment of Business Day editor Tim Cohen and political commentator Karima Brown.

BLF subsequently threatened more editors and journalists with similar protests at their private homes and referred to Brown, HuffPost editor-at-large Ferial Haffajee and Talk Radio 702 presenter Eusebius McKaiser as “askaris”- a deeply offensive term used mainly during the apartheid era to refer to liberation fighters who changed sides and joined the oppressive regime. The other co-applicants in the matter were amaBhungane partner Sam Sole, News24 editor Adriaan Basson, EWN and Talk Radio 702’s Stephen Grootes, independent journalist Max du Preez, EWN editor Katy Katopodis and EWN reporter Barry Bateman.

This is not just a victory for the journalists that were being targeted for their reporting on state capture, but it is also a victory for our constitution and rule of law. FREEDOM OF THE MEDIA comes at a price. To fight this case on behalf of journalists and the public, whose right to know is undermined by threatening and harassing journalists, SANEF incurred legal and administrative expenses. If you would like to donate to SANEF, download the SnapScan app in the App Store (iOS) or Google Play Story (Android), scan our logo below and donate an amount you can afford to enable us to keep on fighting for journalists who shine the light in dark corners.

For Inquiries:
SANEF Chairperson: Mahlatse Gallens 083 399 2852
SANEF Deputy Chairperson: Katy Katopodis 082 805 7022
SANEF Treasurer: Adriaan Basson 082 562 2113
SANEF Media Freedom Chair: Sam Mkokeli 082 084 2051

Socials

Twitter: @SAEditorsForum

Email: [email protected]

Website: SANEF

The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) has today won an interdict against Black First Land First (BLF) and its founder, Mr Andile Mngxitama at the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg.

SANEF asked the court to interdict BLF and Mngxitama from harassing, intimidating, assaulting and threatening eleven senior journalists, editors and commentators that have been targeted for their reporting on “state capture”.

This follows a protest at the private house of Tiso Blackstar editor at large Peter Bruce on Thursday, June 29 and the intimidation and harassment of Business Day editor Tim Cohen and political commentator Karima Brown at Bruce’s house.

BLF subsequently threatened more editors and journalists with similar protests at their private homes and have referred to Brown, HuffPost editor-at-large Ferial Haffajee and Talk Radio 702 presenter Eusebius McKaiser as “askaris”, – a deeply offensive term used mainly during the apartheid era to refer to liberation fighters who changed sides and joined the oppressive regime.

SANEF rejects BLF’s deplorable attempts to racially divide the journalistic fraternity.
This has been a unifying moment for all journalists in the country and further motivation to do what we believe in: exposing injustice and wrongdoing, irrespective of colour or creed.

We are defending more than media freedom. We are defending the personal freedoms of every South African.

SANEF chairwoman Mahlatse Gallens welcomed the interdict as a reinforcement of the rule of law and a strong statement against anyone who wants to muzzle the media.

“The purpose of the targeted harassment of these journalists is to keep allegations of corruption and state capture out of the public domain”, said Gallens.

The interdict prevents BLF and Mngxitama from gathering outside the homes of these journalists; from threatening these journalists with violence on social media, and from inciting harm against the journalists in any public interviews.
It also instructs the South African Police Service to arrest those that flout the court’s order.

The other co-applicants in the matter were amaBhungane partner Sam Sole, News24 editor Adriaan Basson, EWN and Talk Radio 702’s Stephen Grootes, independent journalist Max du Preez, Eyewitness News (EWN) editor in chief Katy Katopodis and EWN reporter Barry Bateman.

BLF was also slapped with a Punitive Legal Costs Order

SANEF Chairperson: Mahlatse Gallens 083 399 2852
SANEF Deputy Chairperson: Katy Katopodis 082 805 7022
SANEF Treasurer: Adriaan Basson 082 562 2113
SANEF Media Freedom Chair: Sam Mkokeli 082 084 2051
SANEF Secretary General: Reggy Moalusi 071 682 3695.

The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) has today filed an urgent application against Black First Land First (BLF) and its founder, Mr Andile Mngxitama, at the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg.

SANEF has asked the court to interdict BLF and Mngxitama from harassing, intimidating, assaulting and threatening eleven senior journalists, editors and commentators that have been targeted for their reporting on state capture. This follows a protest at the private house of Tiso Blackstar editor at large Peter Bruce last Thursday and the intimidation and harassment of Business Day editor Tim Cohen and political commentator Karima Brown at Bruce’s house. BLF has since threatened more editors and journalists with similar protests at their private homes and have referred to Brown, HuffPost editor-at-large Ferial Haffajee and Talk Radio 702 presenter Eusebius McKaiser as “askaris”.

The other co-applicants are amaBhungane partner Sam Sole, News24 editor Adriaan Basson, Talk Radio 702 presenter Stephen Grootes, independent journalist Max du Preez, Eyewitness News (EWN) editor Katy Katopodis and EWN reporter Barry Bateman. In her founding affidavit, SANEF chairperson Mahlatse Gallens says the harassment of these journalists is “part and parcel” of an orchestrated campaign. “Each one of the journalists are senior professionals who in their area of reporting expertise have reported to the nation, objectively and independently on the political state of the South African economy and the corruption and maladministration consequent upon the alleged capturing of the national economy to further the interests of an elite few.”

According to Gallens the purpose of the targeted harassment of these journalists is to keep allegations of corruption and state capture out of the public domain.
“The concerns around state capture are rife.  Not a day goes by that we as South Africans are not faced with the pervasive impact of its corruption and maladministration. It is important that free and independent journalism is brought to bear on these reports because the media is also a catalyst of peace, dialogue and understanding, which will create the framework for the public to digest these reports within the bounds of the rule of law.  If we are perceived in any way as falsifying information because we are being threatened, public debate becomes fractured, polarised and I daresay, volatile as a consequence of segments of society perceiving themselves as being misled,” Gallens stated.
SANEF has asked the court to interdict BLF and Mngxitama from gathering outside the homes of these journalists; from threatening these journalists with violence on social media, and from inciting harm against the journalists in any public interviews.

“This court should be slow to countenance such violence and threats against the media because a free and pluralist media is vital to the democratic functioning of the Republic. This means that as journalists, publishers, editors, bloggers and other media actors we must be able to carry out our tasks without fear of intervention or reprisals – which requires adequate protection from violence, threats and pressures.  This can affect how we work, which stories we decide to report and how we report on them. Furthermore, an attack on one journalist or media worker can have a chilling effect on others, particularly when perpetrators can act with impunity, as the respondents [BLF and Mngxitama] do,” Gallens stated.

Our application has been served on BLF and Mngxitama, who will now have the opportunity to file answering papers before the matter is heard by the high court.
For Inquiries:

SANEF Chairperson: Mahlatse Gallens 083 399 2852
SANEF Deputy Chairperson: Katy Katopodis 082 805 7022
SANEF Treasurer: Adriaan Basson 082 562 2113
SANEF Media Freedom Chair: Sam Mkokeli 082 084 2051

Socials

Twitter: @SAEditorsForum

Email: [email protected]

Website: SANEF