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Safety & Wellness

SANEF Calls On SAPS to Ensure The Protection and Safety of a Journalist Forced to go into Hiding

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The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) is deeply concerned that community media journalist, Paul Nthoba, has been forced to flee the country and seek refuge in Lesotho.

Nthoba was assaulted by members of the South African Police Services (SAPS) on 15 May 2020 while profiling the visibility of police members who were making sure that citizens were adhering to the Covid-19 lockdown rules and regulations. He was physically abused and beaten up in the township of Meqheleng, close to the Lesotho border.

Following this traumatic incident, Nthoba went to the Ficksburg police station to lay a charge but instead of being assisted by the police, he faced further abuse.

While at the police station, the same police officers that had assaulted him, arrived and wanted to bar him from opening a case, and instead they insisted that he should be charged for contravening the Disaster Management Act. We understand Nthoba was further assaulted while in the charge office.

Nthoba told SANEF that he decided to cross the border into Lesotho to seek refuge at the United Nations offices in Lesotho because he feared for his life.  Following the assault, he has seen marked police vehicles patrolling his street and another parked in the street a few meters from his home, with no explanation. His family became extremely concerned and he decided to flee.

He reached out to the United Nations office in Lesotho and the Lesotho government and together they have been protecting him. He has been placed under quarantine due to the Coronavirus restrictions.

The same SAPS officers who assaulted him, remain on duty.

Nthoba has confirmed that the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID), an agency of the South African government responsible for investigating complaints against the SAPS and municipal police services, came to see him on Monday.  He was in the process of completing his supplementary and detailed statement for IPID when he observed the intimidatory tactics of the SAPS officers.

Nthoba has pleaded for assurance from the SAPS that he will be safe.

SANEF Chairperson Mahlatse Mahlase said: “We need the Police to give assurance that he can return home and will be safe. It is unacceptable that a South African citizen must fear the very people who are supposed to protect him.   We would also like to know what action the SAPS will be taken against the police officers that remain on duty in the small town”.

Finally, SANEF has been in contact with the Minister of Police and has also formally written to him. He has assured us that he will take this matter up with the national and provincial police commissioners to ensure that this issue is dealt with as a matter of urgency.

Note to Editors:The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) is a non-profit organisation whose members are editors, senior journalists and journalism trainers from all areas of the South African media. We are committed to championing South Africa’s hard-won freedom of expression and promoting quality, ethics and diversity in the South African media. We promote excellence in journalism through fighting for media freedom, writing policy submissions, research and education and training programmes. SANEF is not a union.

For more information please contact:

  • Mahlatse Mahlase – SANEF Chairperson, (083) 399-2852
  • Katy Katopodis – SANEF Deputy Chairperson (082) 805-7022
  • Moipone Malefane – SANEF Secretary General (082) 772-5861
  • Mary Papayya – Acting SANEF Media Freedom Chair (082) 379-4957
  • Judy Sandison – SANEF KZN Convenor (082) 571-3334
  • Sbu Ngalwa – SANEF Eastern Cape Convenor (073) 404-1415
  • Janet Heard – SANEF Western Cape SANEF Convenor, (078) 041-9528
  • Hopewell Radebe – SANEF Acting Gauteng Regional Convenor (083) 582-1734
  • Kate Skinner – SANEF Executive Director – (082) 926-6404

Socials

Twitter: @SAEditorsForum

Email: [email protected]

Website: SANEF

Safety & Wellness

SANEF Deeply Disturbed By The Physical Abuse And Incarceration Of A Journalist

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The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) is deeply disturbed to hear of the abuse of community media journalist, Paul Nthoba, by the South African Police Services (SAPS), in a township Meqheleng, close to the Lesotho border. However, we are even more deeply disturbed to hear of the abuse and incarceration he subsequently experienced at the Ficksburg police station, where he went to lay an assault charge.

On 15 May 2020 at around 2 pm, Nthoba was on a news-gathering assignment in Ficksburg focusing on the Covid-19 news coverage for the community newspaper he had launched, Mohokare News.

Nthoba was profiling the visibility of the police members who were making sure that citizens were adhering to the lockdown rules and regulations. Nthoba reported that he saw the police patrolling the streets, and he captured a few photos. However, the police members objected. They accosted him, confiscated his phone, and told him that he had not explicitly requested their permission. An argument ensued, and they started attacking, insulting, and assaulting him. SANEF has an audio recording of this abusive interaction.

Immediately after this traumatic incident, Nthoba went to the Ficksburg police station to lay a charge. When he got to the station, the same police officers arrived and started protesting that he should not be allowed to open the case; instead, they insisted that he should be charged for contravening the Disaster Management Act. They again assaulted him while in the charge office, accusing him of causing trouble for them ever since he had established his newspaper. He was then kept for four hours in the holding cells.

Nthoba was then taken to the Fiksburg Hospital to deal with his injuries and trauma.

SANEF is deeply concerned to hear about this abuse out in the field – but also, even more worryingly, at the police station, the very place where Nthoba had sought refuge and to hold the police offices accountable.

SANEF notes that community media platforms present critical local alternatives to mainstream print and broadcasting. We believe that they play an important role in diversifying the media, profiling local voices, reflecting local struggles, and building communities by holding local authorities to account. We believe that journalists and media at this level, often experience more abuse than affluent, often more high-profile mainstream media – we thus must ensure their protection. We believe that SAPS leadership – and the leadership of all security authorities – should apply a zero-tolerance policy against all forms of harassment towards all our media.

Finally, SANEF will be taking this matter up with the security authorities at the highest levels – including the list of other abuse charges that have taken place under lockdown. SANEF has had several informal discussions with the SAPS, with IPID and with the Metropolitan Police in Cape Town. We now have consolidated a list of abuses. Once again, we will be calling for a meeting with the National Commissioner of Police, IPID and the Metropolitan police in Cape Town.

For more information please contact:

Note to Editors:The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) is a non-profit organisation whose members are editors, senior journalists and journalism trainers from all areas of the South African media. We are committed to championing South Africa’s hard-won freedom of expression and promoting quality, ethics and diversity in the South African media. We promote excellence in journalism through fighting for media freedom, writing policy submissions, research and education and training programmes. SANEF is not a union.

For more information please contact:

  • Mahlatse Mahlase – SANEF Chairperson, (083) 399-2852
  • Katy Katopodis – Acting SANEF Chairperson, (082) 805-7022
  • Moipone Malefane – SANEF Secretary-General (082) 772-5861
  • Mary Papayya – Acting SANEF Media Freedom Chair (082) 379-4957
  • Sbu Ngalwa – SANEF Eastern Cape Convenor (073) 404-1415
  • Janet Heard – SANEF Western Cape SANEF Convenor (078) 041-9528
  • Hopewell Radebe – SANEF Acting Gauteng Regional Convenor (083) 582-1734
  • Judy Sandison – SANEF KZN Convenor (082) 571-3334
  • Kate Skinner – SANEF Executive Director – (082) 926-6404

Socials

Twitter: @SAEditorsForum

Email: [email protected]

Website: SANEF