Threats and intimidation against The Witness journalists are unacceptable and should be condemned
13 March 2026
The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) calls on the SA Police Service to take prompt action in identifying workers associated with the South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU) who, on 18 February in Pietermaritzburg, KZN, abused, assaulted, and robbed two journalists of The Witness newspaper. This is a despicable act against freedom of expression and against media workers who provide the last bastion of such freedom.
The hooliganism, bullying, and violence displayed cannot go unpunished. Involved are allegations of assault, robbery, intimidation, and malicious damage to property.
As a consequence, SANEF calls on the SAPS to act swiftly to apprehend these thugs. SANEF also calls on the Congress of SA Trade Unions (COSATU), the trade union federation to which SAMWU is affiliated, to condemn in the strongest terms the reported actions of apparent SAMWU members against media workers and to institute appropriate sanctions.
The incidents occurred when a two-member reporting team from The Witness arrived to cover a publicised SAMWU protest. Shortly after their arrival, they were verbally abused, threatened, and assaulted. The photographer was physically dragged along the ground and forced to delete his photographs under threat of assault.
Such behaviour is totally unacceptable, and SANEF again calls on every South African to allow journalists to do their work, where doing such duties is often the only access to information necessary to all of us to make sense of our environments.
SAPS will have to do better, as such cases cannot go without any investigation, and those who led such horrendous acts are allowed to be free, yet they threaten and intimidate, and are always willing to use violence for such intimidation.
Journalists have every right to report on matters of public interest, and should be allowed to do so. The SAMWU hooligans in that protest must be arrested and hauled over the coals for their actions. If left unattended, incidents of this nature undermine not only press freedom but also the public’s right to receive information.
ENDS
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 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 by fighting for media freedom, writing policy submissions, conducting research, and providing education and training programmes. SANEF is not a union.
For more information, please contact:
Makhudu Sefara – Chairperson (079) 177-2134
Tshamano Makhadi – Deputy Chairperson (082) 223-0621
Glenda Daniels – Secretary-General (083) 229-9708
Sbu Ngalwa – Treasurer-General (073) 404-1415
Slindile Khanyile – Media Freedom Chair (083) 471-0367
Katy Katopodis – Wellness and Safety Chair (082) 805-7022
Dianne Hawker – Gauteng Convenor (072) 016-5984
Judy Sandison – KZN Convenor (082) 571-3334
Jude Mathurine – Eastern Cape Convenor (083) 799-1701
Sisanda Nkoala – Western Cape Convenor (073) 138-5564
Reggy Moalusi – Executive Director (071) 682-3695
Twitter: @SAEditorsForum
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.SANEF.org.za
