In a statement issued earlier this week, South Africa’s National Forum of Editors called for a full investigation into the attack on a female journalist by whistleblower Shabbir Shaikh, who was seriously ill and denied the attack.
When Sheikh tried to take out her phone, journalist Amanda Khoza said she ‘hit her head’… “When I grabbed the phone, she picked it up and hit her face,” he said.
Khoza, the Sunday TribuneHe was with photographer and fellow journalist Charmell Bowman and they were covering Shaq playing golf in Durban. She confronts Shaikh to find out who she is. Three men chased the photographer and assaulted him and grabbed the camera.
In a statement, SANEF supports the filing of criminal charges against Sheikh in Koza and urged that the investigation be speedy.
The ongoing attacks on journalists have been condemned.
SANEF observed several “physical assaults by the police on journalists performing their duties, as well as abuses inflicted by the police on journalists by arresting them for suspected crimes in crime scenes,” Femida Mehtar said in a statement.
Police harassment of journalists and photographers includes:
SANEF said it had reported about 12 similar illegal arrests to Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa and National Police Commissioner General Bheki Cele on more than one occasion over the past 18 months.
