Mbalula flexing muscles over BLF

No one likes to see intelligence operatives deployed to monitor citizens. Yet the reality is that when it comes to security and the combating of crime, our security services do need to constantly acquire and evaluate information.

When there are real threats to the wellbeing and property of individuals or a group, then we agree that intelligence assets need to be deployed. Such a situation has arisen with the campaign of intimidation being waged by members of the minority extremist group Black First Land First (BLF) against journalists.

Their targets have been those who have been critical of the role played by the Gupta family in capturing the state and President Jacob Zuma.

That is not surprising, given credible evidence that BLF has been funded by money from the Gupta network and that its leader, Andile Mngxitama, was the recipient of advice from the Guptas’ British PR company, Bell Pottinger.

BLF was taken to court last week by the SA National Editors’ Forum. The forum requested, and was granted, an interdict against the organisation to stop the harassment of journalists. BLF initially refused to obey the interdict, claiming it was handed down by a “racist judge”.

Now, Police Minister Fikile Mbalula has, in deploying his crime intelligence assets, sent out a no-nonsense message that he will not tolerate the sort of disrespect for the law and the rights of others that has characterised the actions of the BLF so far.

Mbalula has made it plain that if the BLF disobeys the interdict, its members will be locked up. Finish and klaar, as a former police commissioner would say.