Mngxitama continues to send taunting messages to journalists

Despite threats from Police Minister Fikile Mbalula and widespread condemnation by the SA Human Rights Commission and other civil society bodies, Black First Land First and its leader Andile Mngxitama are continuing with their campaign against journalists.

On Tuesday morning, Mngxitama sent a tweet to political commentator and talk show host Eusebius McKaiser in which he accused him of having sold out to white people, for which the remedy would supposedly be “Biko syrup”.

https://twitter.com/Mngxitama/status/882151467393482753

News24 has reported that the SA National Editors Forum (Sanef) has applied for an urgent interdict against Mngxitama and the BLF, which they accuse of intimidation being carried out to quash reports on state capture allegations.

The application alleges that the BLF’s “targeted harassment” is to ensure that the public “remains none the wiser on the extent to which it is said that high-profile politicians and private interests benefit from corruption and maladministration”.

They added that it constitutes a “clear breach of freedom of expression because it violates the right of the public to be informed, a core responsibility a free and independent press”, Sanef chairperson Mahlatse Gallens said in a founding affidavit.

The applicants with Sanef are: Business Day editor Tim Cohen; Tiso Blackstar editor at large Peter Bruce; Amabhungane investigative journalist Sam Sole; News24 editor Adriaan Basson; EWN journalist and political commentator Stephen Grootes; Columnist Max du Preez; EWN reporter Barry Bateman; Journalist and political analyst Karima Brown; McKaiser; Huffington Post editor-at-large Ferial Haffajee; Primedia Group editor-in-chief Katy Katopodis.

They want Mngxitama and BLF interdicted from harassing, intimidating, assaulting and threatening journalists and editors over their reporting and analysis on corruption and state capture.

News24 further reported that last Thursday Cohen was assaulted as he tried to take a picture of BLF supporters gathered outside Bruce’s home in Johannesburg.

BLF has explained it decided to target “racist” journalists in protest against “racism, slander, fake news and the covering up of white corruption under the guise of journalism”.

Sanef’s application was served on BLF and Mngxitama. They have the opportunity to file answering papers before the matter is heard in court, News24 further reported.

Mngxitama and the BLF have continued their campaign, particularly on Twitter, where one of its members referred to the Human Rights Commission as the “Human Whites Commission”.

https://twitter.com/LindsayMaasdorp/status/881899888186884096

The BLF’s website appears to have been shut down, which has also upset BLF members, who blame this on “white people”.

https://twitter.com/MahlabaMathonto/status/881918881413070848

https://twitter.com/LindsayMaasdorp/status/881968402406965248