Sanef confident of a positive outcome in their court application

The South African National Editors Forum (Sanef) has highlighted that it is confident that the court will grant an interdict to stop members of the Black First Land First movement harassing journalists.

The forum approached the High Court in Johannesburg on an urgent basis, in a bid to interdict BLF members from harassing, intimidating and threatening journalists.

Sanef chairperson, Mahlatse Gallens pointed out that they approached the court following a protest outside the home of the editor at large at Tiso Blackstar (formerly Times Media) on 29 June.

The BLF members held their protest outside Peter Bruce’s home in Parkview where they allegedly damaged his garage doors and also turned off his water meter.

During the same protest, BLF members allegedly assaulted veteran journalist and political commentator, Karima Brown, in full view of the police.

Brown and Business Day editor, Tim Cohen, were allegedly harassed and intimidated by BLF members as they rushed to the home of Bruce to support him after the story of the protest broke.

The BLF allegedly also threatened other journalists, stating that more protests will follow at their homes, including their places of worship.

Leading with his arguments for the urgent application heard on 6 July, Advocate Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, who was representing Sanef, told Judge Van der Westhuizen that the court needed to step in and stop alleged criminal activities directed at journalists by the BLF. “Assault is a crime and BLF members assaulted Karima Brown in front of the police,” Ngcukaitobi said.

He also highlighted that following journalists to their homes amounted to harassment, as they are private citizens once they leave their places of work, adding that any protests that the BLF might want to undertake must be directed at media houses, and must be executed within the law.

Advocate Brendon Tshabangu for the BLF, however, had a different view. He lambasted journalists for approaching the court, saying it is an abuse of State resources. He pointed out that the court was not the only way to deal with or curb alleged criminal activities directed at them.

“Journalists understand the law, they know that when assaulted they must go to the police and not run to the courts,” Tshabangu argued, adding that what journalists have done by approaching the court reflects their lack of trust in the police. Tshabangu also maintained in his argument that there was nothing wrong with protesting outside the homes of journalists.

He said the BLF was committed to continue the fight against racist journalists who are biased in their reporting. “If they are reporting on a white-owned company, it’s collusion but if it’s a black-owned company, it’s corruption,” Tshabangu said.

Judgement has been reserved and will be handed down on 7 July.

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