TV reporters locally and internationally, journalists and photographers have been renting rooms and houses in the poor village to cover Nelson Mandela's death and upcoming funeral in Qunu on Sunday.
The heavy-handed South African police and the government are not giving any reasons for restricting reporters and journalists free access to places and where they've been staying, except suddenly saying the press renting houses and rooms close to Nelson Mandela's home in Qunu are "violating protocol".
Journalists, TV reporters and photographers are barred from even fetching their own clothes from houses and rooms they've been renting in the poor region this week where locals also charged press R10 for amenities such as using outside non-flush toilets, so-called "long drops".
The South African police and the government are barring journalists, reporters and photographers from doing their job while they're covering an international and national South African event of importance.
South Africa's government is unable to explain, or is unwilling to be specific about why further roads, areas and houses in Qunu are suddenly blocked and which are not presenting a direct and immediate security concern to Nelson Mandela's house.
Collins Chabane, the minister in the presidency on Wednesday said the media in Qunu who have been there the entire week since the weekend and have been reporting stories unhindered, "have violated the protocols and arrangements that are in place in Qunu".
No such protocols have been given to the press previously who are now locked out of where they were staying.
The N2 national road - the main road to and from Qunu - has been closed off since the weekend for a few kilometres before and after Nelson Mandela's home.
The side road through Qunu, which the media and others used to get closer to Nelson Mandela's house has now also been closed off.
"Government appeals to members of the media to respect former president Nelson Mandela's final resting place in Qunu, Eastern Cape," said Collins Chabane.
Collins Chabane didn't specify how the media, given the massive national and international interest, are supposed to adequately and properly cover the news unhindered if they're denied access to basic, non-security risk areas where normal Qunu residents are staying who've opened their homes to the press, after being asked to do so by the same government last week.
The side road through Qunu, which media and other people used to get to the house, was closed late on Tuesday afternoon.
