Trash South African police shockingly interfered and blocked the South African media from reporting freely - although the right to freedom of speech is enshrined in South Africa's Constitution - when the South African Police Service (SAPS) blocked a reporting and camera crew of the SABC's SABC News from doing a report from the Beitbridge border crossing.
An SABC News crew reported from the Beitbridge border crossing on Friday morning, alongside other South African TV news crews, covering one angle of the unfolding military coup happening in Zimbabwe.
An incompetent and clueless South African police officer shocking put his cap over a SABC News camera, during a live report on SABC News (DStv 404) - blacking out the visuals as SABC News reporter Mike Maringa and camera woman Vanessa Langa valiantly tried to do their job as journalists.
It's not clear why South Africa has trash police on active duty who are not aware of the rules barring them from interfering with the press and their reporting.
South African journalists and the media are allowed to report freely from any public domain and the South African Police Service (SAPS) is not allowed to interfere - let alone black out reporting and blatantly harassing and trying to censor the press.
The South African police needs to leave the SABC and SABC journalists, trying to do their jobs, alone.
"We are having a problem. Police officers have just closed our view. We'll have to cut it short. They are saying we are not allowed to be filming at the border gate," SABC News reporter Mike Maringa reported live while the police tried to block him.
Mike Maringa was standing in a public space while the South African police idiot put his cap across the SABC News camera lens.
Now the South African Police Services (SAPS) is describing its illegal interference in freedom of speech and harassing the press as "isolated".
"The provincial management of the South African Police Services in Limpopo has taken note of the incident that took place on Friday morning in which our members were apparently seen manhandling journalists of the SABC during the Morning Live programme at Beitbridge Border Post," says province police commander commissioner lieutenant general Nneke Ledwaba in a statement.
"We condemn the actions of these members and would like to take this opportunity to assure members of the community in general and the SABC, in particular, that the police are not in any way mandated to harass or manhandle any member of the media".
According to province police commander commissioner lieutenant general Nneke Ledwaba the South African police has "a sound working relationship with journalists from all media houses" - just not when they put their police caps over the cameras of TV news crews during live reports.
"We apologise unreservedly and we respect the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa with all its limitations and we have the responsibility of protecting all citizens, including journalists," says province police commander commissioner lieutenant general Nneke Ledwaba.
"We however, regard what happened this morning as an isolated incident which does not represent the general behaviour of members of the South African Police Service".
Sadly that is the general behaviour that South African and African viewers got to see on SABC News on Friday morning during the live crossing.
Province police commander commissioner lieutenant general Nneke Ledwaba said the South African Police Service will "conduct an internal investigation into the matter with a view of taking corrective measures".
Province police commander commissioner lieutenant general Nneke Ledwaba didn't name the police officer who tried to censor the SABC News reporting, and didn't say whether the person has been suspended and will face a disciplinary hearing.
The SABC condemned the South African Police Service's harassment of the SABC News crew.
"The SABC condemns these police actions with the contempt it deserves," SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago told News24.
"These actions are shocking as the police are supposed to be protecting citizens and journalists."
"It must be emphasised that these unfortunate events happened after our news crew was granted permission to film on the basis that they will do crossings and conduct interviews outside the border gate," said Kaizer Kganyago.
