SABC News reporter Samkele Maseko slapped, strangled in violent attack trying to cover Jacob Zuma protestors, threats to burn media vehicle.

by Thinus Ferreira

Journalists and TV reporters trying to cover the Jacob Zuma protestors at Nkandla in KwaZulu-Natal were physically and verbally harassed including the SABC News (DStv 404) reporter Samkele Maseko who was interrupted during his live reporting, while threats were made a media vehicle would be set alight.

The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) said in a statement on Sunday that it is "deeply worried and equally outraged by the brazen physical and verbal abuse of journalists by supporters of former president Jacob Zuma outside his Nkandla home".

SANEF chairperson, Sbu Ngalwa on Sunday witnessed the violent attack and had to step in to rescue Maseko.

Hebanna! reporters go through the most to get us the story. @SABCNews appreciation post #ZumaJudgement #amabutho #bekelebeke #ZumaConCourtRuling pic.twitter.com/Xk9ZHPffU9

— Lerato (@LeratoMabs) July 3, 2021

"I pulled him out as he was being attacked, strangled and slapped by one of the supporters," said Sbu Ngalwa in the statement. Samekele Maseko was one of the journalists being targeted by Jacob Zuma supporters. 

Video footage from Saturday shows a supporter pushing him away and asking him to leave Nkandla.

Since Friday, journalists have come under severe attacks while waiting for law enforcement agencies to execute a Constitutional Court ruling. 

Jacob Zuma was given until the end of Sunday to hand himself to the police and begin serving his 15-month sentence. The Court ruling found him guilty of contempt of court. Thousands of supporters and former ANC leaders have flocked to Nkandla to support Zuma.

Apart from supporters swearing and hurling verbal taunts at journalists, Edward Zuma, Zuma's eldest son, also threatened to burn one of the media vehicles parked outside his father’s house.

"We remind all supporters and the Jacob Zuma family and other former ANC leaders who also pitched up to support the former president that journalists have a right to cover the events. They were not trespassing, nor did they breach any privacy or court regulations," says SANEF.

Phathiswa Magopeni, the head of SABC News, says "We are extremely concerned about the ongoing bullying, intimidation and harassment of our journalists".

"Such conduct erodes media freedom, undermines the public's right to know, and has no place in our democracy. We urge the public to allow journalists a safe space to practice their craft without hindrance and use designated complaints agencies to raise any concerns of unfair coverage."

SANEF says that it is "also concerned that these kinds of attacks are a direct breach of the South African constitution that protects media freedom and access to information and by extension the right for journalists to do their work".

"The impunity in which the Jacob Zuma supporters have acted says a lot about the climate that has been enabled for such attacks to happen without consequence. We urge Zuma, and senior leaders supporting him, to curtail and condemn such attacks by calling on his family and supporters to cease and desist from such actions."

"We also wish to express our concern over the deafening silence from the country’s national and provincial assemblies, including law enforcement in the region. Such silence inadvertently condones the continuation of bullying and intimidation of journalists."

"We note that Zuma’s supporters were not wearing masks and therefore call on journalists to be cautious of all Covid-19 regulations bearing in mind the deadly new Delta strain."