Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal — The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) has strongly condemned the alleged assault, intimidation, and robbery of two journalists from The Witness during a protest in Pietermaritzburg, calling on authorities to act swiftly against those responsible.
According to SANEF, the incident occurred on 18 February when a two-person reporting team from The Witness arrived to cover a publicised protest organised by members of the South African Municipal Workers’ Union in the KwaZulu-Natal capital.
SANEF alleges that shortly after arriving at the protest, the journalists were verbally abused, threatened, and physically assaulted by individuals believed to be associated with the union. During the incident, the newspaper’s photographer was reportedly dragged along the ground and forced to delete photographs under threats of further violence.
The organisation described the attack as a serious violation of press freedom and a direct assault on journalists performing their duty to inform the public.
SANEF has called on the South African Police Service to urgently investigate the matter and identify the individuals responsible for the alleged assault, robbery, intimidation, and damage to property.
“This is a despicable act against freedom of expression and against media workers who provide the last bastion of such freedom,” SANEF said in a statement.
The editors’ forum also urged the Congress of South African Trade Unions, the federation to which SAMWU is affiliated, to publicly condemn the reported actions of its members and ensure that disciplinary measures are taken where necessary.
SANEF warned that acts of violence and intimidation against journalists cannot be allowed to go unpunished, as they threaten not only press freedom but also the public’s constitutional right to access information.
“Journalists have every right to report on matters of public interest, and they should be allowed to do their work without fear of intimidation or violence,” the organisation added.
SANEF further called on all South Africans to respect the role of journalists in society, emphasising that media workers often provide the only access to critical information that helps communities understand the events affecting their lives.
The organisation stressed that if such incidents are not properly investigated and perpetrators held accountable, they could create a dangerous environment for journalists and weaken democratic freedoms in the country.
