(FXI/IFEX) – On 5 July 2000, FXI received news from the news agency African Eye News Services (AENS) that two of its reporters were harassed by government officials while on duty to cover a government staff protest in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga. According to AENS editor Justin Arenstein, AENS received three separate telephone invitations from three different […]
(FXI/IFEX) – On 5 July 2000, FXI received news from the news agency African Eye News Services (AENS) that two of its reporters were harassed by government officials while on duty to cover a government staff protest in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga.
According to AENS editor Justin Arenstein, AENS received three separate telephone invitations from three different Mpumalanga finance department worker representatives to cover a planned strike and memorandum handover to acting MEC Jacob Mabena on the afternoon of Friday 30 June.
Two reporters, Chuene Hamese and Sylvester Lukhele, were assigned to report the story and immediately went to the department’s Caltex Building offices in Nelspruit and presented themselves to reception at the department’s controlled access lobby. Both reporters clearly
identified themselves as AENS journalists and said they were there to cover expected staff action. They were required to show the guards their camera bag.
The guards then escorted both reporters to a staff meeting hall in the building, where the reporters began interviewing some of the 200 assembled workers. They were however confronted by senior managers, including departmental head Zakes Dube and communications officer Hope Mabaso, after about twenty minutes. Dube insisted that the offices were private property and protested at the reporters’ presence but invited them into his office to discuss the issue and answer their questions.
Dube then ordered fellow managers and security guards to arrest the reporters immediately after they walked into a side office. Five officials physically overpowered Hamese and wrestled his camera, notebook, camera bag and various documents from him. Lukhele managed to force his way out of the office and immediately returned to the newsroom to report the incident, which was witnessed by a large number of the 200 protesters.
Arenstein said he called both Mabena and Dube on their cellular telephones to verify the incident and insisted that Hamese be released, and that the equipment and film be returned undamaged. Dube confirmed the detention and confiscation and insisted that he was within his rights to act against anyone inside the departmental building. Dube also accused the reporters of “sneaking” into the meeting, insisted that public service labour unrest was not for public consumption and said the camera and film would not be returned.
Mabena in turn expressed his dissatisfaction that the reporters had attended the event without written permission from his office, said he supported the confiscation of the camera and equipment and said he did not care what the national or international repercussions were. Arenstein said that he was non-confrontational but was insistent that the two reporters had at all times identified themselves. They were responding to a staff invitation and were, to AENS’s knowledge, not violating national keypoint or other legislation. Mabena was unable to say which if any laws prohibited the coverage of the event and eventually undertook to release Hamese and his equipment.
The camera, notebook and documents, including a copy of the memorandum, were however declared lost and only returned two hours later following another series of telephone calls to Dube, provincial communications director Joy Letlonkane and worker representatives. The camera was, Dube eventually said, confiscated and locked into a cupboard by director Thabisile Dlamini. Dlamini was one of the individuals the workers were protesting against on alleged corruption
charges. It was returned to AENS undamaged just before 5:00 pm, after their daily deadlines.
Hamese has added in his report to AENS (which is a sworn statement) that Mabena was present soon after the camera was detained and that he strolled around the office making various remarks including: “We are going to uproot this racist media and people are being used to further
racist motives through the media,” and “we will deal with you guys later.” He later denied the comments when Arenstein attempted to discuss them over the telephone, and told him not to play with fire.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to the premier of Mpumalanga:
– strongly protesting the continued harassment of journalists in Mpumalanga
– requesting that the Office of the Premier establish guidelines to prevent any similar incidents in the future
– referring to section 16 of the Bill of Rights which guarantees freedom of the press
Appeals To
APPEALS TO:
Premier Ndaweni Mahlangu
Premier of Mpumalanga
P/Bag X11291
Nelspruit, Mpumalanga
1200
Tel: +013 759 3705
Fax: +013 755 4965
Please send copies to:
President’s Office
Fax: +021 464 2217
Chief Executive Officer
Government Communications
Fax: +012 323 3831 / 4979
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
