Two Sunday Times journalists visited drug trafficker Sheryl Cwele at Durban Westville prison on Saturday November 15 2014 - only to be arrested and harassed by prison officials who were miffed by a breach of protocol.
The two presented their identity documents at the prison and requested to see Cwele, who was welcoming but declined to be interviewed at present.
After a brief discussion, the journalists left the prison. They were then detained by prison officials for five hours, during which time they were denied access to their lawyer. It was only when they were taken to Westville police station that they were allowed to see their lawyer.
They were then granted police bail of R500. When they appeared in court on Monday on charges of breaching regulations, however, the prosecutor refused to enrol the matter.
This week, the Department of Correctional Services issued a statement accusing our journalists, who they declined to "name and shame at this stage", of "disguised entry" by pretending to be Cwele's relatives and conducting interviews.
Our journalists did not disguise themselves or misrepresent their identities to prison authorities, and they identified themselves as Sunday Times journalists to Cwele.
In its statement Correctional Services said we should follow prison channels to seek permission to conduct any interview with any inmate.
The statement cited the Correctional Services Act (Act 111 of 1998) which prohibits unauthorised publication, false representations and profiteering from publication of crimes from which offenders are serving sentences.
Sunday Times editor Phylicia Oppelt said: "Our journalists are guilty of none of these breaches. Our journalists were bullied, intimidated and harassed out of all proportion to their so-called offence. We are considering pressing charges for wrongful arrest."
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