ANN7 reporter attacked at anti-Zuma march

A journalist for Gupta-owned television news channel African News Network 7 had water poured over her by anti-Zuma marchers wearing Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) T-shirts at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.

A deeply hurt and shaken Nomusa Phungula said she was crossing live when the group accosted her on Friday‚ calling her names before pouring water over her.

#SaveSAmarch#peoplesmarch#AntiZumaMarches@NomusaPhungula from ANN7 says @EFFSouthAfrica guys poured water on her while crossing live. #VKpic.twitter.com/hDQ4kf5roS

— Virginia Keppler (@VKeppler) April 7, 2017

Close to tears‚ she repeatedly asked: “Why are they pouring water on me?” as other journalists tried to console her.

• Black First Land First disrupt peaceful anti-Zuma march at Gupta compoundWhat started as a peaceful protest on Friday outside the Gupta family compound in Saxonwold‚ Johannesburg‚ by “Black Friday” demonstrators degenerated into fisticuffs when Black First Land First members arrived. 

“They were arrogant and they said what is it that I would do when I asked why they were attacking me‚” she said.

Phungula and her cameraman looked frightened and were unable to continue doing their work‚ cutting lonely figures on the lawns of the union building.

• Court request to bar ANCYL from Kathrada memorial postponedAn application to interdict the ANC Youth League from disrupting or attending the memorial service of struggle hero Ahmed Kathrada in Durban on Sunday was postponed so that lawyers for the league could file affidavits. 

The EFF has previously made clear its hostile attitude towards ANN7 reporters and has sworn never to grant them interviews‚ labelling the reporters Gupta agents.

In August last year‚ EFF leader Julius Malema defended the party’s deputy president‚ Floyd Shivambu‚ when he refused to be interviewed by an ANN7 journalist and called her a “Gupta agent”.

• Bewitch white people‚ says ANCWhite people must be bewitched and there is a local panacea for the ailing rand. 

Malema has said their attitude towards the ANN7 channel was because the news channel “promotes racketeering‚ fraud and all sorts of criminal activities in this country”.

The channel is owned by the controversial Gupta family accused of having links with President Jacob Zuma and is said to wield power on who becomes a minister in his Cabinet.