Mbalula urges BLF to respect court order to stop intimidating journalists

Police Minister Fikile Mbalula has welcomed a court judgment interdicting Black First Land First (BLF) from harassing or intimidating journalists and warned that police will not hesitate to act against those undermining court decisions.

The application for the urgent interdict was brought by the South African National Editor's Forum (SANEF) following further threats of intimidation by BLF after its members threatened Tiso Blackstar editor-at-large Peter Bruce over an anti-Gupta article and assaulted Business Day editor Tim Cohen during a protest at Bruce’s Parkview home last week.

Mbalula called on BLF members to stop harassing and intimidating members of the media and respect the court judgment. He said that in a democratic South Africa freedom of the press was one of the celebrated freedoms.

“We have a duty all of us to protect that freedom. Journalists cannot and must never be silenced. They form a critical part of our democracy‚ they inform and educate our people. They are the voice of the voiceless and marginalised South Africans‚" the minister stated.

He reassures South Africans that action would be taken against those hell-bent on undermining the country’s democracy. “Police have a duty to protect all citizens‚ no one has a right to protest on anyone's private residence.”

Mbalula said the courts remained the last arbiter to settle differences and that their decisions must be respected.

"Ours is to uphold the rule of law and we expect everyone to respect the court judgment. The Police will not hesitate to act against those who want to undermine the decisions of the court‚" he added.

"No matter how heated the engagements are‚ they must happen within the ambit of the law. Therefore no intimidation or harassment must be used to silence those you differ with."

- TimesLIVE