Sanef move for Mngxitama to be found in contempt of court

The South African National Editors’ Forum wants Black First Land First leader Andile Mngxitama to be found in contempt of an earlier court order preventing him from harassing journalists.

Sanef‚ together with AmaBhungane managing partner Sam Sole and Huffington Post SA editor Ferial Haffajee‚ have asked the high court in Johannesburg to issue an order for Mngxitama’s arrest and imprisonment for 90 days - but that the order‚ once granted‚ be suspended indefinitely.

The matter is set to be heard next Tuesday.

They also want Mngxitama and BLF to pay a fine of R100‚000 to the justice department.

They approached the court because they believe Mngxitama and BLF violated a court order passed by Acting Judge Corrie van der Westhuizen last month which prohibited BLF and its members from harassing and intimidating a number of journalists‚ including Tiso Blackstar editor-at-large Peter Bruce.

Sanef‚ Sole and Haffajee launched the urgent application following the disruption of an AmaBhungane town hall event in Braamfontein last week‚ where BLF members disrupted the proceedings.

In his founding affidavit filed with the court this week‚ Sole said Mngxitama and BLF members had wilfully breached the court order by engaging in activities aimed at intimidating other journalists.

“For this reason‚ an order of contempt is sought against (BLF).”

Sole said the purpose of the application was aimed at enforcing the earlier court order‚ and finding BLF in contempt.

The application also aimed to extend the protection afforded by the Van der Westhuizen court order to journalists more generally.

Sole said on July 27‚ amaBhungane hosted a town hall event in Braamfontein to discuss the “Gupta leaks”.

Sole said he was disrupted by a group of people while addressing the event.

“It is clear that the purpose of the activity was deliberately aimed at targeting amaBhungane and silencing it.”

He said he announced that the event was over and requested that people be allowed to leave.

Sole said about half of the audience left and some members stayed behind and there was an informal discussion.

“This was only made possible however after Mr Mngxitama and the disrupting crowd had also left the building.”

Sole said this conduct demonstrated that Mngxitama and BLF were engaging in conduct that was intended to frustrate the terms of the order.

BLF could not be reached for comment.