Sunday, July 4: Two SA-based New Frame journalists, Magnificent Mndebele and Cebelihle Mbuyisa, who were covering pro-democracy protests in the tiny mountain kingdom of eSwatini, were assaulted, detained and tortured by security forces. They were forced to delete material from their phones and cameras. These reporters were among the few media on the ground covering the possible fall of Africa’s last absolute monarchy. They were in a key position to investigate reports on social media that dozens of opposition supporters had been killed. An internet blackout followed; all the more reason for the media to have feet on the ground.
The SABC and Newzroom Afrika also had to pull their journalists out of the country due to attacks and intimidation. New Frame hired a lawyer who managed to get the pair released. Now SA can only rely on formal communication channels for updates out of eSwatini, which is less than ideal. To illustrate the point, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) issued a statement acknowledging one death in eSwatini, in stark contrast to opposition parties saying 40 people were murdered. The media should be there to independently verify information and in the process expose misinformation campaigns that can empower the wrong people.
We call on those perpetuating the inaccurate narrative that the media is ignoring the protests to desist, switch on their TV news.
— Sanef
The SA National Editors’ Forum, in a statement that condemned the actions of eSwatini officials, described media freedom as “essential pillar of our democracies in the region which is too often taken for granted”.
“Respect for freedom of the media in Eswatini has disappeared overnight due to the lack of the government conscience to defend human rights. In the last years, we have witnessed an increase in the number of cases of violence and intimidation against journalists,” said Sanef.
Sunday, July 11: Another Sanef statement. This time, the focus is on SA. Riots and looting have spread in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng and attacks on journalists have become more frequent. SABC television crews were robbed in Alexandra, north of Johannesburg; a camera and vehicle belonging to Newzroom Afrika was damaged in Hillbrow. A News24 journalist was told he “will die today”.
“Our media houses are sending out their journalists out daily, at the risk of violent attacks and contracting Covid-19, as they recognise the media’s role in our constitutional democracy,” said Sanef. “While everyone is entitled to their views, we call on those perpetuating the inaccurate narrative that the media is ignoring the protests to desist, switch on their TV news, read reputational online and print news platforms, to see how wide the protests have been covered.”
Tuesday: Sanef is in the unfortunate position of having to release yet another statement on attacks against the media. Two radio stations, one in Alexandra in Johannesburg and another in Kagiso, Mogale City, were looted. Alex FM and West Side FM are community radio stations that have been serving their listeners for 27 and eight years respectively. Alex FM estimates the cost of the damage at R5m.
“In KZN, we note Premier Sihle Zikalala’s call for the media to be allowed space to do their job, while we also note unacceptable racial attacks and some police officers who continue to treat journalists with utter disrespect,” said Sanef. “We acknowledge that everyone has a constitutional right to protest, but what we have seen in recent days has now gone beyond protest, rather criminality that must be condemned, with those arrested to be prosecuted.”
SA is under fire and so are its media. The media bring the stories to the public, keep it informed and play the role of watchdog to society, cutting through the noise and chaos, sometimes at great risk to journalists’ own safety. Our reporters are the difference between fake news, old videos circulating from five years ago, and the true story. Journalists aim to tell all sides of the story, from the looters to the looted. Our own authorities need to respect that and need to do everything in their power to help protect the fourth estate, one of the pillars of a true democracy.
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