Pretoria – The National Press Club (NPC) has strongly condemned the intimidation and harassment of Daily Sun photojournalist Rapula Mancai by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF).
The NPC said Mancai was forced to delete his photographs by EFF officials in Rustenburg, North West on Wednesday, 26 July.
Mancai was covering the party’s Marikana 10th birthday celebration at the Koppie outside Rustenburg when part of the stage collapsed shortly after party leader Julius Malema addressed the crowd.
“The journalist captured the incident which irritated some party officials who then grabbed him, took him backstage where they confiscated his camera, stripped off his media accreditation, and demanded that he delete pictures of the incident before he could get his working equipment back,” said the NPC in a statement issued on Friday.
“According to Mancai, part of the EFF officials who harassed, intimidated, and forced him to delete the pictures was the party’s media liaison officer Thato Lebyane.”
The NPC said it tried to engage the EFF on this matter, but there was no response.
“It cannot be allowed that journalists continue to suffer abuse and intimidation for carrying out their journalistic duties,” said National Press Club Secretary, Frans Sello waga Machate.
“The EFF is obliged by the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa to protect the freedom of expression which include the freedom of the press and other media and freedom to receive or impart information or ideas among other democratic rights.”
Every democracy relies strongly on the media as the fourth estate to ensure that society is informed.
The NPC said it encourages Mancai and his media house to lay criminal charges against the relevant EFF officials.
The NPC called on the EFF and its leadership to uphold the South African Constitution, which guarantees the existence of media as the fourth estate and key pillar of democracy.
“The behaviour and abuse of the journalist by EFF officials cannot be tolerated at all as it interferes with journalists’ right to freely do their job without hindrance,” the NPC said, adding “That is unconstitutional”.
The NPC said it takes “serious exception” to this kind of intimidation and harassment of journalists, particularly from the party’s media officials.
“We expect the EFF and its officials to treat members of the media with respect and allow journalists to do their work freely as enshrined in the Bill of Rights particularly because the party is represented in the National Assembly and other provincial and local government structures,” the NPC said.
“The abuse and intimidation of the media is barbaric and equal to violation of human rights.”
