Schabir Shaik

The SA National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) has called for a full investigation into the alleged attack on a woman journalist by convicted fraudster Schabir Shaik.

Shaik is on parole after being declared terminally ill, and has denied the attack.

The journalist, Amanda Khoza of the Sunday Tribune, who with photographer Charmel Bowman were reporting on Shaik playing a game of golf in Durban while he was under strict parole conditions, was confronted by Shaik, who allegedly grabbed her by the throat and slapped her, demanding to know who she was.

“Sanef supports the laying of criminal charges by Khoza against Shaik, and urges that an investigation be carried out speedily.

“Sanef also notes physical attacks by the police on journalists carrying out their duties as well as police harassment of journalists by arresting them on spurious charges at crime scenes.

“Assaults on journalists carrying out their duties are condemned,” Sanef’s executive director, Femida Mehtar, said in a statement.

Pretoria News chief photographer Masi Losi was threatened with arrest after he photographed two Pretoria Central police station members arresting a suspected thief they had rescued from an enraged mob on February 4 this year.

Last year, Sunday Times journalist Mzilikazi wa Afrika was charged with defeating the ends of justice and fraud after covering corruption in the province.

An Eyewitness News journalist was also forced to delete pictures he had taken of cars driven by President Jacob Zuma’s VIP unit.

In Bloemfontein, police officers seized Volksblad photographer Theo Jeptha while he was taking pictures of a group of schoolchildren fighting while the police sat nearby, without taking action.

The police bundled Jeptha into the back of their vehicle and drove off.

After making a phone call, the police let him go.

Sanef has reported about 12 similar illegal arrests in the past 18 months to Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa and national police commissioner General Bheki Cele on more than one occasion.