National Editors' Forum, SANEF, and the South African Freelancers' Association, SAFREA, have called on law enforcement members to stop their hostility and harassment of journalists.

1. The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) and the South African Freelancers’
Association (SAFREA) condemn another hostile attack against journalists.
Cape Town freelance journalist, Jacques Marais has informed us of how he was sworn at, his life
was threatened and how he was ultimately prevented from covering a lockdown story on
Thursday, 9 April 2020, he was doing in Masiphumelele township, in the south of the City.
Marais states, “Yesterday I was following a convoy of a dozen police vehicles and an army
Casper vehicle into the warren of alleys and shacks that shapes Masi township on the border of
the industrial sprawl of Fish Eagle Park. I saw the police and soldiers spill from their vehicles
and descend in droves on pedestrians jostling the pavements… I have blurry images that show
the police with sticks beating a man.” Marais has shared these pictures with SANEF.
Marais then told SANEF that a police vehicle blocked his car as he followed the convoy further
into the township. He pulled over to the side of the road and continued to travel on foot while
wearing a clearly official and identifiable press bib. He also held up his camera explaining to one
officer that he was a journalist and had his permit, accreditation and his media card. However,
the situation got ugly as he reached into his vehicle for his media card.
Marais states, “My vehicle door slammed into my back. I turned around and two men in plain
clothes, clearly visible in my photos as part of the police operation, then started shouting and
brandishing 1.2m-long wooden clubs. Both men’s faces were covered in buffs and I was cursed
and threatened for the next couple of minutes”.
Marais reports that his media accreditation was hurled back into his vehicle and when he asked
one of the men for his name, the man lifted his club and told me to “* or you will die here
today”. At that point, Marais left the township with his story unfinished. He stated, “I shudder to
think what happened when I turned my back and walked away.”
SANEF and SAFREA believe that this action by law enforcement officers is wholly
unacceptable and unlawful – both as regards the media and South African citizens. We deplore

2. the security forces violence against citizens – these actions fly in the face of all lockdown
regulations in place and stand in direct contradiction of our Constitution.
SANEF will make sure that this incident, along with all other incidents of hostility and
harassment, is tabled with the National Police Commissioner, Khehla Sitole the Ministry of
Police, Bheki Cele, and the Cape Town metro police. Our planned meeting with these parties
was halted due to the Covid-19 lockdown but we will now be seeking urgent on-line meetings –
within the lockdown rules – to demand that all law enforcement and army personnel be reminded
of their role to protect communities and to allow the media to play their critical role of informing
the public. We will, once again, strongly remind them that this is a right enshrined and protected
in our constitution and one that must be adhered to under the COVID-19 lockdown rules.
Freelancers are particularly vulnerable, without media house backing so we urge them to report
any incidents to SANEF, SAFREA or to the freelance organisation, ProJourn so we can take
these matters up.
Finally, we would like to highlight the issue of journalists’ safety. We refer all journalists and
media organisations to the safety tips including on our SANEF website.
We also call on all media organisations to ensure, wherever possible, that they provide trauma
counselling for journalists who have been out on assignment. We reiterate the long-term
damaging effects of untreated trauma. We have compiled a list of trauma and psychological
services for journalists that can be accessed on our website.
Note to editors: The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) is a non-profit
organisation whose members are editors, senior journalists and journalism trainers from
all areas of the South African media. We are committed to championing South Africa’s
hard-won freedom of expression and promoting quality, ethics and diversity in the media.
We promote excellence in journalism through fighting for media freedom, writing policy
submissions, research and education and training programmes. SANEF is not a union.
SAFREA is a voluntary, non-profit association for professional media freelancers in
southern Africa.