Media freedom victory

INTERDICT AGAINST BLF: THREATS TO JOURNALISTS ORDERED TO STOP

Organisation’s members fling racial insults at reporters who attended court.

Altercations broke out in court yesterday between the South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) and Black First Land First (BLF) members moments after the High Court in Johannesburg granted an interdict barring the latter from harassing the media.

Judge Corrie van der Westhuizen’s brief judgment in favour of Sanef ruled that BLF must refrain from intimidating, harassing and threatening journalists at their homes, workplaces and in the field.

He also ordered BLF to pay the costs and to retract all comments on social media within 12 hours.

Chants of “media freedom” rang out in the court room after the judgment was handed down.

This sparked an angry response from BLF leader Andile Mngxitama and other BLF members who shouted racial insults at journalists leaving the court.

“This white judge who we told you cannot be trusted… white judges come from apartheid… there were many complicated matters put before him. If he was so clear in his mind he should’ve just given the judgment yesterday,” Mngxitama said when the commotion died down.

Two opposition party leaders, Congress of the People’s (Cope’s) Mosiuoa Lekota and the African Christian Democratic Party’s (ACDP’s) Reverend Kenneth Meshoe, attended court in sup- port of journalists who have been at the receiving end of the BLF’s violent anti-media campaigns.

They welcomed the judgment, saying democracy could not succeed without the media having the freedom to work. – ANA

Picture: Nigel Sibanda ANGER. BLF founder and leader Andile Mngxitama speaks to members and media before entering the High Court in Johannesburg yesterday. His organisation was at the losing end of the case.