Journo under fire by EFF

The SA National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) has defended senior journalist and TV host Karima Brown after EFF supporters sent threatening messages to her on her phone.

The attacks on Brown started on Tuesday night after EFF leader Julius Malema posted her contact number on his Twitter timeline.

Brown had mistakenly posted a watching brief meant for her eNCA colleagues to the EFF media WhatsApp group.

Malema posted a screengrab of the message on Twitter and wrote: “Karima Brown is sending moles to our breakfast with elders tomorrow‚ she incidentally sends the message to the @EFFSouthAfrica media WhatsApp group and deleted it immediately.”

Sanef said in a statement: “Malema published the cellphone number of Brown and shortly thereafter his supporters began a barrage of insults against her – calling her‚ among other derogatory names‚ ‘an Indian whore and bitch’‚ and levelling insults‚ threatening her life‚ and accusing her of sending moles to spy on them.

“We call on the EFF leadership to stop with this vicious attack on the media and allow journalists to do their work without fear and intimidation.”

Malema said he would not apologise because “I think she is working for state security”.

“The questions in her message were crafted in such a way that they are suspicious and that is how intelligence operatives write,” he said.

Malema said he “exposed” Brown because he believed she was putting the lives of elderly people in danger by asking for details of how they were selected to be part of the breakfast.

Brown said she would not be intimidated by Malema.

“If I crumble‚ the entire profession is at risk.”