Sanef turns to court over harassment

THE SOUTH African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) filed an urgent application against Black First Land First (BLF) and its founder, Andile Mngxitama, at the South Gauteng High Court yesterday.

The move comes after BLF members held a protest at the house of Tiso Blackstar editor-at-large Peter Bruce, on Thursday and allegedly intimidated and harassed Business Day editor Tim Cohen and political commentator Karima Brown.

BLF has since threatened more editors and journalists with similar protests at their homes and have referred to Brown, Huffington Post South Africa editor-at-large Ferial Haffajee and Talk Radio 702 presenter Eusebius McKaiser as “askaris”.

Sanef has asked the court to interdict BLF and Mngxitama from harassing, intimidating, assaulting and threatening 11 senior journalists, editors and commentators who have been targeted for their reporting on state capture.

The other co-applicants are Sam Sole, partner at investigative journalism unit amaBhungane, News24 editor Adriaan Basson, Talk Radio 702 presenter Stephen Grootes, independent journalist Max du Preez; Eyewitness News (EWN) editor Katy Katopodis and EWN reporter Barry Bateman. – ANA