BLF says no harm meant and it will obey

BLACK First Land First (BLF) yesterday promised to abide by a court ruling that forbids the organisation from staging protests outside the homes of journalists.

On Friday, the high court in Joburg granted the South African National Editors’ Forum an interdict against BLF threatening media practitioners.

BLF held a media briefing to respond to Sanef ’s demands that the movement respect the high court decision.

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

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

BLF president Andile Mngxitama said BLF had fully complied with the court interdict.

“The court said BLF must issue a statement before or within 12 hours of the order. BLF met this deadline and issued a statement on all our media platforms.

“BLF is an anti-racist revolutionary movement that seeks to end white supremacy that was inaugurated in South Africa.

“BLF believes that blacks can’t be racist but are victims of racism, which is perpetuated by whites,” said Mngxitama.

He said BLF assured journalists that it would not, and had never intended to, harm them in any way.

Mngxitama added: “Our fight is with racism, and BLF will continue to use our fundamental right to protest to counter any acts of racism.”

He added that BLF welcomed the clarification by the court that private homes are not zones of protest. “From now on, no one will dare launch any protest at the private homes of their adversaries,” he said.