Sanef condemns minister’s muzzling of the media

THE SA NATIONAL EDITORS’ FORUM (Sanef) has condemned the blocking of journalists by Communications Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams from covering the actions of protesters at an ANC election manifesto launch in Mount Frere in the Eastern Cape.

“Sanef has seen the video footage, which was also broadcast on TV stations. showing the minister preventing journalists from covering the protest and ordering them to cover what they came for and not give coverage to ‘people that are out of order’.

“Irate supporters stormed the rally, complaining about poor service delivery. Journalists from the SABC and other media were blocked,” Sanef said.

“While we note the minister has apologised for the incident, we are concerned that she refers to her actions as an ‘altercation’. Given the minister’s high-profile portfolio relating in particular to the SABC, we would like to have an urgent meeting with her to discuss the matter and our concerns.”