Media barred from DA City Hall briefing
METRO police officers evicted journalists from the Durban City Hall as they arrived yesterday to attend a DA news conference focusing on internal council probes into fraud and corruption.
Despite attempts by DA councillors to liaise with City Hall security officials, armed metro police officers arrived at the booked committee room and told journalists to leave the premises.
The DA’s briefing was meant to shed light on hundreds of internal fraud and corruption reports that have allegedly not been attended to, or acted on, by city management.
“The DA in eThekwini is unshaken by the failing ANC’s attempts at intimidation today at the Durban City Hall… No one is able to show why or how this was decided, and in accordance with what rule or by-law,” DA eThekwini caucus leader Nicole Graham said.
She added that it seemed there was an instruction from an official in the mayor’s parlour.
“The ANC’s attitude is shocking, but not surprising. City Hall is a public building, where members of the media and public should be welcomed. It is not an ANC office or Zandile Gumede’s private property where people can be refused at a whim,” she said.
But Gumede distanced herself from the incident.
Mayoral spokesperson, Mtunzi Gumede, said they rejected reports that the mayor had instructed the metro police to mishandle and eject the media.
“For the record, the mayor was not aware of the DA press briefing until she received calls and text messages from ANC leadership and other leaders of political parties. Therefore reports linking her to the commotion are untrue and based on rumours and not facts,” he said. He added that the mayor had ordered an investigation, which would be shared publicly.
The South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) found the confrontation “very disturbing”.
Sanef Executive Director Kate Skinner called on political parties and elected leaders not to use journalists as pawns in their political infighting, or to cover up corruption.
“Denying journalists entry into a press briefing is unconstitutional and denies the public the right to information,” she said.
After the eviction, the DA continued its press briefing on the steps of City Hall.
According to Graham, city manager Sipho Nzuza had not actioned one of the 53 cases brought to his office between October and December. She said the 53 cases were still with the City Integrity and Investigations Unit (CIIU).
She also referred to a report tabled at a recent executive committee meeting that stated 260 fraud and corruption cases had been reported between July and September last year.
According to the report, the CIIU had 669 cases, but had only finalised and closed 91 cases. She said recommendations from 371 cases remained unimplemented.