The South African Communist Party has condemned what it calls attempts to silence journalists and other critics of state capture.
FILE: Anti-Zuma protesters clash with BLF members who arrived at the Gupta family's Saxonwold mansion in support of the president. Picture: Christa Eybers/EWN
Koketšo Motau | 3 days ago
JOHANNESBURG - The South African Communist Party (SACP) has condemned what it calls attempts to silence journalists and other critics of state capture.
Last night, members of the Black First Land First (BLF) movementdisrupted a town hall meeting in Braamfontein that discussed the leaked Gupta emails and state capture.
The event was hosted by investigative journalism unit amaBhungane.
The communist party has criticised the BLF for continued attacks on media workers.
SACP spokesperson Alex Mashilo says: "The SACP condemns this in the strongest terms possible. In its own right, the SACP will conduct an investigation and engage with the South African National Editors' Forum to work together to ensure that we protect and defend and deepen media freedom in our country."
AmaBhungane's Stefaans Brummer says that it is unfortunate that police just stood by and watched instead of assisting.
"Officers arrived but they made it very clear that they didn't see themselves empowered to intervene, so that was the end of that."
Earlier this month, Sanef was granted a court interdict against Black First Land First and its leader Andile Mngxithama from intimidating and assaulting journalists.
http://ewn.co.za/2017/07/28/sacp-condemns-blf-s-continued-attacks-on-journalists
