SANEF lashes out at Mkhwanazi for accusing certain journalists of pushing agendas

The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) has lashed out at KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi for accusing certain journalists of pushing agendas.

Testifying before a Parliamentary Ad-Hoc committee on Wednesday, Mkhwanazi launched an attack on the media.

Mkhwanazi called on the committee and the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence to task the state security apparatus to conduct a counter-intelligence investigation against at least two media houses.

Mkhwanazi’s outburst was fuelled by a media query he received from City Press journalist Abram Mashego earlier this year regarding a right of reply in reference to possible legal action being instituted against him following his 6 July press briefing. 

"I hope that they are going to not only get held accountable by that media house, by losing their jobs, but they must end up in prison. There must be heavy penalties for mistakes made by journalists. It cannot be that anyone else can be held accountable, but when it comes to media freedom, it’s gospel, whatever they say - it’s wrong."

SANEF executive director, Reggy Moalusi, said that Mkhwanazi’s sentiments were a chilling attack on the constitutional rights of a free press.

"We are now going towards the route of the oppressive tactics employed by the apartheid state and we don’t want to go there. SANEF has requested police management to speak to Mkhwanazi about his utterances against SA media."

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