EFF hits back at Karima Brown, Brown reacts

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has criticized broadcaster Karima Brown, labelling her as an “openly ended ANC operative”.

This comes after the South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) asked that the party to apologise to Brown after its leader Julius Malema put up a Social Media post with her personal cell phone number.

Brown accidentally posted a message on an EFF WhatsApp group, meant for a journalist group instead and thereafter; Malema published Brown’s number on his Twitter profile.

In it, Brown directs the group to monitor Malema’s event on the East Rand – where he met with the elderly to hear their grievances ahead of the May 8 polls.

But, Malema says Brown is out to destroy the EFF. And he believes she is sending a message to spies at the event.

Karima Brown is sending moles to our breakfast with the elders tomorrow, she incidentally sends the message to the @EFFSouthAfrica media WhatsApp group and deleted it immediately. pic.twitter.com/q7ypvaYTMy

— Julius Sello Malema (@Julius_S_Malema) March 5, 2019

In a statement, the EFF questioned Brown’s journalistic integrity and the role she plays in the media.

“Upon accidentally dropping what looks like briefing notes in an EFF Media Statements WhatsApp Group, we have since exposed those notes to the public. As a result, she has argued that those were editorial notes for eNCA journalists. We know for a fact that Karima Brown holds no editorial positions, not even an assignment editor’s position at the eNCA. We urge the eNCA to explain in what capacity, she would be briefing journalists who are going on assignments to cover EFF meetings.”

“We have mentioned her in name, because we do not want to tarnish all other journalist by making generalizations. Our argument is with her, because we believe she holds no position, anywhere, to be deploying journalists to cover any news.

“If Karima Brown is no official editor, and yet the eNCA allows her to hold such power, they must say so. This will make matters easy for us, as we will, from henceforth, deal with her and not the officially designated editors.”

Malema on the issue:

Brown has hit back at Malema saying his accusations of her being a State Security spy are unfounded. This after Brown accidentally posted an editorial note on the EFF’s WhatsApp media group on Tuesday night, which was supposed to be directed to her media house.

Brown says the EFF is a threat to democracy…

“The EFF is a threat to our democracy. I am not going to negotiate with the EFF. If I can do my job as a journalist. I am not going to seek their position and I am not going to ask them for the right to do my work. I don’t work for State Security. I am a journalist who is employed at eNCA and 702. I brief journalists everyday and so what Malema is saying complete and utter nonsense.”

Watch Brown react below: