The South African Communist Party (SACP) has condemned the intimidation and harassment of journalists on social media platforms. The organisation says that journalists who have covered stories about the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture and Public Enterprises Minister, Pravin Gordhan, are particularly being targeted in what it says is a threat to freedom of speech.
The SACP’s statement comes on the back drop of Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader, Julius Malema‘s attacks on journalists through posts on Twitter in recent weeks.
Malema had declined to meet with media body, SANEF to discuss the implications of his utterances.
“Those journalists who were covering the national imperative to root out the corruption and who have expressed a strong opinion against it have been targeted. This includes Karima Brown, Adriaan Basson, Pauli van Wyk and Ranjeni Munusamy. If people differ, they have to put forward intellectual arguments. No one has a right to mobilise incitement for whether physical or non-physical harm,” says SACP national spokesperson, Alex Mashilo.
