The South African National Editors Forum (SANEF) welcomed the apologies from broadcast media houses following an alleged heckle by journalists of Tumelo Madlala at the High Court in Pretoria.
The court temporarily banned audio and video recordings at the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial after witness, Madlala, was hounded by some journalists.
The SABC, eNCA and NewzRoom Afrika journalists have since apologised for the incident.
Madlala, one of Meyiwa’s closest friends, was present when the goalie was killed in 2014. Five men stand accused of Meyiwa’s murder after an alleged botched robbery.
SANEF’s Media Freedom Committee Chairperson, Makhudu Sefara, says some of the journalists overstepped the line.
Sefara says, “SANEF’s view is that what happened yesterday is not something to be encouraged, it is wrong and must be called out for what it is. We understand that journalists are not above the law and not beyond criticism. What happened yesterday is that journalists overstepped the line and as such we appreciate the apologies from the media houses involved.”
SANEF has put together an exhaustive court manual that is meant to assist editors, news editors, and ultimately, journalists who cover court matters. Journalists can download the revised manual on Reporting the Courts here https://t.co/th5hxh3Ogd
— SANEF (@SAEditorsForum) September 13, 2022
Senzo Meyiwa Trial | Meyiwa’s friend testifies
Tumelo Madlala describes how Meyiwa pushed an intruder against the wall before he was shot
Former Orlando Pirates goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa held the hand of one of the two intruders and pressed him against the wall inside the kitchen just before a shot that killed him was fired.
At the sound of the deafening gunshot, Meyiwa’s friend, Madlala, ran to safety into one of the bedrooms but could not go out through the window because the window had burglar bars.
And when he came out of the bedroom, Madlala told the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria that all he could hear were voices calling out Meyiwa’s name, while Meyiwa lay on his left side between a couch and TV stand in the sitting room.
Unpacking Tumelo Madlala testimony: Chriselda Lewis
