The South African National Editors Forum has condemned the attack of two SABC journalists by a group of armed youth in Marqualand in the Free State.
Disgruntled residents have been protesting against poor service delivery and the removal of municipal executives. Despite on-going low levels of harassment and hostility levelled against them, journalists have been covering these protests. However, this time, the journalists were forced to flee and abandon the story after things escalated.
Sanef has advised journalists to exercise more caution when covering such protests as stories cannot be abandoned if the media wants to hold government to account.
the journalist must be protected always because without them the will be no news.
Journalists are there to spy on people and not working doing their job rather assist in getting people arrested and not holding officials accountable. Why should protesters smile at them?
Why don't they also condemn the large number of attacks on farms all over the country or are journalists the only special people.