Shaik attack on journo: SANEF wants full investigation

Shaik is claiming that in trying to retrieve her phone, the journalist, Amanda Khoza, 'hit herself'... He is reported to have said "When I grabbed her phone, she yanked it back and hit her face."

Khoza, of the Sunday Tribune, was with a photographer and a fellow journalist, Charmel Bowman, and were reporting on Shaik playing golf in Durban. She was confronted by Shaik who allegedly grabbed her by the throat and slapped her, demanding to know who she was. Three men chased after the photographer, allegedly assaulted him and grabbed his camera.

In its statement, SANEF says it supports the laying of criminal charges by Khoza against Shaik and urges that an investigation be carried out speedily.

Assaults on journalists condemned

SANEF has noted a number of "physical attacks by the police on journalists carrying out their duties as well as police harassment of journalists by arresting them on spurious charges at crime scenes. "Assaults on journalists carrying out their duties are condemned," SANEF executive director Femida Mehtar said in a statement.

Instances of alleged police harassment of reporters and photographers include:

• Masi Losi Pretoria News chief photographer, photographed two Pretoria Central police station members arresting a suspected thief they had rescued from an angry mob on 4 February this year. Losi was attacked and threatened with arrest.

• Mzilikazi wa Afrika, Sunday Times journalist last year was charged with defeating the ends of justice and fraud after covering corruption in Mpumalanga.

• An Eyewitness News journalist was attacked by Zuma bodyguards and forced him to delete pictures he had taken of vehicles used by Jacob Zuma's VIP unit.

• In Bloemfontein, police officers seized Volksblad photographer Theo Jeptha. His 'crime'? - He took pictures of some schoolchildren fighting - while nearby police did nothing to stop the fight. Jeptha was bundled into the back of a police car and driven away - and then returned to the same spot and released later.

SANEF says it has reported about 12 similar illegal arrests in the past 18 months to police minister Nathi Mthethwa and to national police commissioner general Bheki Cele more than once.