SANEF Slams KZN Police Commissioner For “Dangerous” Attack On Journalists

SANEF Condemns KZN Police Commissioner’s Remarks

The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) has sharply rebuked KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi after he accused certain journalists of pushing agendas and called for intelligence investigations into media houses.

Testifying before Parliament’s ad-hoc committee on police malfeasance, Mkhwanazi claimed that members of the press were deliberately misleading the public. He urged the committee and the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence to order counter-intelligence investigations into at least two media outlets.

Calls For Journalists To Face “Heavy Penalties”

Mkhwanazi’s outburst stemmed from a media inquiry by City Press journalist Abram Mashego earlier this year, who sought a right of reply concerning possible legal action against the commissioner following a press briefing in July.

In a heated statement during his testimony, Mkhwanazi expressed frustration with journalists who “make mistakes” and called for severe punishment.

“I hope they end up in prison. There must be heavy penalties for mistakes made by journalists. It cannot be that when it comes to media freedom, it’s gospel truth,” he said.

SANEF Warns Of “Dangerous Precedent”

SANEF’s executive director, Reggy Moalusi, condemned Mkhwanazi’s remarks as a “chilling attack” on South Africa’s hard-won media freedoms.

He said the comments echoed oppressive tactics used by the apartheid government, warning that such rhetoric threatens the constitutional right to a free and independent press.

“We are now going towards the route of the oppressive tactics employed by the apartheid state, and we don’t want to go there,” Moalusi said, adding that SANEF has urged the national police management to address Mkhwanazi’s statements directly.

The Bigger Picture

South Africa’s press freedom, ranked among the strongest in Africa, has faced renewed scrutiny in recent years as officials increasingly lash out at journalists over corruption and misconduct reporting.

Analysts warn that rhetoric like Mkhwanazi’s risks creating a hostile environment for investigative reporting particularly at a time when public trust in policing is already strained by allegations of corruption and mismanagement.

While Mkhwanazi’s comments have sparked outrage in media circles, SANEF’s swift response reinforces the watchdog role of South Africa’s journalism community in defending the public’s right to know even when those in power push back.

{Source:EWN}

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