Gov must review its stance on crime…..says MMF

MBOMBELA- The Mpumalanga Media Forum (MMF) views the attack on SABC contributing editor Vuyo Mvoko and two journalists as an invitation for the South African government to review its stance on the progress made against crime in the country.

The three were cornered outside Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg seconds before they could cross live around 7pm on Tuesday.
In the wake of this unfortunate incident, it is our appeal that government leaders listen to the voiceless and urgently respond to the crime levels that communities are exposed to in our country.
In the recent past, members of the media have been branded as anti-government stooges who want to cast the country in a negative light.

Our crime? It is simply leading with factual headlines highlighting increases in various crimes that citizens have to endure on a daily basis while our leaders claim victory over lawlessness.

“As MMF, we believe it is high time that the Minister of Police, Nathi Nhleko, and National Police Commissioner, General Riah Phiyega, took responsibility for the escalating scourge of muggings, business robberies, rapes and murders that take place within the confines of what is expected to be a safe society,” Tshwarelo Mokgakane the chairperson of the forum.

“By all means, we condemn the evil actions of criminals who terrorise our streets and forcefully enter homes to commit their acts of lawlessness. We believe that all victims of crime are harmed either psychologically, emotionally and/or physically,”he added.
Unlike many victims of muggings, Mvoko and his crew were lucky to escape without any physical harm. Others are not so lucky. These include late Bafana Bafana Captain Senzo Meyiwa and many others whose names have been turned into mere crime stats in a developmental state’s report.

Mokgakane continued to say the forum believes that all crimes should be treated equally and that attacks on prominent people constitute a call to the country’s leadership to reassess its approach to dealing with the scourge.

“However, we also feel that when journalists are regarded as the enemy of the current government by some leaders of the executive, no one else in society will feel the need to respect the profession and its professionals,”adds the forum.
An example of three journalists in Mpumalanga who recently testified in the Graskop Magistrate’s Court following their assault while reporting on a story.
The journalists, including freelancer Tereasa Ferrari and SABC journalists Mpumi Phoswa and Tumelo Machoko, have yet to recover from the incident that took place on November 25 last year.

“As a forum of media colleagues, we believe that an attack on one journalist is an attack on all journalists. We further believe that an attack on a journalist is an attack on society because we represent those who do not have direct access to the information that is disseminated through our various publications and broadcasting stations,”added Lolo Madonsela, the Forum’s secreatry.

Also in Mpumalanga,a Mpumalanga News journalist Sesana Mabuza’s house was broken into and her laptop and an undisclosed amount of cash were stolen on Tuesday afternoon. To her surprise she found that her house, situated within a secure estate, was broken into.

The forum believes the filmed mugging of the three SABC journalists serve as a reminder that reporters risk their lives to tell the story of a society that is gripped with uncertainty in terms of safety and security and the socio-economic challenges they face. For this reason, journalists, reporting from the grassroots, also suffer the same challenges that is daily reality for a majority of South Africans.

The latest incident in which Mpumalanga’s newly appointed police commissioner Lt Gen Mark Dumisa Magadlela was assaulted while trying to bring a police constable to order in Middelburg is again an invitation for our leaders to listen when members of the public complain about police brutality.

In the weekend incident, Lieutenant General Magadlela was not wearing any police uniform when he allegedly confronted a police officer who was buying liquor in a state vehicle and also transporting a woman in circumstances that seemed not related to the officer’s duties.

However, unlike many complainants of police brutality, in this case the officer has already been subjected to an internal disciplinary hearing. This is not something you see when men, women and children complain about being mishandled by police officers, especially the public order police.

The forum therefore call upon the authorities to treat every crime equally and to ensure that police processes accord victims of crime speedy response and deserved justice.