MooiVaal Media and its parent company, Caxton Local Media, have lodged a formal complaint with the Public Protector South Africa against the Sedibeng District Municipality.

This follows an incident during an open meeting of the Sedibeng District Municipality on January 29, where Speaker Moipone Modikeng asked MooiVaal journalist Christiaan Cloete to stop photographing publicly elected councillors during a motion of no confidence in Mayor Lerato Maloka.

After standing his ground, Cloete was manhandled from the Vereeniging Civic Centre building by several men and shoved outside so vigorously that he fell to the ground, landing on his lens-filled camera bag and dropping his phone in the process – all because he stood his ground and continued filming proceedings.

According to Helene Viljoen, representing MooiVaal Media and Caxton Local Media, the filing of the complaint was preceded by multiple attempts to elicit a response from the municipality following the incident.

In the formal complaint to the Public Protector, the actions of the speaker and security officials raise serious concerns regarding the unjustifiable violation of constitutional rights, including the right to freedom of expression, the right of the press to report on public matters, the right to access to information of both the media and the broader public.

In terms of Section 160(7) of the Constitution, the requirement is that municipal council meetings be conducted in an open manner, except under exceptional circumstances.

Viljoen has asked the Public Protector to investigate the conduct of the Sedibeng District Municipality, particularly the speaker’s decision to bar media photography and her role in ordering Cloete’s removal.

Viljoen has also requested an investigation into the actions of security officials, including the use of force against Cloete and the municipality’s failure to uphold principles of transparency, openness, and press freedom as guaranteed by the Constitution.

The incident has been criticised by the Forum of Community Journalists and is under investigation by the international non-profit organisation Reporters Without Borders.

Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel.

Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal.