A charge of assault has been laid against axed Prasa CEO Lucky Montana after he allegedly threw a brick at a reporter.
This was confirmed on Friday by the SA National Editors’ Forum (Sanef), which described Montana’s conduct as “shocking”.
The alleged assault took place on Thursday night outside the Pretoria home of Montana, recently dismissed as CEO of the Passenger Rail Agency of SA.
The apparent target was Rapport journalist Pieter-Louis Myburgh, who had been working on an investigation involving Montana’s Pretoria properties.
He also broke the story on a reported tender blunder by Prasa. It involved the purchase of locomotives said to be unsuitable for the South African railway environment from a Spanish manufacturer.
Myburgh was at Montana’s home in Main Street on Thursday in a bid to speak to him.
He said on Twitter: “My presence outside Montana’s Pretoria property was not some paparazzi-style stalking, but forms part of an investigation.”
He was following up on a story which linked Montana to a questionable property sale to a company that bagged a R700 million tender from the government parastatal he used to head. The article was published in May 2015.
Sanef spokesperson Adriaan Basson insisted on Friday that Myburgh was not trespassing, saying Montana’s violent reaction was “shocking behaviour”.
“When Myburgh arrived at the house, Montana came out of the house, chasing the journalist with a brick in his hand,” said Basson.
“When Myburgh saw Montana was intending to throw the brick, he sped away and the brick hit the car he was driving.”
Sanef said the charge against Montana was laid at a police station in Pretoria.
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