Students assaulted during Hammanskraal protest
TUT journalism students were assaulted while covering the Hammanskraal protest on Monday.
Two Tshwane University of Technology students were attacked on Monday, while they covered the Hammanskraal protest that broke out earlier that day.
Hammanskraal residents protested against being evicted from Sekampaneng, where they had illegally erected shacks.
Journalism students Frank Nkwanyane and Fezeka Msane were working on the story as part of their practical when a man offered to take them to where the dead bodies were.
“We saw four bodies lying on the ground. One was burned to death and the other axed; the two other bodies showed signs of life,” said Nkwanyane.
The two people who died were reportedly from a security company that implemented eviction notices, notoriously known as the Red Ants.
The students were informed by the community that during the eviction process, the so-called Red Ants stole some of their belongings.
Shortly after recording the footage, the two students were approached by a group of men who assaulted them.
Msane told Record she was touched inappropriately by the men, who demanded they give up their equipment.
The men threatened to kill both of the students and commanded that they choose between their lives and their possessions.
“When they manhandled me, I accepted my fate. I said a little prayer and thought of my family. I thought I was going to die,” said Msane.
Despite the traumatic experience, the duo still insisted that journalism was their passion.
A case was opened at the Temba police station in Hammanskraal.
Temba police spokesperson Constable Herman Moremi urged journalists to cover such stories in the presence of police officials.
He said journalists should avoid being amid the crowd as things could turn violent.
Dr Lizette Odendaal, head of TUT’s department of journalism, said the department was saddened by Monday’s events.
She commended the students for having the courage to go into the situation.
“While we always encourage our students to be brave and cover stories, this is indeed a sad event. We always try and safeguard our students, but their safety is never guaranteed. As such, we teach our students a balance between journalistic skills and safety,” said Odendaal.
Also read:
Situation remains tense at Hammanskraal eviction protest
Three buses torched during protest
Police confirm death in Hammanskraal eviction
Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to editorial@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites:
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram.
- We have exciting news! We’re offering a free alert to help you always be in the loop. Send an email with the word ‘Subscribe’ to breakingnews@rekord.co.za to receive your free daily breaking news update.
