e.tv case postponed Print E-mail
South Africa Alert Update

25 January 2010

e.tv case postponed

The case against two e.tv journalists subpoenaed by police was postponed indefinitely in the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court on 25 January 2010, pending mediation between e.tv lawyers, the South African National Editors' Forum (SANEF) and the police.

The journalists had been subpoenaed by the police to give information on two suspected criminals they interviewed.

"It's not about a simple matter of freedom of expression... I said to e.tv from the beginning, we don't want your source, we want your criminals... and they didn't give us their criminals," said Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa in a radio interview earlier on 25 January 2010.

"Somebody must tell us what comes first, is it the safety of South Africans? We have a constitutional obligation, we think that freedom of expression in itself is not absolute and it can't be absolute at the expense of safety and security in the country," added the minister.

News editor Ben Said and reporter Mpho Lakaje would not reveal the identity, addresses and contact details of the alleged criminals they interviewed. They would also not give prosecutors the unedited footage of the interview, aired on 16  January 2010.

Those interviewed had threatened to commit crimes against foreign fans during the soccer World Cup. Said and Lakaje were subsequently served subpoenas under Section 205 of the Criminal Procedure Act to reveal their sources.

One of the suspected criminals had since been arrested and was also due to appear in the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court on Monday.

BACKGROUND

The ruling African National Congress (ANC) party has demanded e.tv to help police arrest the criminals who threatened to rob World Cup tourists during interviews broadcast by the station recently. The move came following police decision to have two eNews journalists subpoenaed, after a story was broadcast on criminals' plans for the Soccer World Cup.  Reporter Mpho Lakaje's story, aired on 16 January 2010, featured interviews with two criminals. One said he would rob tourists during the World Cup. Another said he would shoot his way out of a standoff with police if he felt his life was in danger.

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