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Durban - A News24 reporter in South Beach, Durban was on Sunday threatened by an apparent ANC official after she was manhandled by a security guard wearing a party tag.
Amanda Khoza was waiting to attend a media briefing at the KZN ANC Provincial General Council at the Coastlands Hotel in South Beach when a fight broke out between hotel staff.
"All of a sudden we hear a commotion…the fight spilt out into the corridors where we were."
Khoza said she decided to film the incident in case it developed into something significant.
However, a security guard wearing an ANC tag then came up to her and told her she was not allowed to record.
"I said that I’m allowed to record whatever [I want]; it’s in public and it has nothing to do with the ANC."
The guard told her to delete the footage and when she refused, he then made physical contact with her.
"He grabbed my arm as if to pull the phone." She said that ANC provincial spokesperson Mhlabunzima Memela then intervened and told the guard to let go of her and also told him "he should not have grabbed" her.
Khoza said she then went back to wait for the media briefing when a man who identified himself as being from the ANC office came to speak to her and wanted to know what had happened.
She said he told her, "Just be careful. You know the repercussions. What if you are excluded from other ANC events..."
She then ended the conversation.
Shortly after this incident, Khoza said she went into a meeting with ANC provincial secretary Sihle Zikalala in which he called the security guard who had grabbed her. All parties discussed the matter.
Khoza said Zikalala apologised profusely for the matter saying, "The fight had nothing to do with the ANC. I am sorry he grabbed your arm. That is not how we do things in the ANC."
News24 editor-in-chief Andrew Trench said that the original incident seemed like a clear attempt to restrict Khoza in the course of her job as a journalist.
"Any attempt to stop our reporters from doing work is completely unacceptable and a clear violation of their rights to practice their profession."
