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Police are investigating a case of intimidation after veteran journalist Karima Brown opened a case against the EFF and its leader, Julius Malema, on Wednesday night.
Brown told News24 that she had opened the case at the Rosebank police station late on Wednesday, and police spokesperson Captain Kay Makhubele confirmed that it was under investigation.
Brown said she also intended laying complaints against Malema and the party with the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) and the Electoral Court for intimidation, violence and enabling the abuse she has faced.
On Wednesday, Brown reportedly mistakenly posted an editorial brief on a WhatsApp group for EFF members. The message was to give direction to journalists covering an EFF function, "Breakfast with the Elderly".
Verbal abuse, rape threats
Her message read: "Keep an eye out for this. Who are these elders. Are they all male and how are they chosen. Keep watching brief", News24 reported.
Malema then tweeted a screenshot of the message, showing Brown's cellphone number, and accusing her of "sending moles" to the event. An EFF statement released on Wednesday called Brown an "ANC operative", who is "not a real journalist".
News24 reported that Malema told journalists on Wednesday: "I think she's a state agent, I think she's an operative, I think she is intelligence."
Brown has since received verbal abuse, has been called "a whore", "a bitch", and has received rape threats, allegedly from EFF supporters.
She has also received death threats.
EFF is not the making of agents like Karima Brown and we shall defend our leadership even if it means taking life of silly agents like this rotten woman. As Africans we have been too much tolerant of rubbish now we have come to immovable point. Watch your back damn silly woman
— phillip mhlongo (@phillip_mhlongo) March 6, 2019
Malema and the EFF supporters' actions were condemned by the South African National Editors’ Forum and Primedia Broadcasting.
Brown told News24 on Thursday that the complaint against Malema and his supporters would be for "intimidation, violence, and enabling my abuse, which includes threats of rape, sexual violence and endangering my family. As well as being in contravention of the Electoral Code of Conduct".
She said the charge would also be for "violating my privacy and my right to do journalism without being threatened".
