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Shivambu appears before Parliament's ethics committee over attack on journalist

EFF deputy leader and the party's chief whip in the National Assembly, Floyd Shivambu, appeared before Parliament's ethics committee on Wednesday for attacking a journalist earlier this year.

Submissions were made to the ethics committee over the attack on Netwerk24 reporter Adrian de Kock on March 20, including information from Parliament's protection services.

Shivambu was captured on camera with his hand on De Kock's throat, while another man could be seen with his hands on his camera.

News24 reported in March that, later on the same day, Shivambu had apologised to De Kock for the fracas on the parliamentary precinct, even though he said he did not recognise the journalist who laid an assault charge against him.

READ: 'I'm sorry my brother,' says Shivambu to journo following altercation

De Kock told News24 on Wednesday that he was relieved his interview by the ethics committee was over.

"It is obviously just the relief that it is just off my chest," he said.

De Kock preferred not to go into the merits of the case, and said he would wait for Parliament to issue further details.

Shivambu, meanwhile, told News24 that "it went well".

The EFF MP said he had also submitted that he did not know De Kock was a journalist, because he had not introduced himself.

"It was an open, fair process," said Shivambu. 

He was speaking after a meeting of Parliament's joint Constitutional Review Committee on a possible review of Section 25 of the Constitution to allow expropriation of land without compensation. 

Shivambu and EFF leader Julius Malema were present, and party spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi was his chosen observer, given that legal counsel was not permitted.

De Kock said he had received a further request for information from the police regarding the complaint he had laid, and was waiting to hear back regarding progress on that front.

At the time, Parliament said it would investigate the incident because it was not in line with its commitment to press freedom and a media-friendly environment, as enshrined in the Constitution's Bill of Rights.

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