South African journalist threatened, assaulted, robbed by municipal workers

Lusaka, March 20, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on South African authorities to act swiftly on a criminal case of assault, robbery, intimidation, and malicious damage to the property of two journalists covering a protest in eastern KwaZulu-Natal province for The Witness newspaper.

The police have not made any arrests, The Witness’ news editor Kailene Pillay told CPJ, despite the newspaper filing the case on February 25 at Pietermaritzburg Central Police Station, along with a video clip of the protesting workers.

“The assault and threats against The Witness journalists are a direct attack on press freedom and the public’s right to information,” said CPJ Africa Director Angela Quintal. “South African authorities must act decisively to investigate and ensure those responsible are prosecuted. Impunity only encourages further violence.”

The Witness newspaper reporter Shorné Bennie and photographer Moeketsi Mamane told CPJ they were standing outside a Msunduzi municipality office on February 18, covering the workers’ protest against the installation of surveillance cameras in municipal vehicles, when the protesters threw a rock at them.

“They threatened us with violence,” Bennie told CPJ. “One of them forcibly grabbed my colleague’s camera and went with it inside their premises and told him to go and collect it. He threw it to the ground and damaged it.”

Mamane went inside the gate to collect his camera.

“They dragged me to the center of the group and assaulted me, while threatening me with further harm, and forced me to delete all my pictures, including the ones I took at a different event. After that, they pushed me out of the premises and told me not to return,” he told CPJ.

On February 23, municipality Mayor Mzimkhulu Thebolla, told a news conference that “appropriate action will be taken once we get anything that proves involvement in such an act.” 

Pillay said The Witness sent him a formal complaint, reviewed by CPJ, the following day.

Although South Africa’s constitution protects freedom of expression, journalists face physical attacks, online threats, and state surveillance. Another The Witness reporter was assaulted while covering a picket outside city hall in 2025.

The South African National Editors’ Forum has called on the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) to condemn the incident. COSATU Parliamentary Coordinator Matthew Parks told CPJ that local structures had been tasked to identity the attackers.

Municipal spokesperson Ntobeko Ngcobo said the matter was being “treated with the utmost seriousness,” an internal investigation was underway, and the municipality was cooperating with ongoing police investigations.

“The municipality does not condone any form of intimidation or violence against members of the media and is reviewing internal protocols to strengthen protections for journalists. The mayor has committed that the matter will be handled with urgency,” he told CPJ by phone.

On March 18, CPJ phoned Pietermaritzburg police spokesperson Sergeant Sifiso Gwala, who said he would follow up on the investigation, and KwaZulu Natal police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda, who asked for the case number. Neither had responded by the time of publication.

Editor’s note: Quintal was editor of The Witness from 2011 to 2013.