Professional Journalists' Association condemns the manhandling of Eye Witness News (EWN) journalist Tshepo Lesole

As a member of the press, Lesole is fully entitled to take pictures of the Presidential cavalcade (as is any member of the public). That he was detained for doing so, and forced to delete the images, harks back to Apartheid era thuggery and censorship. Incidents like these should not occur in a democratic state.

SHOOT: Good to see this incident getting attention and traction in the public domain. Now how will the decision makers respond? Excuses, placations or with exception? South Africans need to stay on the pulse of these revelations as they may be portentous.

clipped from www.channelmpr.co.za ProJourn is deeply concerned about this incident, not the first of its kind involving members of VIP protection units and the media, not to forget several incidents of brutality against members of the public by so called 'blue light brigades'. Members of the police service are tasked with protecting and serving the public, including the media, and ProJourn calls on the police service, VIP units or not, to respect the rights of working journalists, and to do their jobs without infringing on the rights of other members of society, particularly those who are merely trying, in turn, to do their jobs. It is critical that these bodyguards are held accountable for their actions by their employer, the courts and the country in order to prevent further attacks against journalists. The right of journalists to perform their duties without hindrance is enshrined in the Constitution, and anyone violating that right should be appropriately sanctioned.