South Africa: CFWIJ condemns the public harassment against Ayesha Ismail

June 30, 2021- eNCA correspondent Ayesha Ismail endured public harassment along with her cameraman while reporting on an anti-racism protest in Cape Town. Reportedly, the incident took place on June 10 when supporters of the opposition party, South African Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), threatened the journalist. Amidst the chaos by violent supporters, the crew fled the scene to save themselves from attack. CFWIJ condemns the mass outrage against the journalist and her cameraman. We demand an immediate investigation into the matter by the law enforcement authorities. 

A video shared on YouTube shows Ayesha and her cameraman as they walk away. The angry supporters can be heard telling the journalist to leave. The journalist said a protester told her they do not want anything associated with eNCA, so they must leave. Another one came forward while brandishing a stick and said, “We are going to teach you a lesson, come here.” She was sure they might have hurt her and the cameraman if they did not leave the scene. 

Melikhaya Xego, the party chair for Western Cape, denied the journalists’ claims regarding intimidation. He defended that several people were speaking at the same time but no one physically touched the journalist. He further stated they cannot keep journalists from attending protests and pressers, but the party will not grant them interviews. Xego and his party have held this bitter attitude towards eNCA since 2019 when the channel did not cover the party conference, in solidarity with other news outlets denied accreditation. Earlier on March 15, students affiliated with EFF impeded Sli Miskane, an eNCA reporter working in Durban. The journalist was at a demonstration held against student debt. 

The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the public harassment against Ayesha Ismail and her cameraman. We urge police authorities to investigate the incident and apprehend the threatening supporters. We also demand the political leadership of EFF to discourage their supporters from attacking journalists on the ground. We believe that women journalists must feel safe when reporting, and it is the collective responsibility of the police and the public to stop attacks against the press.