SABC journo beaten up in DRC

2006-10-28 18:31

Johannesburg - The beating of an SABC TV journalist by Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) police undermines the corporation's ability to report on the election, the SABC said on Saturday.

Spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago condemned the beating of Njanji Chauke on Friday "in the strongest possible terms".

"The SABC believes that this type of action by the police severely undermines the ability of our news division to provide a full picture of events in the DRC and calls on the security forces within the DRC to recognise the rights of the media to cover the story freely and in safety," said Kganyago.

Chauke, currently based in Lubumbashi, was hit several times over the head, when police without warning charged a crowd of DRC vice president Jean-Pierre Bemba's supporters during the final day of campaigning ahead of the presidential elections.

The crowd had gathered outside Bemba's MLC party headquarters and was demanding to be allowed to march through the city.

Hospitalised

Kganyago said Chauke was beaten "despite having clearly identified himself as a journalist".

"Chauke was briefly hospitalised and received stitches," said Kganyago.

"His colleagues, cameraman Ronewa Musandiwa and radio journalist Joseph Mosia, managed to escape without injury.

"Mosia and Chauke hid out for more than an hour in a house at the MLC headquarters, while Musandiwa managed to make his way back to the hotel."

Several members of the crowd appeared to have been assaulted by the police, but the severity of the assaults could not be confirmed.

"SABC management had offered to evacuate the journalists, but they have elected to stay and cover the story. There are is a team of 12 SABC staffers in the DRC based in Lubumbashi, Goma and Kinshasa," said Kganyago.

- SAPA