E.tv 'pleased' with mediation

2010-01-25 11:05

Johannesburg - A court stand-off between e.tv journalists and the police was avoided on Monday as the parties agreed to mediation,

"There is going to be some sort of mediation between our attorneys through Sanef [SA National Editors' Forum], the state and the [police]," said eNews editor Ben Said outside the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court.

The mediation agreement was made in a prosecutor's office and Said and reporter Mpho Lakaje did not appear in court.

"Obviously we are very pleased that such a process will go through. We always believed that before subpoenas are enacted, this process should go through... we are very delighted," said Said.

Raymond Louw, a member of Sanef's media freedom committee, said the mediation process follows a 1999 memorandum of understanding reached between the then ministry of law and order, the ministry of justice and Sanef providing that news editors should be consulted before any subpoenas are issued against journalists.

Said and Lakaje were issued with subpoenas after they would not reveal the identity, addresses and contact details of two alleged criminals they interviewed, who had threatened to commit crimes during the World Cup.

They would also not give prosecutors the unedited footage of the interview, aired on January 16.

Daily Dispatch subpoenaed

Sanef media freedom committee chairperson Thabo Leshilo said: "Sanef welcomes the postponement, it's a very good agreement and we hope it will also come in handy in the case against a Daily Dispatch journalist subpoenaed to appear before court in the Eastern Cape on Friday."

Dispatch Online news editor Jan Hennop said reporter Asa Sokopo had also been served a Section 205 notice to provide information to police. This followed a story she wrote on King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo, after he was found guilty of offences which included culpable homicide.

The notice relates to comments Dalindyebo's lawyer Zam Gquabi allegedly made outside the court when he was sentenced, and which the journalist reported on, that the judge in the case was biased.

National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Mthunzi Mhaga would not elaborate on why police had ignored the 1999 memorandum of understanding when issuing the subpoenas to the e.tv journalists.

"I would not comment on that... let's allow the mediation process to go on," he told journalists outside court.

He said the TV station had until Thursday to make representations to the National Director of Public Prosecutions.

"They have to consult the national director to raise their concerns regarding the subpoenas on or before January 28 so the case has been put on hold until the director addresses their concerns... We'll allow that process to unfold and take it from there," Mhaga said.

Meanwhile, one of the men interviewed in the e.tv programme was expected to appear in court 11 of the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court on Monday morning.

Police arrested him in Tshepisong on the West Rand last week.

- SAPA