South Africa: ANC Guards Rough Up Photographers Covering Leadership Election

press release

Reporters Without Borders condemns acts of harassment and violence against around 20 reporters and photographers by members of the ruling African National Congress's security staff yesterday during a meeting at which the ANC is electing its new leader.

"We are the ANC and we tell you to move," one of the guards told journalists seeking shelter from heavy rain near the marquee in which the meeting is taking place. Another snatched AFP photographer Alexander Joe's press accreditation and kept it. Siphiwe Sibeko of Reuters was told he was under arrest and was dragged along the ground for several metres, in the course of which one of his cameras was damaged. One of the guards threatened to "kill" Associated Press photographer Jerome Delay.

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