EFFSC intimidates journalists at Student Forum
On 27 July, PDBY attended the quarterly student forum held by UP’s SRC, together with the Constitutional Tribunal. In PDBY’s attempts to cover this event on camera, the newspaper’s multimedia team and journalists on-site were intimidated by the Economic Freedom Fighters Student Command (EFFSC) and forced to cease any and all filming of the event. Members of the EFFSC also belittled and intimidated the PDBY news team.
The objections
The PDBY multimedia team had set up its film equipment with the sole purpose of filming the events of the student forum. However, members of the EFFSC approached PDBY’s multimedia editor Masehle Mailula, voicing their objections with filming the student forum with regard to the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPI). They stated that their consent to be filmed was not obtained, and thus PDBY had to cease any and all video coverage of the event. However, it is unclear on which provision within the POPI Act the EFFSC was relying to make their claims. Furthermore, it is unlikely that video coverage of members in attendance to a public forum, such as student forum, would constitute “personal information” as contemplated in section 1 of the POPI Act. Nevertheless, section 7 of the POPI Act clearly excludes the processing of private information solely for the purposes of journalistic purposes from the application of the act. In addition, the CSG mandates the SRC to invite the PDBY editor to all student forum meetings, and section 16 Constitution of the Republic of South Africa protects the freedom of the press and other media. In other words, nothing, legislative or otherwise, prohibited PDBY from filming and covering the student forum.
Failed mediation
In an attempt to mediate with the EFFSC by explaining the grounds on which PDBY was permitted to cover the event, Nkehli approached the EFFSC member at the center of these objections, Thabiso Mosomakeng. After greetings and a brief exchange, Mosomakeng proceeded to jeer at Nkehli and refered to him as a “small boy”, exclaiming: “Am I your friend?” Following this exchange, Makamu approached Nkehli, explaining the matter further, where she was met with boos and insults to the tune of “mama shut up, keep quiet!” The main instigating forces were Jozias Mahube-Reinecke, Sthembiso Nkosi, Thabiso Mosomakeng and Khumo Mpela. In their attempt to ensure that camera crews had ceased all filming, they commandeered the equipment to check if they were still filming.
The decision to cease filming
Following the failed mediation, after deliberation with the Chief Justice of the Constitutional Tribunal and Department of Student Affairs officials, the PDBY team elected to cease filming for the safety of the crew and to allow for the forum to proceed.
Final thoughts: Are these our leaders?
One can only wonder what exactly the intentions of the EFFSC were at the student forum. Be it to address the fact that it was a “student” forum, and then to object against student verification to enter the venue; or to inform their constituents that they will raise matters that directly affect them at the forum, then proceed to collapse the forum without addressing the promised matters. What is the value of disruption without a purpose? What does it mean to intervene for students? This reading is not only limited to the EFFSC, as DASO UP’s silence or SASCO’s contribution to the chaos should also be scrutinized under the aforementioned questions. The UP student body should ask themselves: are these our leaders?
* The opinions expressed within this piece are solely the author’s and do not reflect the opinions and beliefs of PDBY Media.
Oh my this is awkward. Having to tell you who I am is a whole ordeal because I am still trying to figure that out myself lol. The most I know at this point is that, I am an unhinged hillbilly from a small town in Northern Kwa-Zulu Natal; My first love had “Petronella” as a middle name (gross right?); I will on occasion get dressed in a onesie, using my red blankie as a cape to live out my fantasy of being the caped crusader of justice: Captain Tanuki; Finally, I have an obsession with owls that should get its own section in the DSM-V. On that owl thing, I feel like in one of my many past lives as a shrew somewhere in the world, I met my end to one of those majestic birds and that specific bird reincarnated as my first love who, at the time of writing, has not killed me…yet! Talk about a circle of life, neh. My goals? Well right now, I have but one very simple goal: to be the best human I can possibly be. Achieving that would make a hillbilly like me, a better person and growth is always good. My time at the paper has made sure I stay on this path. Should a lost soul wanting to know about the paper, stumbles across this bio, I want you to know that I will totally be a radically different person in the best way possible. Who knows, I might have reincarnated as an owl, by then.