Dlamini, Malema ban media from covering their events
Minister in the Presidency Responsible for Women Bathabile Dlamini has allegedly barred eNCA from entering a hall where she is launching the 16 Days of Activism Campaign in Mthonjaneni, northern KwaZulu-Natal on Sunday.
The broadcaster reported that Dlamini's communications team said she had instructed them that she would only speak to the SABC "because they know the parameters".
"The minister arrived on Sunday afternoon and instructed our team not to take any footage of her, saying she was offended that our camera person was pointing a camera at her," eNCA reported.
Dlamini's spokesperson Mandla Tshabalala was not immediately available for comment as his phone rang unanswered.
He did not reply to a WhatsApp text message either.
At a media briefing on Saturday, Dlamini said events planned for the campaign include strategic dialogue sessions with boys and men, discussions with female traditional leaders and honorary commemorations of the lives and legacies of women who lived and died for the struggle against gender inequality, such as Charlotte Maxeke and Albertina Sisulu.
Meanwhile, EFF leader Julius Malema on Sunday also banned the Sunday Times and its reporters from covering his events, saying he did not need them.
"I don't need [you] and [I'm] not scared of you and your racist owners. I respectfully and peacefully ask that you stop sending any of your journalists to interview me or to cover any of my events," Malema tweeted.
He was responding to the paper's editorial, titled: 'We must find the courage to stand up to the racist bully Julius Malema'.
The South African National Editors' Forum (Sanef) on Saturday vowed to take steps following attacks on journalists by Malema and other party members.
Sanef said it had agreed to urgently seek a meeting with the leadership of the EFF.
This came after Malema's comments outside the venue of the state capture commission of inquiry in Parktown, Johannesburg, earlier this week, where he identified specific journalists who he accused of protecting Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan.
Gordhan was testifying about his knowledge of state capture, at the commission.
Malema accused the media of ignoring allegations made by the EFF that Gordhan's daughter, Anisha Gordhan, was in business with the state, News24 previously reported.
Sanef said a series of steps will be "urgently undertaken to stop unacceptable, inflammatory remarks by Malema and other EFF leaders".
