The Ministry of Police has learnt with disgust today’s The Star newspaper’s front page story headlined: “Pupils not off the hook.” This unbalanced article was written by Nontobeko Mtshali and Baldwin Ndaba. In the second last paragraph of the story, quote: “(Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa issued an instruction for the boys to be arrested, and this was done,” the source said, adding that political pressure led to the unlawful arrest of the minors.
The minister dismisses and condemns such unfounded claims with contempt. We further challenge The Star to prove when and where the instruction was made, and to whom? For the record, Minister Mthethwa was not in the country from Sunday, 8 to 10 November, as he attended the 79th Interpol General Assembly in Doha, Qatar. To this end, he has not been briefed nor kept updated on this particular case, which in any way, is not a compulsory and standard practice within the South African Police Service (SAPS) to brief the minister on each and every investigation, arrest or conviction.
A shockingly and below par media practice from the reporters concerned, is the fact that they did not even attempt to verify the claims from their sources (if indeed they do exist) with the minister’s spokesperson or the minister himself. To even attribute such as quote to a faceless source, that on its own raises serious suspicions. Such unbalanced reporting is not only misleading to the public but further creates exacerbates undeserved trauma to the affected victim.
For good journalism’s sake, the minister is a political head of the SAPS, responsible for steering the policy and legislative direction. All investigations, irrespective of who is involved are operational matters that are handled by SAPS head office, provincial offices as well as local police stations.
The Ministry of Police urges The Star’s editorial and afore-mentioned reporters to refrain from irresponsible media practices, but contribute through objective reporting thus help defeat the scourge of crime.
Enquiries:
Zweli Mnisi
Cell: 082 045 4024
