Journalists Sam Sole, Micah Reddy and Dewald van Rensburg, of the amaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism believe they are under threat of arrest because of an exposé they wrote implicating businessman Zunaid Moti in a mining deal with Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Their attorney Stephen May says in letters to senior South African Police Service (SAPS) and National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) officials that: “I have been informed that a criminal complaint has now been laid against amaBhungane and one or more journalists by Zunaid Moti or another employee in his group of companies.”
May says his clients will cooperate with any investigation and will present themselves at court if summonsed.
He says any arrest would be “patently unlawful” and would infringe on their constitutional rights, including media freedom, and any case against them is weak.
The first letter, dated 5 May this year, is addressed to the station commander at Sandton SAPS, Gauteng provincial commissioner Lieutenant General Elias Mawela, national commissioner, Lieutenant General Fannie Masemola; and to NPA boss Shamila Batohi, NPA Gauteng head Andrew Chauke, and the Senior Public Prosecutor at Randburg court.
May says any charge against his clients is likely to be connected with the matter against Clinton van Niekerk, a former employee of the Moti Group who was arrested on charges of theft of information at Durban’s King Shaka Airport earlier this year as he was about to board an international flight.
He was held overnight and taken to Randburg magistrate’s court but he was released without charge after he obtained a court order from Acting Judge Warren Shapiro in the Durban High Court.
During that hearing, it was alleged that van Niekerk feared being taken to Sandton (and Randburg) because Moti, who was described as a dangerous man, had police connections there.Van Niekerk is reportedly now in witness protection.
A director of one of the Moti group of companies subsequently launched a court application in an attempt to overturn Shapiro’s order claiming it was a travesty of justice. That application remains part-heard.