Protesting Wits students say: “We will kill News24 journalists here”

News24 journalists covering the student protests across the country have had a pretty tough time. Last week, reporter Kaveel Singh was, according to News24, “was manhandled and arrested by police at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) for covering #FeesMustFall protests at that campus.”

He was arrested and driven to the police station, with cops saying he will be charged with trespassing. Later, he was released with no charge.

And then this week  journalist Lizeka Tandwa had to be hospitalised after being hit by a brick during clashes between students and police at Wits University.

Another journalist overheard a small group of students saying they do not want News24 reporters at the university.

“Not from News24. They kak here. We don’t want them here. We will kill them here,” the group reportedly said.

This all according toa column written by News24 editor Adriaan Basson. He raises concerns about the way journalists have become collateral in the ongoing #FeesMustFall saga. He writes:

“Journalists – trying to do their jobs, covering all the layered sides of the epic #FeesMustFall battle for free higher education – have of late become the targets of the protagonists in this drama. Police officers, private security guards and protesting students have set their sights on us, the messengers who are trying to make sense of these complicated historical events.

Of course we will make mistakes and sometimes get it wrong, but we really, really want and need to understand the issues at hand to be able to report accurately on what has become a mini-war on our campuses.

It becomes increasingly difficult to engage with the substance of the arguments when you are being threatened with being “killed” or pepper sprayed every time you show your press card.”

You can read the full column here.