Parliament to look into attack on journalist
Image: Philani Nombembe
Parliament has referred EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu to the joint committee on ethics and members’ interests for manhandling a journalist on its premises.
“The deputy speaker of the National Assembly and the chairperson of the National Council of Provinces have confirmed that they have referred the assault of Netwerk24 reporter Adrian de Kock by EFF MP Floyd Shivambu to the [committee] for consideration‚” parliamentary press gallery chairman Andisiwe Makinana said.
“The [gallery] will wait for that parliamentary process to be followed.”
Shivambu was filmed last month roughing up De Kock‚ who was waiting with other journalists outside a building where Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille’s DA disciplinary hearing was taking place.
When De Kock saw Shivambu‚ he took pictures of him and tried to get comment from him.
But Shivambu demanded that De Kock delete the pictures because he had not given him permission to take them.
He held De Kock by the neck and tried to grab his camera‚ and two unknown men joined him.
A visibly shaken De Kock shouted: “Leave my stuff alone. Leave my stuff alone.”
Shivambu left when other journalists approached‚ and issued a statement afterwards apologising for the incident.
Yesterday‚ De Kock‚ who laid criminal charges against Shivambu‚ said there had been no progress in the investigation.
