/ 29 June 2005

Journalists’ lives in danger

Themba Khumalo, newly appointed editor of the Daily Sun, confirmed yesterday that journalist Isaac Mangena has laid a charge at the Orlando Police Station against a group that threatened his life. The group, says Khumalo, are friends and relatives of individuals that appeared in court on a rape charge, a story that Mangena was covering.

The information emerges in the wake of an article that appeared on the Cape Times website on Monday night, relating to an Eastern Cape provincial spokesman charged with plotting to kill a radio news anchor for failing to air his media releases.

The Cape Times identified the news anchor as Saba Mbixane of SABC’s Umhlobo Wenene. Referring to the article, news agency Sapa said a ‘price of R10,000 had been put on Mbixane’s head”.

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