Minister of Correctional Services Ngconde Balfour will sue free-to-air channel e.tv for trespassing and invasion of privacy following a report on the burglary of his house, a spokesperson said on Wednesday.
”This follows entry of e.tv crew into Minister Balfour’s house at the Groote Schuur Ministerial Estate, Rondebosch, without his knowledge and permission,” said ministerial spokesperson Luphumzo Kebeni.
”The e.tv news footage, juxtaposed with malicious comments, publicly displayed details of the minister’s house interior during its news broadcast at 7pm and 10pm yesterday [Tuesday] and again this morning [Wednesday] between 6am and 8am.”
Kebeni said the news report also misled the public by claiming that one of the men involved in the burglary was recently released from prison through the minister’s special remission of sentence.
”There is no basis for this as the criminal investigation by police is still under way.”
Kebeni described the incident as malicious and said e.tv journalists overstepped the boundaries of responsible journalism.
e.tv news editor Patrick Conroy said he was still studying the letter from Balfour’s office and could not immediately comment. — Sapa