South Africa 2015 violations & victories April 9 Journalist held for hours after cell phone picture of Metro policeman detaining motorist Pretoria Rekord journalist Eliot Mahlase was detained for hours by the Tshwane Metro police and forced to delete pictures he had taken with his cell phone of a policeman stopping and detaining a motorist, presumably for alleged reckless driving. Mahlase said the police manhandled the motorist. He was shocked when a policeman he had photographed tried to push him into the back of a police van. He protested he was not a criminal and that he had taken the pictures legally in a public street. He was taken to the Garsfontein police station where he was ordered to delete the pictures from the phone and hand the phone to the officer. After a senior member of the Rekord staff had intervened he was released some hours later. He lodged a formal complaint with the metro police and laid a criminal charge. At a meeting between the editor and deputy editor with the Metro police on April 14 the TMPD promised to investigate. Later they disputed Mahlase’s allegations. The outcome is not known. April 15 Policeman deletes cell phone picture of police acting against looters After using his cellphone to take pictures of police acting against looters in Jeppestown, Johannesburg, Eyewitness News reporter Thembekile Mrototo was forced by a police officer to hand over the phone. The officer deleted the pictures and then handed back the phone. The officer was not wearing his police badge. April 19 Photographer’s front page picture of man being butchered shocks readers Sunday Times senior photographer James Oatway filming rioting in Alexandra Township, Johannesburg, captured a violent attack by a group of men on Mozambican shopkeeper Emmanuel Sithole who was butchered with knives, beaten with a heavy wrench and left for dead. He died shortly afterwards. Oatway’s picture, which appeared on the front page of the paper, shocked readers. He was asked whether he should have tried to save the man, but Oatway, clearly worried about his own safety, said there wasn’t time and he did what he was expected to do and that was to show people what was happening. April 21 Striking taxi drivers order journalists to drive off `if you don’t want to die’ A reporting team from the Daily Sun covering riots by taxi drivers in Cape Town where two Golden Arrow buses had been set on fire were assaulted and abused by the drivers. Reporter Mandla Mnyakama and photographer Lulekwa Mbadamane parked their car near one of the burning buses and as they got out were stormed by 20 men armed with bricks who demanded to know why they were taking pictures. They searched the