• • News24 reporter Karabo Ngoepe in Ga-Rankuwa had his phone confiscated by a police officer who forced him to delete pictures and video. The officer took pic-tures of News24’s vehicle and threatened to “deal with” the journalist. A freelance photographer from AFP had his mobile phone stolen while taking pictures of the unrest in Mamelodi. June 24 Censored / Violation of Public Freedom of Expression/Access to Information The SABC suspended Economics Editor Thandeka Gqubule, Radio Sonder Grense Executive Producer Foeta Krige and senior journalist Suna Venter for objecting to an instruction during a news conference not to cover a protest organised by the Right2Know (R2K) campaign against censorship at the public broadcaster. On June 20, R2K led protests against SABC management in Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg, over an editorial instruction banning the coverage of violent protests and for introducing new editorial policies that gave Chief Operating Officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng the final say on editorial decisions. Eight other staff members who also objected to the new editorial policies were later dismissed. Five of them, Busisiwe Ntuli, Krivani Pillay, Jacques Steenkamp, Lukhanyo Calata and Vuyo Mvoko. The journalists, now called “the SABC Eight”, challenged the SABC in court, which reversed the dismiss- als and seven of the eight were reinstated. Mvoko was on contract which was not renewed. A few days later the eight were the recipients of SANEF’s Nat Nakasa Award, honouring their courage to speak out against censorship even in a climate of fear and threat. The Sunday Times has reported that later some of the group were threatened, intimidated, tailed, had their houses broken into and ransacked, car brakes tampered with and in one instance shot at with ceramic bullets. June 24 Censored / Violation of Public Freedom of Expression/Access to Information Eight members of the editorial staff were dismissed by the television station ANN7, 12 staff members received final written warnings and another 11 received warnings after objecting to management conduct. They all objected to being named as parties to a company letter to four banks that had revoked banking services to the television station’s owners, Oakbay Holdings, and they refused to attend a meeting at the company addressed by ANC Youth League President Collen Maine. The staff were variously charged with insubordination and intimidation and one was charged with calling a radio station to protest on air at the Maine meeting. Later in August, five of the journalists who had been warned were also dismissed.