that journalists were assaulted and kidnapped in the presence of police officers who allegedly either assisted the assailants or failed to intervene. On April 2, following the funeral of anti-mining activist Sikhosiphi ‘Bazooka’ Rhadebe in a village near Mbizana, in the Eastern Cape, two journalists from The Citizen, Nigel Sibanda and Simnikiwe Hlatshaneni, who were photographing an area around the village where mining was planned, were attacked by an angry mob, armed with knobkerries, machetes, a spade and stones. The community is deeply divided over the mining project and Rhadebe is alleged to have been assassinated because of his opposition to the mine. The attackers beat the journalists with the blunt end of a machete, knobkerries and their bare hands. Sibanda’s camera was taken by the attackers and later confiscated by the police. He was critically wounded. Hlatshaneni, a woman, was dragged out of a car and hit over the head and on her shoulder with a spade and a machete. The attackers demanded to know what she was doing there and one of them was heard saying: “they want to tell people we killed Bazooka, that is why they are here.” They alleged police officers who arrived on the scene did not assist or stop the as-saults but took the wounded and some of their attackers in a police van to the police station instead of to hospital. Hlatshaneni, who had gained refuge in her car after she was assaulted, was ordered by police to return to her attackers and explain what she was doing there. March 31 Detained SABC journalist Jacques Steenkamp, investigating child prostitution in Mogale City, was accosted and kidnapped by alleged drug dealers who are alleged to operate the prostitution ring. They are alleged to have been in the company of police officers who assisted them. Steenkamp was held for a number of hours and only released after the group had withdrawn about R5 000 from his bank account. April 1 Assaulted Sowetan photographer, Tiro Ramatlhatse, who was covering a fraud case at the Molopo Magistrate’s Court in Mmabatho, North West, involving about R18 million of North West University funds, was attacked inside the courtroom by spectators. He was rescued by a security guard. SANEF condemned the attacks and expressed “extreme concern” at what appeared to be patent disregard by the police officers of their duty to protect members of the public including journalists. April 14 Assaulted Daily Sun photojournalist Samson Ratswana was brutally attacked by 70 people at the International Pentecostal Holiness Church (IPHC) in Soshanguve, north of Pretoria, on the evening of April 13 after responding to a call about fighting breaking out in the church. The crowd shouted “journalist, journalist” as they attacked him. Attempts by two Metropolitan police officers to rescue him failed when they were overpowered by the group. Ratswana was assaulted for nearly 30 minutes before he was rescued by a VIP protection unit officer. Sanef condemned the attack, commended the police for assisting the journalist and called on a church elder who apologised to hand over those responsible to the police.