EASTERN CAPE COURT CHASES A JOURNALIST OUT BEFORE REPORTING ABOUT A FRAUD CASE INVOLVING A SENIOR OFFICIAL
MATATIELE: The Informer newspaper court reporter was on Friday chased out of the Maluti court near Matatiele in the Province of the Eastern Cape and was told not to come back and cover stories about cases conducted in this court. Faith Maphukutha who is the court Manager at Maluti instructed security to escort Khayakazi Keswa, the informer newspaper court reporter out of the Maluti court premises and never allow her in the premises again.
Keswa was in court to cover a case of fraud that involves Nomthunzi Asenathi, a maintenance officer who worked in the Justice offices. According to reports Asenathi was arrested on Thursday by Maluti police after an internal investigation. She was then going to appear in court on Friday allegedly for embezzling an amount of R200 000.00. Asenathi will be applying for bail next Thursday. She has since resigned her position.
Keswa was in court the whole morning session waiting for this particular case to begin. When the case was about to start at midday she was summoned by a police officer to Maphukatha’s office. “When in the court manager’s office, the lady introduced herself as Faith Maphukatha and I also introduced myself, telling her that I am reporter from the Informer. She then told me that they are not happy with the stories that we write about the court cases and they have lodged a complaint about us.
I asked where did you lodge the complaint because we don’t have your complaint in our office. She then phoned somebody whom I thought was a senior official in my presence. She told the person that they have got a high profile case to conduct and the informer is here to cover, we are not going allow her to be in court. She then called the security to escort me out of the premises and told them not to allow me in court again”, Keswa said.
Keswa has written a number of stories about Maluti court recently. The cases include those of Thabo Makhetha, the three murder accused who battled for three months trying to get a bail. He received a bail of ten thousand rands after taking the matter to Pietermaritzburg High court. This case became notorious of drama in a number of times. Sometimes there wont be an interpreter or prosecutor. When sometimes there wont be electricity or recording machines would not be working. Other cases are that of Manguzela learner whose body was swollen with bruises after he was allegedly beaten by teachers that case was dismissed under unusual circumstances. The case of a 9 year old who was allegedly raped by his father. That case was dismissed due to a lost docket and many other cases.
