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20110823

Afrikaans journalists battered

Afrikaans journo Yolanda Barnard of Sondag: ‘The four cops told me they pulled me over because I was white,' she said…  Afrikaans news-photographer Craig Nieuwenhuizen was bashed, kicked and beaten by security guards at the Unisa campus while investigating a story on Tuesday.

Nieuwenhuizen Craig Beeld Afrikaans photographer Unisa guards battered him Aug232011 BARNARD YOLANDA 32 Sondag journalist beaten by police woman Midrand Aug22 2011

Jacques Steenkamp of Beeld newspaper writes that Afrikaans journalist Yolanda Barnard, 32, entertainment-reporter for Sondag tabloid, suffered a cracked nose-bone when she was battered in the face by a black policewoman on Sunday-afternoon Aug 22 2011. She has lodged charges at Midrand police station. Miss Barnard had just left the 'Liedjieboer-Kroeg', an Afrikaans entertainment venue at Olifantsfontein Road in Midrand, on Sunday at 4:15pm. She had spent the afternoon with entertainers Kurt Darren, DJ Ossewa and others to celebrate singer Pieter Smith's birthday. "I had a few drinks but also had a lot to eat,' she said. "I drove myself because I was not drunk. About a block away from the venue I was pulled over by four black police members. I asked them why they pulled me over specifically, and they said 'because you are white,' she said. The four cops, three men and a woman, ordered her to follow them and the four cops climbed back into their minibus. She followed them in her car because she believed they would just go to the nearest police station. However instead they stopped in a quiet dead-end street, demanded her driver's license and her keys.
"I wanted to know again why they pulled me over and the woman said 'because you are drunk.' I asked them to do a breathaliser test right there and then -- because I know I was not drunk. The black female cop then battered me in the face. 'Ms Barnard was then grabbed by her arms and legs by the police woman and a male cop, and they carried her to the minibus. The other two black male cops stood there and laughed at her humiliation. "I then told them that I was a journalist, and they suddenly dropped me right there on the tarmac. I jumped up and locked myself into my car." An hour later, after posting at her car all that time, the four cops apparently decided they'd had enough and they all got back into the minivan. Ms Barnard then climbed out and pleaded with them to give her back her driver's license and keys. They threw her belongings on the ground from the bus. She never was charged with anything. "I am now terrified of the police. How can anyone trust them after such an incident?" she said. She was examined by a doctor who confirmed her suspicion that a bone may have been cracked in her nose. Editor of Sondag newspaper Peet Bothma said the newspaper takes a very strong stand against police cruelty and assaults, just as any other newspaper should also do. "We support Yolanda completely in lodging her criminal charges, as well as the civil claim she will be lodging,' he said. SAPS captain Agnes Huma confirmed that the journalist lodged formal charges of assault and intimidation against the specific police members involved.

http://www.farmitracker.com/admin/reports/edit/1695
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001397015186

Afrikaans news-photographer assaulted at Unisa campus while investigating a story -
Nieuwenhuizen Craig Beeld Afrikaans photographer Unisa guards battered him Aug232011 Beeld photographer Craig Nieuwenhuizen after he was assaulted in front of his colleague Alet Rademeyer by Unisa security guards. (Photo24)

Cape Town. Aug 23 2011 - A photographer from Beeld newspaper was assaulted by Unisa security guards on Tuesday while investigating complaints about a stench in a campus building. The security guard had earlier refused to grant Beeld's reporter, Alet Rademeyer, and the photographer, Craig Nieuwenhuizen, access to the sonamed ‘Es'kia Mphahlele’ building. When the guard walked to the main entrance of the building, Nieuwenhuizen and Rademeyer followed him.  According to Rademeyer a second guard approached them, shouting that they should return to the gate. He shoved Nieuwenhuizen. An argument ensued, after which Nieuwenhuizen and Rademeyer walked to the gate. At the gate the guard grabbed Nieuwenhuizen by the throat. Two or three more guards started to hit the photographer. Nieuwenhuizen took pepper spray from his pocket to ward of the attackers. According to Rademeyer he fell to the ground while the guards continued kicking him and ignoring her pleas for them to stop. Peet Kruger, editor of Beeld, said in response to the assault that "thuggery of this sort is unacceptable and flies in the face of democracy". "The journalists were at a building which is a public institution."The role of journalists is to tell the story of all South Africans so that ordinary people can be heard and problems can be highlighted in the hope that people with the proper authority can fix them. "In this case the story was about the unpleasant working conditions of Unisa staff after the department of labour had ordered the air conditioning to be shut off. "Assault and violence is not the way to handle investigations and debate." Unisa spokesperson Doreen Gough said they deeply regret the incident. "We’ve always had a good relationship with Beeld and the other photographers. We are investigating the incident," she said.

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Photographer-assaulted-at-Unisa-20110823

Craig Nieuwenhuizen also had his camera-gear stolen on June 30 2010 at 2:23pm at the WC2010 football tournaments after the game between USA and Algeria. http://saphotography.ning.com/forum/topics/stolen-equipment-please-keep

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