The Campaign for Free Expression (CFE) is deeply disturbed by reports that Cape Town journalist Sandiso Phaliso, a freelancer for GroundUp, was physically assaulted by members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) and had his phone confiscated — not once, but twice — while reporting a story.

According to GroundUp’s reporting, Mr Phaliso was injured during one of the assaults, leaving his hearing impaired for several days. Despite his efforts to open cases of assault and theft at Nyanga Police Station, he has yet to recover his phone, which remains unlawfully withheld.

This incident is not an isolated one. It follows a troubling pattern of police hostility towards journalists in South Africa. For Mr Phaliso, the ordeal is ongoing, with little progress in his case.

CFE emphasises that South Africa’s own police regulations are clear. A standing order explicitly forbids officers from preventing journalists from filming or photographing unless specific conditions apply, and it strictly prohibits any verbal or physical abuse of journalists or damage to their equipment. By assaulting Mr Phaliso and seizing his phone, SAPS officers acted unlawfully and in direct violation of their own rules.

For any journalist, a phone is not just a device. It is a camera, a notebook, a recorder, the essential tool to carry out their work. To take it away is to strip them of the ability to report, and to silence a journalist is to undermine the public’s right to know.

CFE stands in full solidarity with Sandiso Phaliso. We call on SAPS to return his phone immediately, investigate the conduct of the officers involved, and take urgent steps to train its members to respect media rights. Without accountability, these abuses will continue unchecked.

Press freedom is a cornerstone of democracy. It must be defended, because when journalists are attacked, society loses its right to know.

Issued by:
Campaign for Free Expression (CFE)