At the time Ndlozi remarked that men, who were clad in EFF regalia, were ‘merely touching’ reporter Nobesuthu Hejana when they refused to let her cover the demonstration outside a Clicks store at a Western Cape mall.
FILE: EFF Member of Parliament Mbuyiseni Ndlozi. Picture: EWN
JOHANNESBURG – The Economic Freedom Fighters’ Mbuyiseni Ndlozi has tweeted an apology for his remarks on the manhandling on eNCA journalist Nobesuthu Hejana when the party staged protests outside Clicks stores earlier this month.
At the time Ndlozi remarked that the men, who were clad in EFF regalia, were ‘merely touching’ Hejana when they refused to let her cover the demonstration at a Western Cape mall.
But they are telling her that she can be here, but not allowed to talk to EFF members. It means she was trying to interview them
I really do not see harassment here. Merely Touching her is not harassment. The touch has to be violent, invasive, or harmful to become harassment! https://t.co/dzkglCGVcM
— Mbuyiseni Ndlozi (@MbuyiseniNdlozi) September 9, 2020
Now the EFF member of Parliament says he receives the rebuke he got from members of the public with love, and he has apologised.
When I wrote: “Merely touching her is not Harassment”
It was an irresponsible tweet, giving license to the violent treatment of women. It was also hurtful & made many who‘v suffered violence relive this pain
I apologize & receive all the robust rebuke you all gave me with love!
— Mbuyiseni Ndlozi (@MbuyiseniNdlozi) September 16, 2020
In trying to prove his point, Ndlozi posted a video of President Cyril Ramaphosa at the release of former President Nelson Mandela from prison, saying he too had ‘touched’ a female journalist. But this still didn’t win him much favour.
Here is Ramaphosa TOUCHING a journalist to remove her from the way so that Mandela’s can pass. Merely touching journalists is NOT harassment
We can disagree with EFF members removing journalists from protests (WHICH IS WRONG) without saying merely touching them is Harassment! pic.twitter.com/inniwlNgRf
— Mbuyiseni Ndlozi (@MbuyiseniNdlozi) September 9, 2020
The South African National Editors Forum condemned the comments by the EFF leader and called for the gender commission and Parliament to investigate.
