Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News – 2013-03-05
On the 28th February 2013 at around 2pm, Alex Nadaba from Hospital Hills was shot on Swallow Street, Lenasia extension 1.
According to an eyewitness Ndaba came to collect his television set from a repair shop after withdrawing R 22,500 from a bank earlier. He was allegedly accosted by 1 coloured and 2 black males in a grey Polo who demanded the cash. After refusing to hand over the cash, he was shot twice in the thigh by the suspects.
The suspects made a get away with the cash and the keys of the victim’s car. Emergency services were summoned to the scene and Ndaba was rushed to hospital.
Police were on the scene in minutes but were not forthcoming and accommodating to the media that were on the scene. According to the Rising Sun, a local community newspaper, they were disappointed with the conduct of some of the police officers. The officers were also not aware that the media are allowed to take photos in a public space outside a designated crime scene.
It is of utmost importance that crimes scenes remain uncontaminated. However it’s alleged that the crime scene at Swallow Street was only cordoned off after protestation from the newspaper. What is disconcerting though is the loitering of bystanders around the area.
The newspaper further states that while demarcating the crime scene, a plain clothes officer allegedly kicked over the brick where the bullet casing lay and has reason to believe that he was amongst the officers involved in the Nirvana Drive incident in which Radio Islam reported about the alleged assault of Ikraam Seedat. “He hastily ‘fixed’ things up, before turning his rage towards our camera person, who was standing outside the cordoned off scene. He rudely and threateningly addressed our photographer. Advancing towards us, he shouted, ‘You don’t know me. I am warning you for the last time!’ He also indicated that there would be consequences if we did not stop taking photos, said the newspaper.”
“We would like to question the police, about this ‘warning’. We were taking photos outside the crime scene, in a public area, so why do we have to be threatened by a cop? Is it because we were taking photos of a poorly handled crime scene?” asked the newspaper.
Radio Islam along with the Rising Sun and other media houses in Lenasia have previously attended meetings hosted by the police, to foster "good relations" with the media. At the meetings issues regarding the treatment of the media on scene by officers could not be over emphasised and the police management assured the media they would educate officers of the rights of the media on a crime scene.
The Rising Sun has laid a telephonic complaint with Colonel Khubeka at the Lenasia Police Station and informed Captain Hector Netshivhodza, about media rights at crime scene. Netshivhodza told the newspaper to submit a formal written complaint to the station.
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