Standard Bank employees’ brutality against Daily Maverick journalist is bad omen for SA’s freedom of expression

Daily Maverick journalist Lerato Mutsila was not allowed to go re-enter the Standard Bank headquarters after her phone had been confiscated. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)

By Branko Brkic

21 Sep 2023

146

Standard Bank security assaulted Daily Maverick reporter Lerato Mutsila while she was on duty covering the Extinction Rebellion protest. They unlawfully deleted photos and videos from her phone and forcibly removed her from their Johannesburg headquarters. A charge of assault and unlawful deprivation of property has been lodged with the SAPS.

Standard Bank, the sole sponsor of South Africa’s premier journalism awards, on Tuesday morning (19 September 2023) sent their security guards to assault, manhandle, intimidate and confiscate the phone of Daily Maverick journalist Lerato Mutsila. Mutsila was on duty to report on a protest by Extinction Rebellion at the bank’s Rosebank headquarters.

Read more in Daily Maverick: Climate activists, journalist forcibly ejected from Standard Bank HQ anti-fossil fuel protest

Some peaceful protesters were also reportedly injured as the security guards removed them from the lobby of the bank building in the morning.

Daily Maverick chief photographer Felix Dlangamandla and Mutsila arrived at the headquarters between 7.30am and 8am on Tuesday, 19 September.

Mutsila used her phone to document the protest as it unfolded but was on more than one occasion manhandled by a woman who only gave her first name and said she was in charge of bank security. She was later identified as Karin Dirr, Internal Protection Services Manager and Travel Risk Governance at Standard Bank Group. She claimed Mutsila was not allowed to film and had to join the protesters.

Standard Bank Lerato Mutsila Daily Maverick journalist Lerato Mutsila is thrown out of the Standard Bank headquarters in Rosebank by a woman who only gave her first name and said she was in charge of bank security. She was later identified as Karin Dirr, Internal Protection Services Manager and Travel Risk Governance at Standard Bank Group. (Photo: Screengrab)

Standard Bank At least four male security guards were unleashed on journalist Lerato Mutsila. (Photo: Kiara Affat)

Several attempts by Mutsila to point out that she was a member of the media were ignored. Ms Dirr intimidated Mutsila, pulled her by her backpack, attempted to grab her phone, physically pushed her towards the building exit and unleashed at least four male security guards on the journalist as she grabbed hold of Mutsila’s phone, successfully removing it. At this stage the guards violently grabbed hold of Mutsila, lifted her off the ground and threw her out of the building. We have since established that the guards are employed by TSU Protection Services and contracted by Standard Bank.

Ms Dirr walked back into the building with Mutsila’s phone. When it was returned to her, all the photographic and video footage had been deleted, as well as the folder where all deleted items would have been stored. Some personal files were also deleted.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XM3BLODdS8&feature=youtu.be

Mutsila at the time tried on several occasions to establish the woman’s credentials and name but this information was refused.

When Mutsila told her that what she did was unlawful and she would lay a complaint, Ms Dirr said she didn’t care and had been in trouble with them (the media) in the past.

Daily Maverick will be suspending any further participation in the Sikuvile Awards.

At no time did Standard Bank attempt to reach Mutsila or Daily Maverick following the incident. In fact when a Daily Maverick journalist contacted Standard Bank on Tuesday night, spokesperson Ross Linstrom stated: “We note your complaint and request that you share further details, so we can look into these allegations. Standard Bank respects and is a strong supporter of media freedom. In the event that journalists approach us through the proper channels, we are open to engaging with them.”

Mutsila did appeal to the security personnel that she would like to speak to a media person at Standard Bank, but they told her to leave. There was no media liaison who identified themselves at the scene of the protest.

Standard Bank Lerato Mutsila Daily Maverick journalist Lerato Mutsila was not allowed to re-enter the Standard Bank headquarters after her phone had been confiscated. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)

There are several witnesses who had seen what happened; the photographs as well as video evidence are displayed in this story.

It is wholly unconscionable that Standard Bank, a main sponsor of the Sikuvile Journalism Awards and an apparent supporter of a free press, condones behaviour that censors and violently prevents a journalist from performing her duties.

Daily Maverick, a leading South African daily publication with more than 10 million visitors per month, will be suspending any further participation in the Sikuvile Awards.

Daily Maverick is also an active member of the South African National Editors’ Forum, which co-hosts the awards with the bank. Sanef has been informed about this incident.

Also read: Kumi Naidoo forcibly removed from Standard Bank HQ after protest over crude oil pipeline project

Mutsila has also laid charges of assault, unlawful deprivation of property and intimidation against Standard Bank and its security personnel, at the Rosebank Police Station, even though the police officer who took down her statement attempted to strongly dissuade Mutsila from laying a charge of assault, saying that according to him she had not been injured.

We cannot allow this incident to simply pass. The safety of our journalists and media freedom are the democratic norms we guard vigorously. They are key to a vibrant and functioning society. When this is compromised, our very democracy is at risk.

When this is compromised by one of Africa’s largest banks, a bank that is also under pressure to stop financing projects that will significantly increase emissions of greenhouse gases, the stakes are even higher.

We call on the business community to denounce these bully-boy tactics that are so brazenly deployed to intimidate and silence truth. We hope organisations that are currently working so hard to save South Africa’s economy in a democratic society, such as Business Unity South Africa, to raise their voices – this is the road to nowhere that none of us should have to take. DM

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