One Swaziland reporter assaulted by soccer player, another by fans
In Swaziland one reporter has been assaulted for taking pictures of violence between football fans and another was beaten up by a football player who was unhappy with the stories the journalist had written about him.
Both journalists work for the newspaper Times of Swaziland and the incidents took place on two consecutive days in July, reports Media Institute of Southern Africa.
On 15 July, sports reporter Sabelo Ndzinisa went to the Roglands stadium to cover a match betweenMbabaneSwaziland and Manchester United. Football player Dumisa Masika from premier league club Malanti Chiefs was in the audience and walked up to reporter and punched him several times to the excitement of football fans.
The football player said that he felt he had been defamed in a satirical sports column published by the newspaper every week.
The following day, sports reporter Ntokozo Magongo was assaulted by violent football fans at the Mayaluka stadium where a match was being played to promote Swaziland’s political system. The reporter took pictures of violent fans and was assaulted for his trouble.