A journalist for Gupta-owned television news channel African News Network 7 had water poured over her by anti-Zuma marchers wearing Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) T-shirts at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.
Close to tears‚ she repeatedly asked: “Why are they pouring water on me?” as other journalists tried to console her.
“They were arrogant and they said what is it that I would do when I asked why they were attacking me‚” she said.
Phungula and her cameraman looked frightened and were unable to continue doing their work‚ cutting lonely figures on the lawns of the union building.
The EFF has previously made clear its hostile attitude towards ANN7 reporters and has sworn never to grant them interviews‚ labelling the reporters Gupta agents.
In August last year‚ EFF leader Julius Malema defended the party’s deputy president‚ Floyd Shivambu‚ when he refused to be interviewed by an ANN7 journalist and called her a “Gupta agent”.
Malema has said their attitude towards the ANN7 channel was because the news channel “promotes racketeering‚ fraud and all sorts of criminal activities in this country”.
The channel is owned by the controversial Gupta family accused of having links with President Jacob Zuma and is said to wield power on who becomes a minister in his Cabinet.
