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Ad hoc committee hears of pellet gun attack on SABC 8 journalist 

One of the SABC 8 journalists who was part of the four which took on the public broadcaster in court and testified against it in Parliament, has revealed she was shot in the face with a pellet and suspects her employer is behind it.

Suna Venter sent an SMS to the DA’s Phumzile van Damme, who is part of the SABC inquiry ad hoc committee that is rounding up today.

According to Venter, in November last year, she had been hit in the face with an “object” while getting in her car. This was shortly after giving her testimony into the treatment she and her colleagues were subjected to by SABC bosses.

This Monday however, it was revealed to Venter by her doctor that the object was in fact a pellet from a pellet gun.

Doctors told Venter that pellet gun shootings are usually not consistent with crime attacks, prompting her to consider that the attack may have been a deliberate way of scaring her.

van Damme read the SMS for other committee members, who were shocked by the revelation and condemned it, calling for the safety of the journalists to be safe-guarded.

Venter was previously sent various threatening SMSes during the course of the Labour Court battle with the SABC and the testimony at the inquiry.

Her house had also been broken into, with nothing stolen however.

At the time of these first intimidations, inquiry chair, Vincent Smith called on SAPS Commissioner, Kgomotso Phahlane to launch a probe into the threats.

The committee today agreed that Phahlane must be summoned to Parliament to provide an update on investigations.

“An attack on a journalist for doing their job is an attack on our democracy and demands swift action from SAPS,” van Damme said.

“The perpetrators must be brought to book so all journalists and, specifically, those who have provided invaluable testimony about the rot at the public broadcaster, are kept safe.”

[Image – Niels Noordhoek]

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