Embattled Ekurhuleni Mayor, Nkosindiphile Xhakaza, has approached the High Court in a bid to block News24 journalist Sikhonathi Mantshantsha from investigating the 2025 murder of municipal chief auditor Mpho Mafole.
Mafole was fatally shot last year while driving along the R23 in Kempton Park, east of Johannesburg.
According to police, Mafole was attacked by unknown suspects. Police in Gauteng are investigating the motive behind the murder, but activists and social media users suggest the cold-blooded killing could have been an assassination meant to silence him, linked to his work for the City of Ekurhuleni.
According to reports, the mayor is seeking urgent legal relief to halt the publication of investigative reports into Mafole’s murder and has gone as far as personally citing Mantshantsha in the application an extraordinary and deeply troubling escalation.
The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) has strongly criticised the actions of Nkosindiphile Xhakaza.
“SANEF views Xhakaza’s action as a direct attack on media freedom, investigative journalism, and the constitutionally guaranteed right for the public to know. The attempt to interdict journalists on matters of public interest, particularly those linked to allegations of corruption and a high-profile murder case, undermines the very foundations of our constitutional democracy,” SANEF said in a statement.
“Of grave concern is the personal targeting of a journalist in litigation. This tactic bears the hallmarks of a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP), where legal processes are weaponised to intimidate, exhaust, and silence journalists and media houses.”
The organisation has called on courts to remain vigilant against attempts to curtail media freedom through abusive litigation.