INLSA
Sbu and Shauwn Mpisane relax at a Durban hotel after a day in the Durban Magistrates Court where Shauwn is on trial for tax fraud PICTURE: DOCTOR NGCOBO
The cat-and-mouse game played by S’bu and Shauwn Mpisane with the media turned nasty yesterday when an angry group of men turned on a photographer from The Mercury, threatening him and attempting to take his camera away from him.
The incident occurred in Z court, where Shauwn Mpisane is standing trial on tax fraud charges.
The couple are never seen entering or leaving the Durban Magistrate’s Court building through the only public door, sparking speculation that they have access to restricted areas of the building.
The Mercury has reported this to court management for investigation.
Photographer Terry Haywood was given permission by magistrate Blessing Msani to take photographs in Z court before and after the hearing.
However, after entering the court with his camera and taking only one picture of Mpisane talking to her advocate, Wim Trengove, chaos erupted and several men approached him menacingly, shouting.
Informed by reporters that Haywood had the permission of the magistrate to be there, one man said: “We don’t care what the magistrate says.”
They then pushed Haywood out of the courtroom and tried to take his camera. At one stage a man threatened to throw the camera out of the 12th floor window of the building.
A plain-clothes policeman who happened to be in the courtroom intervened, saying he would arrest those involved if they did not stop what they were doing. A court orderly also intervened but with little effect. Haywood expressed fear for his safety and left.
Yesterday afternoon he laid a complaint with the police regarding the incident.
The Mercury’s editor, Philani Mgwaba, wrote to provincial police commissioner Mmamonnye Ngobeni expressing concern at the lack of security in the courtroom.
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We respectfully submit that the police have a duty to protect our rights in the courtroom and we ask that you have sufficient policemen in court to carry out this duty,” he wrote.
Later in the day S’bu Mpisane contacted The Mercury, saying he did not want to be on the wrong side of the media and wanted to move forward.
He said he and his wife would co-operate and photographers “just need to ask”.
