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Police examine damage done to a business during anti-immigrant protests in Durban, South Africa, on October 8, 2026. (Photo: Reuters/Rogan Ward)
A South African investigative journalist has received death threats and more than 100 phone calls after an anti-immigration activist published his personal phone number on Facebook, press freedom campaigners say.
Khaya Koko, who works for the South African news website News24, was targeted after Jacinta Zinhle Ngobese-Zuma, founder of the group March and March, shared a screenshot of a WhatsApp message in which he asked her to comment on allegations involving government contracts.
The allegations concern claims that Ngobese-Zuma and her husband received millions of rand in contracts from the South African state.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called on South African authorities to investigate the threats and ensure Koko's safety.
“Doxxing a journalist simply for seeking legitimate comment is an attack on press freedom,” said Angela Quintal, CPJ's Africa director.
Doxxing involves publishing someone's private information online without their consent, potentially exposing them to harassment or threats.
According to Koko and the South African National Editors Forum, he received more than 100 calls and numerous abusive messages after his number was published on 7 October.
One social media post threatened to hunt him down, while another expressed the hope that he would die. A third suggested creating a group chat to organise action against him, CPJ said.
Koko said he was distressed by the threats and only discovered that his number had been shared publicly after a friend alerted him.
News24 sent Ngobese-Zuma a formal letter demanding that she remove the post, apologise, urge her followers to obey the law and promise not to publish the journalist's personal information again.
The post was later edited to hide Koko's number. However, it remained online at the time of CPJ's statement, and Koko said he had not received an apology. Ngobese-Zuma did not respond to CPJ's request for comment.
The incident comes amid growing concerns about attacks on journalists covering anti-immigration protests in South Africa.
On 8 October, journalists from the nonprofit news outlet GroundUp were pushed, grabbed, kicked and struck with sticks while covering protests in Durban. Demonstrators also seized their mobile phones as they filmed, the outlet reported.
The following day, another GroundUp reporter covering a protest in Pretoria was slapped, and his phone was briefly taken away in an apparent attempt to stop him from recording events, editor Barbara October told CPJ.
In June, CPJ documented 15 incidents in which journalists were targeted by anti-migrant protesters across South Africa.
The organisation has urged authorities to act against those responsible for threatening and attacking media workers.
The incidents highlight concerns about the safety of journalists reporting on immigration, political tensions and allegations involving public officials and government contracts. Press freedom groups say reporters must be able to seek comment and cover protests without facing intimidation or violence.
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Police examine damage done to a business during anti-immigrant protests in Durban, South Africa, on October 8, 2026. (Photo: Reuters/Rogan Ward)
A South African investigative journalist has received death threats and more than 100 phone calls after an anti-immigration activist published his personal phone number on Facebook, press freedom campaigners say.
Khaya Koko, who works for the South African news website News24, was targeted after Jacinta Zinhle Ngobese-Zuma, founder of the group March and March, shared a screenshot of a WhatsApp message in which he asked her to comment on allegations involving government contracts.
The allegations concern claims that Ngobese-Zuma and her husband received millions of rand in contracts from the South African state.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called on South African authorities to investigate the threats and ensure Koko's safety.
“Doxxing a journalist simply for seeking legitimate comment is an attack on press freedom,” said Angela Quintal, CPJ's Africa director.
Doxxing involves publishing someone's private information online without their consent, potentially exposing them to harassment or threats.
According to Koko and the South African National Editors Forum, he received more than 100 calls and numerous abusive messages after his number was published on 7 October.
One social media post threatened to hunt him down, while another expressed the hope that he would die. A third suggested creating a group chat to organise action against him, CPJ said.
Koko said he was distressed by the threats and only discovered that his number had been shared publicly after a friend alerted him.
News24 sent Ngobese-Zuma a formal letter demanding that she remove the post, apologise, urge her followers to obey the law and promise not to publish the journalist's personal information again.
The post was later edited to hide Koko's number. However, it remained online at the time of CPJ's statement, and Koko said he had not received an apology. Ngobese-Zuma did not respond to CPJ's request for comment.
The incident comes amid growing concerns about attacks on journalists covering anti-immigration protests in South Africa.
On 8 October, journalists from the nonprofit news outlet GroundUp were pushed, grabbed, kicked and struck with sticks while covering protests in Durban. Demonstrators also seized their mobile phones as they filmed, the outlet reported.
The following day, another GroundUp reporter covering a protest in Pretoria was slapped, and his phone was briefly taken away in an apparent attempt to stop him from recording events, editor Barbara October told CPJ.
In June, CPJ documented 15 incidents in which journalists were targeted by anti-migrant protesters across South Africa.
The organisation has urged authorities to act against those responsible for threatening and attacking media workers.
The incidents highlight concerns about the safety of journalists reporting on immigration, political tensions and allegations involving public officials and government contracts. Press freedom groups say reporters must be able to seek comment and cover protests without facing intimidation or violence.
Photo Credit | Reuters
Kenya has confirmed its first-ever Ebola case after a citizen who had lived in the Democratic Republic of Congo for seven years...
South Sudan’s church leaders have called for an immediate nationwide ceasefire, warning that growing violence, civilian killings and displacement are pushing the country deeper...
