A Free State journalist fled to Lesotho for the fear of his life after he was allegedly assaulted by police in Ficksburg on Saturday.
SANEF said in a statement that it was worrying that Paul Nthoba was forced to flee the country and take refuge in Lesotho.
Nthoba on Saturday investigated illegal trafficking from Lesotho for the Mohokare News , of which he is the editor, and that the police officers did not try to stop it.
He saw police patrolling the area on Saturday and wanted to take pictures of them when he was allegedly assaulted.
He was taken to the Ficksburg police station, where he was allegedly assaulted again by the same police officers who arrived and thrown into a police cell. He then made a statement that he claimed was under the watchful eye of police officers.
Sanef said in a statement Nthoba said he was taking shelter at a United Nations (UN) office in Lesotho after seeing police vehicles suddenly come to patrol in the street.
The government of Lesotho and the UN are working together to support him. He has only been quarantined for 14 days in Lesotho in terms of regulations for the Covid 19 epidemic.
Sanef said police officers who allegedly assaulted him were still on duty.
Sanef chairman Mahlatse Mahlase said police had to give assurances that Nthoba would be safe if he returned home.
The police must also state what action there will be on the officers involved.
