Al Jama-ah party leader, Ganief Hendricks has laid a complaint with the Press Ombudsman for the way in which media covered the story of a fifteen year old girl from Kenwyn who apparently attempted to leave the country and join ISIS in Syria this week. Hendricks suggested the media disregarded the negative effects such a report will have on the young girl’s reputation in her community.

During an interview with VOC News, Hendricks explained that local independent media houses had not followed press code of conduct in Clause 8 of the Child Act, which protects the identity of minors. While there has been no report which discloses the identity of the said girl, Hendricks argued that some online articles made reference to a missing child report in Kenwyn which then gave readers the girl’s family details and appearance. Now, Hendricks fears, the young girl from Kenwyn will face scrutiny from society for the rest of her life.

“Damage has been done. Media should cover this story but not harm the rights of the child. The rights of children takes precedence over matters even of national security. When it comes to a child, you must take extraordinary caution when covering a story about them. The matter must now be left in the hands of the parents and social workers. If national intelligence is interested in the matter, they should issue press statements in such a way that they do not disclose or give away any information which could shed light on the girl’s identity,” Hendricks said.

However, information on the matter had been given to media by the Minister of State Security David Mahlobo, in numerous media reports. Mahlabo confirmed the Kenwyn girl admitted, after she had been removed from her British Airways flight, that she was in fact intending to join ISIS. Media also disclosed police information regarding evidence which was found in the Kenwyn girl’s room relating to her interest in ISIS.

“Her family has said that she was interested in humanitarian service in Syria. If someone is interested in that, how can we assume that she is a terrorist. Media took the entire situation out of context and reported on facts that were not even confirmed yet,” Hendricks added.

Hendricks maintained that even though media received their facts directly from the State Security, media houses should have reported on the matter in such a way that no relation could be made which would infringe on the child’s right to privacy.

In addition, the Al Jama-Ah leader says the party will also be taking Minister Mahlobo to task however, the matter is currently under sub judice.

Hendricks told VOC News that he does not dispute the fact that the matter one of urgency due to the fact that it shows signs of ISIS reaching the doorstep of South Africa’s most vulnerable.

“Social media carried this story, the mainstream media did not bother to assist when the case was one of a missing child. It was after the child was found that someone went and broke news. Theories soon became fact and then organisations also jumped on the band wagon, Hendricks added.

After he publishing of the story, the MJC created a workshop for ulema to raise awareness around the possibility of an ISIS recruitment operation in South Africa which could be targeting the youth. VOC