Broadcaster told to apologise for privacy invasion

The assignment was intended to expose the lax security arrangements around Balfour\'s home and property, says The Star. SAHRC found that e.tv\'s gaining access to the residential compound and breaching the perimeter of his house might not have infringed the complainant\'s right to privacy, but it was infringed when they filmed his bedroom and the contents of his house. However, SAHRC chairperson Jody Kollapen said the call for an apology was not an attack on media freedom. Kollapen added that once the journalists gained entry to Balfour\'s home, they should have stopped filming, as that went beyond public interest. Full report in The Star

e.tv has expressed disappointment in the ruling. News editor Patrick Conroy defended the broadcaster’s actions, stating: ‘We believe that the Minister’s complaint serves only to detract from the real issue at hand, the fact that criminals were able to gain access to the homes of Cabinet Ministers, despite the fact that these properties are under police protection,’ Conroy said, according to The Citizen. He added they had not yet received a copy of the full judgment, and would decide on any further steps only after reviewing it. Full report in The Citizen