South Africa: Govt Condemns Gaddafi Regime for Lying Over Journalist

Hlengiwe Nhlabathi

20 May 2011

Pretoria — The Libyan government lied about photographer Anton Hammerl to SA, International Relations Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said on Friday.

“We kept getting reassured at the highest level that he was alive until his colleagues were released and shared the information yesterday (Thursday),” she told reporters in Pretoria, referring to Libyan leader Maummar Gaddafi and his son’s advisors.

She said government would try to find his remains.

They were “saddened, hurt and disappointed” at the news.

The fact that Libya’s ambassador to South Africa Abdallah Alzubedi was no longer representing that country locally would not “stop us from engaging with them to get the facts”, she said.

While Alzubedi was still in the country he had recently declared he was joining the Libyan transitional council based in Bengazi.

“So he is no longer the ambassador of Libya. Libyan authorities also sent a note that he is no longer representing them.”

She expressed disappointment that news of Hammerl’s death came not from Libyan authorities but from the journalists who were with him when he was killed.

“Those who were with him said they saw him fall, asked him ‘are you okay?’ and he said ‘no’. They called him for the second time and he did not respond.

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Anton Hammerl, a South African photographer believed to be missing in Libya, had reportedly been killed by pro-Gaddafi soldiers.

“Mr Hammerl’s death is a very unfortunate act and the government and the people of South Africa condemn the perpetrators of these actions,” Nkoana-Mashabane said.

Austria’s ambassador to South Africa Otto Ditz said: “We are very disappointed at the Libyan side that they had not conveyed the news. Now we hope they will be co-operative and show us where he is buried so we can bring him to his family for proper burial.”

He carried dual SA-Austrian citizenship.

Nkoana-Mashabane and Ditz expressed condolences to Hammerl’s family for their “tragic loss”. They would continue getting consular services.

American journalists Clare Morgana Gillis and James Foley, and Spanish photographer Manuel Brabu, were with Hammerl when forces loyal to Gaddafi shot at them in the desert near Brega on April 5.

They had been following rebel forces in their own car at the time but these fled, leaving the four behind. Hammerl was hit in the stomach. The other three were taken captive.

Nkoana-Mashabane said the journalists did not mention Hammerl’s death earlier as they feared for their safety.

Ditz said there had been no hint from Libyan authorities that Hammerl was dead. Instead they received empty promises. He described Hammerl as a “great photographer who knew the risks”.

SA National Editor’s Forum (Sanef) chairman Mondli Makhanya said: “We would have appreciated more honesty from the Libyan government.” He hoped Hammerl’s body would be found.

The forum was “devastated and angry” at the turn of events. Sanef had a meeting with the department of international relations early on Friday morning, a meeting which was initially aimed at finding ways to locate the photojournalist and get him back home.

“But now we’ve met under grim and sad circumstances. Now we’re talking about Hammerl in the past tense.” Makhanya called Hammerl a brave journalist who told stories both happy and sad.

“We are paying tribute to someone who was just a fantastic guy, a person we all loved very much and shared great moments with,” he said.

The Communication Workers’ Union called on the department to investigate Hammerl’s death. It described him as “an outstanding, courageous, dedicated and committed photographer”.

“We condemn the killing of Hammerl and the continued onslaught on protesters by Gaddafi’s forces in Libya.”

The Media Review Network “strongly condemned the actions of the pro-Gaddafi forces which led to his untimely death”.

The Libyan government had for weeks said Hammerl, 41, was alive and said he would be released on Wednesday. His family found out about his death on Thursday and posted a message about it on social networking site facebook.

AllAfrica – All the Time