London – APTN, ITN and Reuters were today ordered by an English court to submit to the Home Office in the UK video footage held in London. The footage in question was taken on the night of 4 August 1996 at a PAGAD (People Against Gangsterism And Drugs) demonstration in Cape Town, South Africa at which Rashaad Staggie, an alleged drug baron, was murdered. It is sought by the South African prosecution at a trial of the alleged murderers and has to date been the subject of vigorously contested court proceedings for production brought in South Africa and the UK.

APTN, ITN and Reuters have seven days in which to comply with the English order. Urgent representations against production are now being made to the Home Office.

At the same time applications are also pending in the Cape Town courts challenging production of the video to the authorities and its admissability as evidence in the South African trial.

APTN, ITN and Reuters each adheres to an established policy which recognises certain fundamentals governing the safety of their staff and the independence of news gathering from the prosecution process.

Accordingly, they have in these proceedings and otherwise strongly resisted the production of the video footage through all legal mechanisms available.

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