Central News Issue 010 | Download the latest weekly edition| Top Story : “Biased media coverage of Moti Group condemned ”

02 News | 23 JUNE 2023
Biased media coverage of Moti Group condemned
By Thys Khiba
The Police and Prisons Civil Rights
Union (Popcru) has condemned
media coverage of Moti Group
of companies amid the Gauteng High
Court order obtained by the Moti Group
requiring amaBhungane to return
thousands of company documents.
Popcru has confirmed its support for
the organisation and its CEO Dondo
Mogajane.
The Moti Group is involved in a legal
battle with amaBhungane Centre for
Investigative Journalism over articles
published about the company. The
articles are written based on internal
documents, which Zunaid Moti, founder
of the organisation indicated that were
stolen and leaked to amaBhungane.
The police union has alleged that media
companies like News24 and non-profit
investigative journalism units like
amaBhungane are undermining the rights
and dignity of black businesses, and its
leaders.
“Black businesses are under siege by
certain members of the media, as they are
often subjected to separate and unequal
standards and scrutiny from their white
counterparts by journalists
“Yet these same journalists participate in a
clear pattern of discrimination, harassment,
and abuse, refusing to allow black
business leaders the proper opportunity
to respond to their accusations, or failing
to represent their responses fairly and in
balanced manner,” said Popcru President
Zizamele Cebekhulu-Makhaza.
Cebekhulu-Makhaza claimed reporting on
the Moti Group does not pass nor satisfy
every process of news reporting. In line
with his criticism of how media report on
the company, he suggested ‘journalists
have been allowed to publish stories on
unreliable evidence and sources, without
having to present their information for
verification.’
“Freedom of expression and the role of
media are vital in our democracy. We
are gravely concerned, however, that the
rule of law is not being enforced, and that
black businesses are not being treated
fairly or impartially.
“We believe that all cases of theft must
be treated as theft. Criminals cannot
be allowed to manipulate the media
or the criminal justice system to avoid
accountability for their crimes. This
treatment is a gross violation of black
businesses’ rights and is impeding
the growth and transformation of our
economy,” Cebekhulu-Makhaza said.
Cebekhulu-Makhaza expressed worry
on the 2022 BBBEE Commission report
that shown the share of black-owned
businesses in the economy. The President
of the police union indicated that the
report shows the share has decreased to
29.5% in 2021 from 31% in 2020.
“Additionally, the share of black
management control had declined to
51.6% from 57% in 2020.
“This situation cannot continue, and action
must be taken. We cannot allow the hardwon
economic gains made since 1994 to
be further lost by allowing a culture of fear
and mistrust of black businesspeople to
reside in our society, or by continuing this
siege on black excellence,” Cebekhulu-
Makhaza said.
The Moti Group CEO and former Treasury
director-general Mogajane informed the
court that the documents that are in the
wrong hands will cause the company
reputational damage. He has accused
amaBhungane of having a “vendetta
against the Moti Group” and “publishing
a series [of] highly distorted inaccurate
and defamatory reports.”
“..in the wrong hands, [the documents]
will cause the Moti Group reputational
damage if a false narrative based on the
stolen documents is advanced, which is
currently the case,” said in an affidavit.
It has been reported that the internal
documents were allegedly downloaded
by a former employee of the Moti Group,
Clinton van Niekerk before he resigned
from the company. Van Niekerk was
arrested in January at Durban’s King
Shaka International Airport for theft of
information.
He was transported to Johannesburg by
the Gauteng police, and released two
days later. The matter was struck from
the roll following a decision by the
KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Durban
that set aside the arrest warrant.
In response to the court order,
amaBhungane confirmed that they will
challenge the interim interdict obtained
by the Moti Group.
“This kind of ex-parte prior restraint
of publication and incursion into
media freedom is unprecedented in the
democratic era.
“Nowhere in his papers does Mr
Mogajane remotely demonstrate that
amaBhungane has acted outside of the
public interest or outside of the highest
journalistic standards. Despite his
protestations, it is a measure of what
the Moti Group is desperate to conceal
that it has taken this drastic step,” said
amaBhungane managing director, Sam
Sole.
SANDF loses a soldier
near Potchefstroom
By Thys Khiba
The South African Air Force (SAAF) soldier
has died in a car accident on Wednesday,
21 June on the R54 road towards
Potchefstroom, in the North West province.
The South African National Defence Force
(SANDF) confirmed that two members of
the SAAF were tasked to deliver equipment
to be used during the youth week celebration
closing parade fly-past on Friday, 23
June 2023 in Potchefstroom.
“The South African National Defence Force
(SANDF) can confirm that on Wednesday,
21 June 2023 at approximately 2:00pm,
two (2) members of the South African Air
Force (SAAF) were involved in a vehicle
accident with a civilian delivery truck on
the R54 road towards Potchefstroom,” said
SANDF spokesperson, Brigadier General
Andries Mokoena Mahapa.
Mokoena Mahapa confirmed that the second
soldier was rushed to the nearest hospital
and is receiving medical attention.
The accident has delayed the delivery of
the equipment. In response to the possible
delays of the event, Mokoena Mahapa
indicated that the youth week celebration
closing parade fly-past event will continue
as scheduled for Friday.
The Defence and Military Veterans Minister,
Thandi Modise, her deputy Thabang
Makwetla and Defence acting Secretary,
Thobekile Gamede and SANDF Chief,
General Rudzani Maphwanya expressed
their heartfelt condolences to the family
members, friends and colleagues of the deceased
soldier and wish the injured soldier
a medical recovery from his injuries.