Floyd Shivambu has defended his latest vitriolic attack on a journalist, claiming the reporter invited rude comment by “harassing” him.
The ANC Youth League spokesman’s behaviour drew wide condemnation, including from its mother body, the ANC.
Media24 investigative journalist Jacques Dommisse became the latest reporter to be humiliated by the league spin doctor’s rude remarks, made during a telephonic conversation at the weekend.
Dommisse had phoned Shivambu, asking to speak to the league’s president, Julius Malema, about a story he was working on, when Shivambu allegedly insulted him.
The story related to an alleged three-day safari Malema and friends are supposed to have undergone at Royal Malewane before the ANC’s elective conference last month.
In an audio clip of the conversation, Shivambu could be heard repeatedly using the F-word to express his irritation with Dommisse.
“F*** you man,” said Shivambu, after Dommisse had asked him why he had said Malema could not speak to him.
“Say again?” an audibly shocked Dommisse asks, to which Shivambu retorted: “I said f*** you.”
Dommisse then asks if “you’re swearing at me”, to which Shivambu replies in the positive.
Still stunned, Dommisse continues: “I see you are saying that for the fourth time now.”
“Yes,” repeats Shivambu.
The conversation had started with Dommisse asking Shivambu why he had hung up on him. It turned nastier.
“I was answering another phone because you are picking a wild, crude goose chase… And I am saying if you are going to write, go ahead and write. He (Malema) won’t speak to you because it (a safari) never happened,” Shivambu says.
Shivambu defended his behaviour on Tuesday, saying Dommisse had earlier “called me with a very arrogant attitude”.
“He continued to harass me after I had given him official comment,” adding that he didn’t regret what he said.
Dommisse said he was not fazed by Shivambu’s behaviour.
“I am not angry. I think the story speaks for itself,” he said.
Earlier this year, Shivambu allegedly called The Star’s political reporter, Carien du Plessis, “stupid” and a “white b****” via SMS. A case is being heard by the Equality Court.
He also called Saturday Star reporter Kashiefa Ajam, who is a Muslim and does not drink, a “drunkard journalist”.
Last year, he threatened to name women journalists he said were sleeping with politicians to get inside information.
The ANC described his latest behaviour as “unacceptable and regrettable”.
“I totally disagree with any bad language being used by anybody who is communicating on behalf of any part of the ANC,” said ANC chairwoman Baleka Mbete.
“You don’t use language like that. You don’t have to swear at people or be rude to people to make your point. You can make your point using decent language.”
SA National Editors Forum chairman Mondli Makhanya also condemned Shivambu’s behaviour.
“It’s extremely unbecoming, offensive and disgusting of a spokesperson of a political organisation to speak in that manner. We would expect the ANC as the mother body to take action this time,” he said.
Also condemning Shivambu’s behaviour was the National Press Club.
“Such behaviour is totally unacceptable and completely out of line,” said chairman Yusuf Abramjee.