Johannesburg - The South African Media Personnel Organisation (Sampo) has laid into AmaBhungane, accusing the investigative journalism media group of being a “rented mob” used to intimidate Sunday World from probing the involvement of its journalist in a controversial social media group named after President Cyril Ramaphosa’s political campaign slogan, Thuma Mina.
This comes after AmaBhungane this week launched an investigation into a multimillion rand government contract awarded to one of the companies owned by Sunday World publisher David Mabilu nearly five years ago – days after the paper announced it was probing the involvement of its political editor, George Matlala, in the Thuma Mina media group.
Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan’s former spokesperson, Sam Mkokeli, lifted the lid on the existence of the controversial group two weeks ago after he publicly fell out with his boss.
AmaBhungane is a donor-funded media non-profit company whose directors include Sam Sole and Micah Reddy.
In a statement released on Friday, Sampo acting spokesperson Mduduzi Ndzingi said AmaBhungane journalist Micah Reddy this week launched a probe into a contract linked to Mabilu following Sunday World’s move.
Mabilu is the chief executive officer of Fundudzi Media, which owns the weekly tabloid newspaper. He bought Sunday World from Tiso Blackstar (now Arena Holdings) in June last year after the media company announced that it would be closing the paper and retrenching staff across a number of their publications.
Ndzingi said: “Sampo has noted with serious concern the attempts by AmaBhungane to intimidate and harass Sunday World owners and editors for launching an investigation into Thuma Mina Media Group. It has come to our attention that AmaBhungane has launched an investigation into the paper’s owner, Mr David Mabilu, days after Sunday World announced that it had launched a probe into its political editor, Matlala, whose name came up in a list of 61 journalists, government spokespersons and other parties who have been exposed as members.”
Ndzingi added: “Sampo has been reliably informed that AmaBhungane journalist Micah Reddy sent Mr Mabilu questions about his company’s water project in Mopani, Limpopo, which was awarded by the Department of Water and Sanitation in 2016.”
Last week, Sunday World acting editor Kabelo Khumalo announced that the paper was investigating Matlala after his name appeared on the list of 61 journalists who have been exposed as members of the secretive WhatsApp group which comprised senior journalists, editors, government
spokespersons and some activists.
Reddy this week denied that AmaBhungane were being used to intimidate Sunday World and Mabilu with the intention of stop the paper’s Thuma Mina Media Group investigation.
“What was on my mind was an in-depth investigation we have been working on since well before the news of the probe into Matlala. The Giyani issue remains topical and continues to make the news as it has for many years,” said Reddy.
In his media enquiry, Reddy had sought answers on Vharanani’s involvement in the R2b Giyani Water Project, its relationship, if any, with the main contractors, LTE and Khato Civils, and whether Mabilu was subcontracted by LTE or by Limpopo water utility, Lepelle Northern Water.
Ndzingi said the fact that AmaBhungane queries a project awarded to Vharanani Properties in January 2016 days after Sunday World launched its investigation into the activities of the Thuma Mina Media Group was a sign that they were a rented mob used by those who sought to intimidate the publication, and stop the suspicious activities of the group from being exposed to the public.
“It is common knowledge that AmaBhungane owner, Sam Sole, is a reactionary journalist with a track record of using his position to pursue ulterior motives and black professionals who are deemed a threat to the country’s economic status quo.
“We know that Sole and his racist clique in the media have never accepted Mr Mabilu’s acquisition of Sunday World. They questioned his purchase of the paper, even though he saved much-needed jobs, claiming he would use the paper to further an unspecified political agenda because of his relationship with EFF President Julius Malema,” said Ndzingi.
He added: “This is the same modus operandi AmaBhungane and its fellow travelers have used in recent years to intimidate black people who dare venture into the media industry, which they want to preserve as their personal enclave. Sampo therefore urges Mr Mabilu and Sunday World editors to resist AmaBhungane’s attempt to intimidate them from investigating the Thuma Mina Media Group’s purpose and agenda.”
Sole could not be reached for comment.
Mabilu declined to comment. Khumalo said: “Mr Mabilu has not brought the matter to my attention and I don’t expect him to as he is capable of answering any question related to his business dealings. The investigation by Sunday World is ongoing and will be brought to its logical conclusion.”
Political analyst Metji Makgoba said the Thuma Mina Media Group demonstrated how certain media houses have developed a symbiotic relationship with capital and the ruling class.
“At worse, instead of serving as the watchdog and independent monitor of government, power, corporate leaders and any other person or institution accountable to the public at the service of democracy, these media agents remain tools of capital and certain political actors to advance narrow ideological and financial interests.”
Political analyst Xolani Dube said AmaBhungane’s questions to Mabilu suggest that journalists were no longer committed to the basic principles of journalism because they belonged to different factions.
“They are no longer protecting the interest of society, now they protect the interests of those who control their pockets and their livelihood. They are no longer defending us as ordinary citizens.”
Sunday Independent