Mercury Correspondent|Published
Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie has been criticised by the National Media Group (NMG) after attacking Independent Online (IOL) during a TikTok session on Black Wednesday, which marks National Press Freedom Day.
NMG chief executive Melanie Peters said the minister’s comments followed an investigation by IOL and NMG into alleged cadre deployment practices in his office. She called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to condemn the remarks and investigate the corruption allegations surrounding McKenzie.
NMG links minister’s remarks to investigation
The investigation was published under the headline: “Ministry of cadre deployment: Leak dossier exposes Gayton McKenzie’s PA network.”
Peters said McKenzie’s reaction, “viewed by many as immature, mirrors the tactics of former apartheid-era leaders who showed hostility towards independent journalism”.
She compared his behaviour to that of former apartheid-era prime minister P.W. Botha, who restricted media access and sought to silence critics, saying the episode raised concerns about press freedom in South Africa.
In her statement, Peters recalled Nelson Mandela’s remarks in February 1994, when he described the press as the “lifeblood of any democracy”.
Peters said attempts to bar media coverage from McKenzie’s campaigns and impose silencing measures against journalists raised concerns about transparency and accountability in government.
Call for Ramaphosa to intervene
Peters urged Ramaphosa to condemn McKenzie’s comments unequivocally and initiate a thorough investigation into the corruption allegations surrounding the minister.
“No public official is above scrutiny,” Peters asserted, adding that the President had a constitutional duty to protect press freedom and ensure accountability within his Cabinet.
NMG may also seek support from international media freedom organisations over what it describes as an alarming trend towards silencing journalism in South Africa.
“We are committed to investigative journalism and will continue to speak truth to power,” Peters said.
She reaffirmed the group’s commitment to investigating serious allegations, including drug cartels in townships and the looting of municipalities under the minister’s watch.
NMG raises concern over at
tack on Iqbal Surve
Peters also criticised what she described as an unwarranted attack on Dr Iqbal Surve, former chairman of Sekunjalo.
She clarified that Surve had no involvement in the investigation and said attacks on shareholders could be viewed as attempts to intimidate the media.
“We will not be distracted. Allegations of corruption demand rigorous investigation,” she said.