TechCentralTechCentral
    Facebook Twitter YouTube LinkedIn
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn YouTube
    TechCentralTechCentral
    NEWSLETTER
    • News

      Fixing SA’s power crisis is not complex: it simply takes the will to do better

      12 August 2022

      Consortium makes unsolicited bid for state’s 40% stake in Telkom

      12 August 2022

      Actually, solar users should pay more to access the grid – here’s why

      12 August 2022

      Telkom says MTN talks remain on track

      12 August 2022

      Analysis | Rain muddies the waters with approach to Telkom

      11 August 2022
    • World

      Tencent woes mount, even after $560-billion selloff

      12 August 2022

      Huawei just booked its first sales rise since US blacklisting

      12 August 2022

      Apple remains upbeat about iPhone sales even as Android world suffers

      12 August 2022

      Ether at two-month high as upgrade to blockchain passes major test

      12 August 2022

      Gaming industry’s fortunes fade as pandemic ends

      11 August 2022
    • In-depth

      African unicorn Flutterwave battles fires on multiple fronts

      11 August 2022

      The length of Earth’s days has been increasing – and no one knows why

      7 August 2022

      As Facebook fades, the Mad Men of advertising stage a comeback

      2 August 2022

      Crypto breaks the rules. That’s the point

      27 July 2022

      E-mail scams are getting chillingly personal

      17 July 2022
    • Podcasts

      Qush on infosec: why prevention is always better than cure

      11 August 2022

      e4’s Adri Führi on encouraging more women into tech careers

      10 August 2022

      How South Africa can woo more women into tech

      4 August 2022

      Book and check-in via WhatsApp? FlySafair is on it

      28 July 2022

      Interview: Why Dell’s next-gen PowerEdge servers change the game

      28 July 2022
    • Opinion

      No reason South Africa should have a shortage of electricity: Ramaphosa

      11 July 2022

      Ntshavheni’s bias against the private sector

      8 July 2022

      South Africa can no longer rely on Eskom alone

      4 July 2022

      Has South Africa’s advertising industry lost its way?

      21 June 2022

      Rob Lith: What Icasa’s spectrum auction means for SA companies

      13 June 2022
    • Company Hubs
      • 1-grid
      • Altron Document Solutions
      • Amplitude
      • Atvance Intellect
      • Axiz
      • BOATech
      • CallMiner
      • Digital Generation
      • E4
      • ESET
      • Euphoria Telecom
      • IBM
      • Kyocera Document Solutions
      • Microsoft
      • Nutanix
      • One Trust
      • Pinnacle
      • Skybox Security
      • SkyWire
      • Tarsus on Demand
      • Videri Digital
      • Zendesk
    • Sections
      • Banking
      • Broadcasting and Media
      • Cloud computing
      • Consumer electronics
      • Cryptocurrencies
      • Education and skills
      • Energy
      • Fintech
      • Information security
      • Internet and connectivity
      • Internet of Things
      • Investment
      • IT services
      • Motoring and transport
      • Public sector
      • Science
      • Social media
      • Talent and leadership
      • Telecoms
    • Advertise
    TechCentralTechCentral
    Home»News»Survé takes on Times Media

    Survé takes on Times Media

    News By Editor5 December 2013
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Telegram Email

    newspapers-640

    Independent Newspapers boss Iqbal Survé on Thursday accused rival Times Media Group of a “dirty tricks” campaign to rob his group of revenue and readers, after laying criminal charges against one of its editors and a reporter.

    Sekunjalo Investments, which Survé chairs, brought the charges against Sunday Times editor Phylicia Oppelt and reporter Bobby Jordan.

    The newspaper quoted on Sunday from the public protector’s preliminary findings on Sekunjalo Marine Services Consortium (SMSC) securing a contract worth R800m to run the country’s fisheries patrol fleet.

    In an editorial, Survé said it was hypocritical for a newspaper to break the law — in this case the Public Protector Act, which states that draft reports are confidential — while expecting politicians to uphold it.

    “It appears as if the media are keen for politicians to obey the law, but even keener to define themselves as above it.”

    He accused Times Media Group of having tried in vain to wrest control of Independent Newspapers and trying to portray him as a “crooked businessman” and ANC lackey who wanted to counter negative reporting on the ruling party.

    “I now have it on impeccable authority that the executives of TMG have crafted and funded an orchestrated campaign against me, whose ultimate aim is to undermine public and advertising confidence,” he said.

    Survé said Oppelt and Jordan “have availed themselves as the chief hatchet men in the group executives’ personalised campaign against me”.

    He said Sunday Times columnist Chris Barron and Business Day editor Peter Bruce, “a man who holds the unique position of being South Africa’s only editor/publisher (so much for editorial integrity) are the standout character assassins”.

    Survé went on to say it was ironic that he was seen as being too close to president Jacob Zuma by a media group “whose titles increasingly read like a manifesto for the Democratic Alliance”.

    “The Times Media Group’s recent history of collaboration with the official opposition is just too rich and undeniable to be ignored.”

    Times Media Group declined to comment. Oppelt and Bruce could not be reached for comment.

    The South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) urged Survé to withdraw the charges against Oppelt and Jordan. Sanef said any such attempt to criminalise reporting would undermine the fight to maintain a free press in South Africa, in the face of legislation like the Protection of State Information Bill, and send the wrong message to staff at Independent Newspapers’ titles.

    “Criminalising leaks must never be tolerated in an open, democratic society, especially when whistle-blowing is the only or alternative way of exposing maladministration and corruption.”

    In its latest edition, the Sunday Times reported that Madonsela had found collusion by the Sekunjalo consortium.

    But in her final report released on Thursday, she referred a decision on whether this was the case to the Competition Commission while finding that the contract created a conflict of interest.

    The contract was cancelled because it was irregular in terms of the procurement rules of the department of agriculture, forestry & fisheries (DAFF).

    “I was unable to find improper conduct or maladministration on DAFF’s role with regard to collusive tendering and have decided to refer the decision on whether SMSC’s conduct constituted collusive tendering to the Competition Commission,” Madonsela said.  — Sapa

    Independent Newspapers Iqbal Survé Peter Bruce Phylicia Oppelt Sekunjalo Times Media Group TMG
    Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Telegram Email
    Previous ArticleEskom CEO Brian Dames quits
    Next Article Gigaba regrets Eskom CEO resignation

    Related Posts

    Fixing SA’s power crisis is not complex: it simply takes the will to do better

    12 August 2022

    Consortium makes unsolicited bid for state’s 40% stake in Telkom

    12 August 2022

    Actually, solar users should pay more to access the grid – here’s why

    12 August 2022
    Add A Comment

    Comments are closed.

    Promoted

    Get your brand in front of TechCentral’s amazing audience

    12 August 2022

    Pricing Beyond CMYK: printers answer the FAQs

    11 August 2022

    How secure is your cloud?

    10 August 2022
    Opinion

    No reason South Africa should have a shortage of electricity: Ramaphosa

    11 July 2022

    Ntshavheni’s bias against the private sector

    8 July 2022

    South Africa can no longer rely on Eskom alone

    4 July 2022

    Subscribe to Updates

    Get the best South African technology news and analysis delivered to your e-mail inbox every morning.

    © 2009 - 2022 NewsCentral Media

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.