Trade unions on Thursday criticised the Democratic Alliance (DA) for reportedly blacklisting a Sowetan newspaper reporter, but the opposition party defended its position on the matter.
“Numsa abhors the censorship of Sowetan journalist Anna Majavu by the DA,” the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa spokesperson Castro Ngobese said in a statement.
The daily newspaper reported Majavu had been “blacklisted” by the DA after the party accused her of having a “political agenda” because of her previous job as South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) spokesperson.
DA spokesperson Lindiwe Mazibuko said the press ombudsman had found that, on two occasions, Majavu did not report the news “truthfully, accurately and fairly”.
“We are under no legal or ethical obligation to distribute our statements to any particular individual or organisation. Seven Sowetan journalists receive our press statements every day. We are not barring any publication from receiving our communications.”
‘Real threat and enemy’
Mazibuko said Majavu appeared to have a particular agenda, and she had “demonstrated that over a long period of time”.
“She does not seem to be interested in reporting on the facts, she is malicious and her stories project blatant political bias, as is evidenced by the press ombudsman’s ruling,” Mazibuko said.
Ngobese said the DA was a “real threat and enemy” of media freedom.
“The DA’s actions are nothing else, but inspired by Nazi’s propagandist Joseph Goebells [sic] of embedded newsrooms and journalistic work to advance a particular political agenda,” he said.
Samwu also condemned the DA’s “immature behaviour”.
“The DA has decided to blacklist a political reporter for her previous working experience. The Sowetan‘s political reporter Anna Majavu worked for Samwu before but not anymore,” the union’s Walter Theledi said in a statement.
“Her previous working experience has no bearing on the work she is currently doing and it does by no means affect her journalistic integrity.” — Sapa