The threatening mood at the latest Pagad press conference held in Cape Town was captured by Rehana Rossouw
THE latest onslaught on the media by People Against Gangsterism and Drugs (Pagad) has been condemned by Minister of Post, Telecommunications and Broadcasting Jay Naidoo as worse than the threats against the media at the height of apartheid repression.
The community-based organisation, which originally emerged in a bid to rid coloured townships of drug lords, has become more militant in recent months and has begun to target journalists whom it regards as the enemy alongside the drug lords and drug peddlers.
Pagad invited the media to a press conference (held in a mosque in Athlone, Cape Town) last Wednesday night, where they lashed out at journalists for almost two hours.
The attacks on reporters stemmed from what Pagad alleged to be “inaccuracies and lies” in the press’s coverage of the organisation’s activities. The “press conference” was attended by more than 2 000 Pagad supporters who hissed and chanted periodically when they disagreed with the media and supported their leaders.
It was addressed by four leaders of the organisation. All of them, except Pagad chief co-ordinator Aslam Toefy, wore scarves disguising their faces. Most of their vitriol stemmed from the fact that the organisation had split into two and journalists continued to represent three expelled members – Farouk Jaffer, Ali Parker and Nadthmie Edries – as members of Pagad.
They also warned the media to stop focusing on the role Qibla – a militant Muslim organisation – played in supporting Pagad.
Naidoo said he was “horrified” at the treatment meted out to journalists: “I consider it a humiliation not experienced even at the height of apartheid oppression to parade journalists before a hostile crowd and make threats against them and their newspapers. This is even more unacceptable in our new-born democracy.
“As the minister responsible for broadcasting, I cannot accept threats against the media. It would be a disaster for our democracy to subordinate the media to the vested interests in our society, irrespective of who they are. The freedom of the press is a foundation of a democracy.
“There are occasions when even I have strongly disagreed with the media. That has never conferred on me the divine right to tell journalists what to write and editors what to print.
“I call upon the sensible Pagad leaders to desist from threats as were made … and to join the mainstream of South African society in consolidating the democratic values we have fought for as a nation and for which many patriots have paid the ultimate sacrifice,” he said.
Journalists were escorted inside the mosque at about 9.50am and seated in front of a table where the Pagad leaders were sitting. We were asked to identify ourselves by name and publication or broadcast medium before the press conference began. The names were repeated over the public address system.
Below is an edited version of the Pagad press conference:
What Pagad had to say …
WE are giving The Cape Times and the Cape Argus until Friday to rectify all the damage they have done or have tried to do to Pagad. If not, on Sunday, Pagad will call for a boycott of The Cape Times and Cape Argus. [Cheers from the audience.] We will be fair to them tonight and our people can then decide if they should boycott or not.
The media is responsible for creating misconceptions about Pagad. They have perceived a split in Pagad by indicating two different mosques where Pagad meets. The media has not related the support the groups have.
Qibla continues to be a big question mark on Pagad’s campaign. We say Pagad consists of people from various communities, Muslims, Christians, Catholics, Hindus. To prove this, if the media was honest and fair, it would show footage of people of other denominations praying at Pagad meetings on numerous occasions.
Do not persist with this Qibla link.
The media persist in labelling the three expelled members of Pagad as the original leaders of Pagad, knowing full well they only joined four months back. Pagad started two years ago, and they weren’t part of it.
The question was put to our members in this very mosque, should they be expelled. The amirs [leaders] of our G-force [armed units] were unanimous that they should be expelled. Is it true? [Resounding yes, shouted from the crowd.]
We are saying to the media this is the last time we will discuss the expulsion with you. You are not to label those people as Pagad, you are not to refer to a “moderate” Pagad or an “other” Pagad.
The perception the media sitting here is giving to the rest of the country is that Pagad is all about fundamentalism and violence. Stop playing with people’s minds with your inaccuracies and lies.
To the media we say that there are no moderates in Islam in terms of its principles. You either take action to right a wrong or you stand back and do nothing. If that strikes you as fundamentalism, then we say thanks be to God that we are fundamentalists.
The media has consistently given gangsters coverage on TV and in newspapers as righteous, law-abiding citizens. The media labels Pagad as violent, but then shows these people smoking dagga and displaying firearms.
This is the last opportunity the media is being given to report wisely. Pagad does not need the press, it does not need to adapt to your whims and fancies.
If you are going to be biased lean towards the victims. In World War II the media probably won the war before people went to battle. Here you have the same opportunity to play an important role.
Look at the truth commission, the majority of whites are saying they never knew what happened in South Africa. The media must take responsibility for this. We will allow the media to ask questions.
Question: Would you like the media to ignore your campaign?
Answer: It would be better for our campaign if the media ignored us instead of writing lies about our campaign.
Question: Journalists and photographers have been experiencing threats right from the start of the campaign. If you want positive coverage, why threaten us?
Answer: Yes, we had problems with the news media and instructed our security people to keep the media out. We did this because the media was working in the interests of the gangsters instead of getting involved in the process of uplifting humanity. What do you want us to do to such people, entertain them? We will all no longer tolerate them.
Question: Why do you cover your faces with scarves?
Answer: I used to cover my face and stopped because I found it was not necessary. If I put a bucket on my head or a scarf, the media will still see it necessary to print my name under a photo without my permission. If I die in this cause, I made my peace with Allah. I made a commitment and I will die in this commitment.
The reason we cover our faces is because certain people print pictures of us and give it to the gangsters. The brother who was killed, Faizal Rycliff, his picture was circularised. I may be next. You can kill me, but you will never kill Pagad.We cover our faces to protect our wives, children and brothers.
We discovered the media and many people who have not been part of our demonstrations try to imply that because we cover our faces we have something to hide. We are dealing with people who work with cowardly tactics. If the dealers can’t get you they go for your family. In a situation like this it is better that the enemy does not know you.
The Cape Times editor Moegsien Williams said he did not take kindly to threats and did not think people should be allowed to make such threats. The Cape Times would not change its editorial policy at the behest of one organisation.
“What gives me sleepless nights is that if people make threats of this nature soon after you will find journalists are in physical danger if they are sent to cover Pagad events.
“The Cape Times policy is to stand our ground but to talk. We will not cut off communications with Pagad,” said Williams.
Cape Argus editor Shaun Johnson was not available to comment, but in his editorial on Friday, he called on Pagad to let “reason prevail”. He said his newspaper had no agenda against Pagad and was not a mouthpiece of any group.