The Ministry of Sport has strongly criticised a front-page report in City Press on Sunday that claims that Deputy President Jacob Zuma was directly involved in the conflict between Shakes Mashaba and the South African Football Association (Safa).
”The lies and distortion machinery of City Press is at it again,” said Graham Abrahams, spokesperson for the Ministry of Sport and Recreation, in a statement on Monday. ”Not satisfied with the self-inflicted shame and embarrassment that shook the paper recently and led to the removal of its previous editor, senior management again decided to ignore facts in favour of fabrications.
”Its lead story in Sunday’s paper relating to a meeting called by the Minister of Sport and Recreation, Ngconde Balfour, with Safa and attended by Deputy President Jacob Zuma, is not only factually incorrect but downright dishonest.”
The newspaper claimed that Zuma was said to have called Mashaba to put pressure on him to accept a two-day court postponement that shifted the hearing to a day after the coach’s suspension was due to expire.
Quoting a highly placed source in Safa, the report stated that Mashaba almost wept at the meeting as he realised that he had been led up the garden path.
”A telephone call to City Press sports editor Dominic Chimhavi on Sunday confirmed this. Chimhavi admitted that the decision to publish the story was not his,” responded Abrahams. ”He conceded that senior management took the decision and allegedly chose to ignore the facts as presented by a journalist, Mmuso Pelesa.
”He was at pains to point out that his sports department often have no say in sports-related stories that appear in the newspaper. This is a damning indictment on senior management of City Press who were also quick to disassociate themselves from the previous editor when the newspaper published alleged distortions.
”In fact, Chimhavi and Pule Mokhine spoke to Minister Balfour about meetings held with Safa. What appears in the paper does not relate to those discussions nor does the story deal with the written questions that Mmuso Pelesa faxed to me on Saturday evening.
”I spent 25 minutes on the telephone answering his questions with factual details. None of this appeared in the newspaper. The following details were given to City Press, which they chose to ignore:
”Minister Balfour invited Safa to a meeting in Pretoria on Monday 12 January 2004. The meeting was attended by Safa president Molefi Oliphant and acting CEO Albert Mokoena; head of Sport and Recreation South Africa Prof Denver Hendricks; CEO of the SA Sports Commission Dr Joe Phaahla; and other officials.
”Deputy President Jacob Zuma was not present at this meeting. The minister proposed to Safa that he would broker a meeting with Ephraim ‘Shakes’ Mashaba in order to facilitate a resolution to the dispute with the national coach.
”In the early morning of Monday 13 January 2004, Minister Balfour spoke to both Mr Mashaba and his legal representative, Selwyn Silent. They agreed to seek a postponement of their court case that was due to be heard in the High Court. It was further agreed that the minister would host a meeting to be attended by Safa and Mr Mashaba. This had the support of Safa.
”On Tuesday 13 January 2004, Minister Balfour convened a meeting in Pretoria attended by Safa represented by Messrs Oliphant and Mokoena and their legal representative Zola Majavu, Mr Mashaba, his wife, his attorney Selwyn Silent and an advocate. Minister Balfour requested Deputy President Zuma to attend this meeting.
”The reasons for the presence of the deputy president were simple: the differences between Safa and Mr Mashaba held the potential to impact on the interests of the country.
”As chairperson of the Cabinet committee responsible for the South African 2010 Soccer [World Cup] bid, the deputy president needed to be abreast of developments and could assist in facilitating talks between the parties,” continued Abrahams.
”After frank discussions on the viewpoints of all parties, there was mutual agreement that the respective legal teams would meet to seek a solution to differences. At no stage was any party put under pressure by anyone. In fact, the legal representative of Mr Mashaba thanked the deputy president for his interest in the matter.
”On every score, City Press distorts the facts. At no stage did the deputy president call Mashaba as claimed. In fact, the matter before the High Court was already postponement before the deputy president was asked by the minister to attend the meeting.
”The claim that Mashaba was close to tears is an outright lie. I was one of the last people to speak to him and he was happy about the interventions as the two parties were at least speaking to each other. The so-called highly placed source of City Press within Safa is another pure fabrication. Only the Safa president and CEO attended both meetings. No other Safa official had any details of either meeting.
”It is not just good enough for City Press to be apologising unreservedly to the deputy president for their untruths and lies. They also need to hold those individuals responsible for it, accountable and to take the necessary steps to remedy unethical reporting at the newspaper,” concluded Abrahams.
There was no one available for comment at City Press on Monday when the Mail & Guardian Online contacted the newspaper. — Sapa