A mysterious fax suggesting that the Mail & Guardian’s recent stories about the alleged shenanigans in the Ehlanzeni District Municipality are motivated by a desire to attract advertising for the M&G is doing the rounds.
The fax suggests that the newspaper is part of a campaign to replace the incumbent mayor, Jeri Ngomane.
The fax is allegedly written by a “Mrs Nomawethu Ndukuya” and thanks this newspaper for carrying stories about the KPMG audit report that found widespread irregularities in the municipality.
The mystery fax reads: “Thank you for your Friday article dated August 13 2004. I think my open letter to Nosiviwe Maphisa [sic] Nqakula will work and help get rid of Jeri.
“We must also find other ways to make the African National Congress to believe in what we say. Jeri knows that we are communicating with you but this will not jeopardise our employment at Ehlanzeni.
“We do not know how to pay you back but once he [Ngomane] is gone Ehlanzeni will advertise all its work in the M&G.”
The letter ends off with the words “from the concerned citizen of Mpumalanga. Mrs Nomawethu Ndukuya.”
The M&G last month published a letter from a Nomawethu Ndukya (not “Ndukuya”) complaining about the alleged conduct of Ngomane. The M&G has been unable to establish if the two are one and the same person.
In the letter Ndukya appeals to ANC Women’s League president Mapisa-Nqakula “to protect us from this man [Ngomane]”.
Ehlanzeni council speaker Eva Lubede says Ndukuya does not work for Ehlanzeni.
This means that Ndukuya cannot influence in any way how the municipality deploys its advertising budget.
ANC spokesperson in Mpumalanga, Paul Mbenyane, says the party distances itself from the fax, saying disciplined members of the organisation raise issues within known structures and not in the media.
M&G editor Ferial Haffajee says the fax is clearly a hoax designed to sully the newspaper.
“This newspaper has never and will never make editorial decisions based on advertising benefit.”