President Kgalema Motlanthe has formally laid a complaint with the press ombudsman, his spokesperson said on Wednesday.
”The president has instructed his representatives to make complaints to the press ombud,” said spokesperson Thabo Masebe.
Press ombud Joe Thloloe confirmed that two complaints were made by Motlanthe, one against the Sunday World and the other against the Sunday Independent.
Both Masebe and Thloloe declined to discuss what the complaints concerned.
On January 25 Motlanthe was the subject of a news report in the Sunday Independent that he had fathered a child with a 24-year-old woman, Kelebogile Mmokwa. Mmokwa is not Motlanthe’s wife.
More reports followed concerning Mmokwa, who at the time was mistakenly identified as ‘Lebo Makoe’.
On February 8, the Sunday World published an interview with Mmokwa in which she claimed she had had a five-year relationship with Motlanthe and that her two-year-old boy was the president’s child.
On the same day, the Sunday Independent published a front-page article which, while not admitting its January 25 story was incorrect, was an interview with Mmokwa in which she admitted to lying to reporters about her relationship to Motlanthe.
Mmokwa defended her actions by telling reporters: ”I told you what you wanted to hear.”
Later that day, Motlanthe told reporters that he would not seek legal action against Mmokwa.
”I think I have more than enough on my plate to be dealing with that. I … will drop a line to the Press Ombudsman — he has the time, authority and responsibility to look into those kinds of indiscretions,” said Motlanthe.
The African National Congress also spoke out on the matter.
”It goes to show a lack of objectivity, bias and an intent to harm the good image of respected leaders of the calibre of Kgalema Motlanthe. The ANC deplores this practice which gives journalism a bad name,” said then-spokesperson Carl Niehaus.
”We call on the press ombudsman and the SA National Editor’s Forum to do an introspection into the unethical behaviour of some journalists and newspaper editors,” said Niehaus. — Sapa