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A group of former Umkhonto we-Sizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA) members will protest against the Mail & Guardian on Friday.
The group, known as the MK Inkululeko Foundation, will picket outside the M&G offices at 10am. In an email, the protesters say they are picketing “in support of radical economic transformation and President Zuma”.
According to the foundation, the causes it is fighting for include “responsible reporting, radical economic transformation and hands off Zuma”. While the email doesn’t explicitly state why the MK Inkululeko Foundation was marching on the Mail & Guardian offices, Johannes “Sparks” Motseki, a foundation member and organiser of the picket, said that the protest is against investigative journalism unit amaBhungane.
“We are protesting against AmaB who is obviously linked to M&G,” said Motseki.
AmaBhungane and the M&G ended their exclusive relationship in early 2016, and amaBhungane now publishes stories in a number of South African media titles, including City Press and Daily Maverick, as well as on its own platform.
Motseki would not clarify why the foundation had set its sights on amaBhungane, simply saying: “The purpose will be clear tomorrow.”
He said that the Mail & Guardian had published stories linking him to Gupta interests. In a story in 2011, amaBhungane reported that Motseki had business stakes in a Gupta company and had also been appointed to the Denel board. He is no longer a member of the board.