RAY HARTLEY: We must condemn these attacks on a leading journalist

The original headline on this article called on the ANC to condemn the attack on Peter Bruce. It has commendably done so and the full statement can be read below the article.

On Wednesday morning, Business Day published a column by its former editor, Peter Bruce, on how he has been harassed since writing articles heavily critical of the Gupta family and state capture.

Bruce wrote:

“It turns out that for about a week in September 2016, while the Guptas were still cocky (that is, before the e-mails about them leaked), they had me followed and secretly photographed: my wife and I leaving the house for our early morning walk with our dogs, me having coffee with friends in Parkview, me visiting the offices of psychologists as I looked for help for one of my family, me visiting a business to order custom-made collars for the dogs. When the owner walked me back to my car and gave me a goodbye hug, they photographed that too.”

Bruce was unaware of the surveillance, but began to get threatening messages. One of them, from Andile Mngxitama on Twitter, read, “you going to get a heart attack Peter; better prepare yourself”.

Then the Twitter handles invented by the Guptas began to chime in with personal details.

It is now obvious that Mngxitama and the tweet bots were aware of the surveillance and were preparing to launch an assault on Bruce.

That assault eventually came in the form of a website purporting to expose “white monopoly capital” which made salacious allegations about Bruce and other journalists.

However, their propaganda was so crude and laughable that only the Guptas and those on their payroll believed it. Everyone else dismissed it or openly supported Bruce.

Then, on the morning Bruce’s latest article appeared, as if to confirm the conspiracy for any remaining doubters, Mngxitama’s  supporters arrived bearing placards at Bruce’s private residence.

There were only a few willing – or paid enough – to make the journey, but it would be a mistake to laugh this protest off.

It represents a new low for the Gupta shadow state – a brazen public attack on a journalist for reporting on state capture.

This initiates a new, aggressive phase for the Guptas, who are now clearly desperate to shut down the free press that has exposed their inner workings by reporting their tightening grasp on ANC politicians and state enterprises in leaked e-mails over recent weeks.

Such intimidation of a journalist – or of anyone else who exposes the truth about state capture, for that matter – must be condemned in the strongest possible terms.

Yesterday there were invented allegations on covert websites, today there is a handful of protesters at a journalists house, tomorrow we will find ourselves living in a banana republic where covert violence is used against the free press with the state standing passively by.

President Jacob Zuma and the ANC are meeting at the party’s policy conference. They ought to take some time out to send a strong message of condemnation to the public. Unless, of course, they quietly support this encroachment on freedom.

ANC statement on attacks on Peter Bruce:

ANC condemns actions by alleged BLF members at editor Peter Bruce's House30 June 2017

The African National Congress condemns in the strongest possible terms the actions of a group purported to be members of BLF who are reported to have gone to Times Media Editor, Peter Bruce's home, with the purpose to intimidate him and his family.

It is further reported that the action of the alleged BLF members was a statement against Mr. Bruce's views and ideological postions. This manner of handling differences is an antithesis to the tolerant society appreciative of divergent views we seek to build.

The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa guarantees every person in the country the right to freedom of expression, which includes the freedom of the press and other media as well as the freedom to receive and impart information or ideas.

In the same vein, it is the view of the ANC that where the media sees any wrong doing done by government, by the ANC or any other political party let them speak out. In instances of hypocrisy, inconsistency or utter dishonesty on the part of the ANC or government or any other political party let them shout louder.

All rights in the Constitution carry concomitant responsibilities. Consequently, the South African Press Code enjoins media practitioners to uphold the highest ethical standards, "maintain credibility and keep the trust of the public." Where the media fails to live up to these injunctions, independent scrutiny and co-regulation mechanisms have been created as a response. While these may be inadequate in certain instances, they remain the current platform created to ensure media accountability necessary to shape a democratic society, not intimidation and violence.

The ANC calls on the law enforcement agencies to investigate this matter and not hesitate to act where there are justiciable grounds to do so.

Issued by the African National Congress