Government effectively funding The New Age?

31 Jan 2013

NEWSWATCH: The row between DA leader Helen Zille and The New Age, regarded by many critics as little more than a government mouthpiece, is hotting up, reports IOL. And to add fuel to the fire, Politics Web reports that the DA is to investigate Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane's reported splurge of almost R700,000 on a business briefing hosted by The New Age.

Government effectively funding The New Age?

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Politics Web: Zille vs New Age row deepens... Back in the dark days of apartheid in the late '70s, we had the Information Scandal, in which public funds were used to subsidise the Citizen newspaper as a more "government friendly" English-language newspaper. That led to the resignation of both Dr Connie Mulder and Prime Minister John Vorster.
If this current issue is a parallel to the Information Scandal, then what we have is my tax monies - and yours - being used to fund a government mouthpiece set up to promote the ANC government.
DA leader Helen Zille wants Jacob Zuma to set up a judicial commission of inquiry to investigate government spending on the newspaper.
It's very safe to suggest that there are a great many people wanting the same thing; let's face it, we're heavily taxed as it is, but few will argue with seeing their tax monies being used to uplift the poor and fix our staggering education and health systems, for example. However, we have every right to be concerned - and angry - if part of our already heavy tax burden is being used to fund what many people reckon is little more than government/ANC propaganda.
Politics Web: Mokonyane spent R683,095 on New Age business breakfast - Jack Bloom... And adding petrol to the blaze...The Democratic Alliance is going to investigate Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane's reported splurge of almost R700,000 on a New Age-hosted business briefing.
It must have been quite a spread if the cost was R801.78 per head.

Rod Baker

About Rod Baker

Rod Baker is Content Director at Bizcommunity.com. A journalist since before computers, he worked on a wide range of magazines and, in his youth, rose through the ranks from being a lowly and abused sub-editor, to a high and still abused editor and publisher. He has been editor and publisher of a number of magazines, as well as a newspaper. He has edited many books, and written a number too. Email him at moc.ytinummoczib@dor.