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Africa

Guptagag

15 May 2013

NEWSWATCH: The Gupta family isn't going to talk to the media until the report on its guests landing at Waterkloof is finalised, reports Mail & Guardian, and BD Live reports the DA is urging Zuma not to sign the secrecy bill. The ConCourt has reserved judgment on media's access to the Krejcir hearing, reports Mail & Guardian, and IOL reports that a Sun reporter has been charged in the UK hacking probe.

For more:

Mail & Guardian: Guptas refuse further media questions on landing scandal... First we had "Guptagate", now we have "Guptagag" - the family is apparently miffed at the media coverage it's getting here in SA, so it says it ain't talking to the SA media for the moment. It says the local media is just engaging in "fishing expeditions" and then publishing "slander and far-fetched stories".
Well, unfortunately, if you are going to land your chartered jet loaded with pressies and wedding guests at a military base - many would suspect because you wanted to show your mates and family from back home how influential you are in sunny SA... you know, we can do it, so we're going to do it - then you must expect a bit of heat.
The family, according to Mail & Guardian, says "it will not answer any further questions regarding the landing at the Waterkloof Air Force Base until the report [on the incident] is finalised."

So now we wait, with bated breath, for the report - assuming it's made public (or sections of it), of course (and don't bet on that) for the Guptas to remove their self-imposed gag and give their side of the story.
BD Live: DA urges Zuma not to sign 'constitutionally flawed' secrecy bill... Well, you have to give her points for trying, but if Lindiwe Mazibuko, the Democratic Alliance (DA) leader in Parliament, thinks Zuma will listen, then she's more optimistic than many of us.
Mail & Guardian: ConCourt reserves judgment on media's access to Krejcir hearing... Various media houses, including Mail & Guardian, want the right to access the Refugee Appeal Board hearing of Radovan Krejcir.
Surely we should be able to be made aware of the details around an asylum application when the individual involved is a convicted criminal?
IOL: Sun reporter charged in hacking probe... Sun reporter Clodagh Hartley is the latest journalist British prosecutors working on the hacking probe, have charged, in this case over alleged payments of more than £17,000 pounds (about R240,000) to officials for details of confidential government spending plans.