Newspapers News South Africa

Firing up controversies

The decision by Afrikaans Sunday newspaper Rapport editor Tim Du Plessis to fire Deon Maas following a controversial column on Satanism has not gone down well with Bizcommunity.com readers. As of this morning, Tuesday, 27 November 2007, 61 % (366 votes) voted No to a poll on this matter [Should Rapport have fired columnist Deon Maas?] and 33.83% (203 votes) agree with the editor's decision to let go of Maas. About 5% (31 votes) are sitting on the fence.

Here are some of the comments:

Professional?

I'm sorry but his decision is all but professional. The sad truth is that the Afrikaner community is still very much in backward thinking mode! Tim does not have the balls to address a much larger issue - educating the masses. – Rat

Wat het hy verwag?

Deon Maas se doel is om mense te skok en hy geniet die aandag wat hy kry as hy dit doen. Hy glo hy is liberaal en het dus die reg om te sê wat hy wil.

Is hy dan simpel genoeg om mense met ander waardes as hy, as verkramp te veroordeel om dat hulle opstaan en sê dat hulle genoeg van sy opinies gehoor het en nie daarmee saamstem nie?

Hoe nou Maaskaas? Is jy dan al een wat op opinies geregtig is? Is dit slegs die sg. liberales wat op opinies geregtig is en as ek van jou verskil is ek verkramp? As jy regtig so liberaal is, waarom is jy nie liberaal genoeg om die konserwatiewe persoon se opinie te respekteer nie. As jy oorweging skenk aan 'n ander se opinie en nie net jou eie nie, sal jy weet dat vir elke aksie daar 'n teen reaksie sal wees. En Deon, ek respekteer die feit dat jy opstaan en jou dinge sê waarin jy glo. Maar as jy goed sê net om mense te skok, het dit nie veel waarde anders as om sensasie te kry nie. Of jy nou in Satanisme glo of nie, jou sensasie het jy elk geval gekry.

Ek self het nie deelgeneem aan die veldtog teen Rapport nie want ek koop al die afgelope 10 jaar nie meer Sondag koerant nie, maar ek is verbly deur die feit dat die mense opstaan en hulle uitspreek teen Satanisme want hulle het dit vir hulle GOD gedoen. Dankie tog nie almal is so apaties soos ek gedink het nie. – Raas Klaas

How could Maas get his column published without the editor's blessing?

I think rather that Rapport should apologise for its role in allowing this article to be published instead of just dumping the journalist.

However, if I write a column stating that having sex with babies is not wrong, it is just another way of expressing my sexuality, what do you think the public reaction would be? I'm not saying that I do it, but ag shame, how can we discriminate against such people? I mean, baby rapists are not wrong/ evil, they are just misunderstood.

The poor misunderstood satanists. All they want to do is worship the devil, drink virgin blood, crucify the neighbourhood cat, sacrifice young children while raping them and cutting their little hearts out at the same time. Shame, give them a break. It is so unfair for society to judge and condemn these people. Let the satanists move into your townhouse complex, but when felix the cat suddenly disappears, you know where to go. – dan the man

Who would have stood by Du Plessis?

If the Media24 management gave Tim du Plessis an ultimatum he could understand only too well one should perhaps not judge him too harshly as the previous Media24/Naspers editors who made a principled stand and resigned rather than giving in to commercial and political pressure were soon forgotten and did not exactly receive the "injury to one is an injury to all" support from their colleagues that a junior trade union member would have expected from his/her co-workers (come on, name two Fairlady editors who resigned rather than give in to management pressure!) – Anon

About Tshepiso Seopa

Tshepiso Seopa was a junior journalist at Bizcommunity.com.
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