Julius Malema, Ferial Haffajee, Eric Miyeni and the economic web

It is ignorance of how the media operates that will make people act surprised at the sacking of allegedly controversial Sowetan columnist, Eric Miyeni.
He published an article where he attempted to put the relationship between politics and the media into context.
Specifically, he tried to link the City Press’ vigorous efforts to taint the integrity of ANCYL leader, Julius Malema to the agenda of not only pleasing her bosses but protecting and preserving white economic control.
Few people would have a problem with his take. He who controls the media sets the agenda. It is inconceivable that super-Afrikaners would own a media conglomerate would give it to a relatively young woman who will refuse to do their bidding.
Editors are appointed because the board believes that not only are they the best to make profits but will pursue a particular agenda that will serve their selfish business interests.
In certain political circles, especially within the ANC, the press is widely believed to be part of the conspiracy to tarnish the image of the black government (sic) through undermining the integrity of its leaders.
To a large extent, President Jacob Zuma and his entire cabinet – except for a few individuals who the press still favors – have long been blemished. They make up what is now accepted as a corrupt black government (sic.)
This is the public perception created by the media. If corruption exists, it exists in all governments.
Whatever the truth is in what Miyeni wrote, it is clear that journalists do not tolerate anyone who attacks one of their own. Nothing would have happened to him if he had repeated the same things about any of Zuma’s cabinet ministers.
Nothing happened to the Sunday Times journalists for everything they said about the late minister of Health, Dr Manto Msimang-Tshabalala.
What Miyeni was saying, if you understand him correctly, is that Ferial Haffajee and her City Press team are not content to be mere objective reporters when it comes to the issue of Malema.
Miyeni was unusually frank: Haffajjee is protecting the interests of her Afrikaner media bosses who also own farms, the economy and would love to kill Malema’s potential to be the next president of South Africa or anything close to it at some point in the future.
The interesting thing about the Miyeni-Haffajee-Malema affair in particular is the extent to which media owners influence editors, editors target specific radical political figures and journalists who are support the latter are rooted out of the system.
What has got Haffajjee to gain from her relentless use of City Press to dig up what she considers to be ‘dirt’ on Malema? Who elected her to do so? Why does she not tell us who else owns R16-million houses in this country and how did they get their money?
Miyeni was trying to show how as editor she may be implicated in a bigger game that her readers may be aware of.
There is a growing perception in the African community that Malema is being targeted because he represents a ‘voice’ that has long been suppressed in post-apartheid South Africa. It is taboo to raise the issue of the land ownership and economic control. This just makes white people feel threatened.
Miyeni went as far as to use the analogy of a ‘snake’ to describe Haffajee. He might have added that this is the same analogy that was used by Zuma to describe Thabo Mbeki when he likened him to a ‘dead snake.’
It is a sad day, indeed, that Miyeni has to face this fate when columnists who insult the President and his cabinet are praised for their courage and given awards for being independent.
He has been discarded and is found to be of no use now because he is pointing his guns inwards, pissing into the tent. He has targeted an important figure and ally in the media who leads the charge against government and other perceived radical African voices.
Perhaps the problem is that Miyeni is not a trained journalist. Otherwise he would have been taught that consistency and loyalties, especially closing ranks, are attributes that are jealously guarded by hacks.
The agenda of the media is to try to destroy Malema.
When a rare no-holds-barred column like Miyeni’s appears to attack the integrity of a female editor who is playing her role in pointing out corruption, he is messing with the wrong crowd.
But freedom of expression and the media means that we have to break rank and write what we like without fear or favour.
There can only be freedom of expression when we give space to those whose views differ with ours.
But the media operates like a herd: they look into the South Africa and see the same corruption of black cabinet ministers, government officials and everyone close to them.
Yet Miyeni was ready to admit that some editors, like many other professionals in the corporate world, are always eager to please their bosses by protecting their long term interests and to preserve the unjust economic status quo.
The independence of the South African media is a myth and the freedom of expression of its columnists a lie.
There is, and always will be an intuitive connection between the owners of the media and the type of person they appoint to lead a publication.
It is neither Miyeni nor Haffajee’s fault that a proper relationship between press and business is unambiguous: to not only reap profits but protect and preserve long term business interests.
Unfortunately, the purpose and duties of the two centers of power – media owners and their press – are intertwined, generally dependent and, mostly, striving towards the same goals.
To survive and be celebrated as an editor, not only must one be on top of your game in constantly destroying the integrity of black politicians but your mission must be closely aligned to that of your owners. And that is to hold on to their wealth and economy for as long as possible.
I suspect editors and journalists who are true to themselves understand that Miyeni had to go. I doubt if anyone can truly argue against the theory he was presenting, that is, editors work to please and protect the business interests of their owners.
The thing about the South African press is that it does NOT cover what is going on in the country. They are not disinterested or objective observers of what is going on here. They have a vested interest in who emerges as a future leader as much as they had an interest in deciding who the best example of an African president becomes.
It is only when columnists are allowed to express their mad ideas – without being vulgar – that we shall truly have freedom of the press.
Writers like Miyeni have no room in the current set up.
It is sad, indeed!!!