A South African newspaper has slammed allegations made by communications minister Dina Pule that three of their investigative journalists are campaigning against her.
HumanIPO reported yesterday Dina Pule had alleged Sunday Times’ journalists were blackmailing her and their reporting was influenced by personal motives.
In a statement on the Times Live website Phylicia Oppelt, editor of the Sunday Times, hit back at Pule and said: “We find it unfortunate that rather than dealing with the essence of the claims against her, she proceeds to attack the messenger of the stories.
“We also find it disturbing that the Minister would use her office to call an “important” press conference, as she did today, to launch a personal attack on both the Sunday Times and its journalists.”
Oppelt also encouraged Pule to bring forward any evidence she might have against the three journalists she named as attacking her.
The journalists are Mzilikazi Wa Afrika, who Pule accuses of dealing in cheap Chinese cellphones, Stephan Hofstatter, accused of planting an individual in the minister’s office, and Rob Rose, who Pule suggested had a “close friend” at telecommunications company with business interests.
Oppelt launched a strong defence of all three and suggested the fact Pule had threatened the paper both with legal action and threatening to report them to the Press Ombudsman, but done neither, speaks volumes.
