The launch of a pro-government newspaper in South Africa was postponed on Wednesday after the editor and four senior staff quit hours before the first issue was to go to press.
The New Age promised “more positive” news and to highlight the achievements of the governing African National Congress (ANC). Its owner, the Gupta Group, has close links with South African President Jacob Zuma. The paper was to hit the streets on Wednesday morning, but at 3pm on Tuesday there was a staff mutiny involving the editor, Vuyo Mvoko, his deputy and three other senior staff.
Gary Naidoo, managing editor of the New Age, told Talk Radio 702: “We were ready to go to print. We withheld that publication with respect for those editorial staff that have stayed on ... We did not anticipate this.”
He estimated that the paper, already delayed from the middle of last month, would be published in “maybe a week, two weeks.”
The journalists who walked out said in a statement: “We have taken the decision that it would be neither proper nor professionally acceptable for us to speak publicly about the reasons for our decision.”
There were reports of a disagreement with the owners over the paper’s editorial stance. Mvoko was understood to have felt his authority was being undermined.
The New Age’s owners are Indian businessmen who arrived in South Africa in 1993 and built their fortune from computers. They have a nine-year relationship with Zuma and his family. Atul Gupta is said to be a close friend of Zuma; Gupta’s brother Rajesh and Zuma’s son Duduzane are business partners.
The walkout by staff came on national press freedom day in South Africa, an event marked by protests and debates because of new measures being considered by the ANC.
The party is pushing for the creation of a statutory media appeals tribunal and new laws that would broaden the definition of official secrets, with whistleblowers and journalists who infringe them facing up to 25 years in prison.
FRAUD ALLEGED: The leader of an opposition alliance made allegations of electoral irregularities and called for a protest in Tirana as European leaders are to meet Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Socialist Party scored a large victory in parliamentary elections, securing him his fourth term, official results showed late on Tuesday. The Socialist Party won 52.1 percent of the vote on Sunday compared with 34.2 percent for an alliance of opposition parties led by his main rival Sali Berisha, according to results released by the Albanian Central Election Commission. Diaspora votes have yet to be counted, but according to initial results, Rama was also leading there. According to projections, the Socialist Party could have more lawmakers than in 2021 elections. At the time, it won 74 seats in the
A Croatian town has come up with a novel solution to solve the issue of working parents when there are no public childcare spaces available: pay grandparents to do it. Samobor, near the capital, Zagreb, has become the first in the country to run a “Grandmother-Grandfather Service,” which pays 360 euros (US$400) a month per child. The scheme allows grandparents to top up their pension, but the authorities also hope it will boost family ties and tackle social isolation as the population ages. “The benefits are multiple,” Samobor Mayor Petra Skrobot told reporters. “Pensions are rather low and for parents it is sometimes
CANCER: Jose Mujica earned the moniker ‘world’s poorest president’ for giving away much of his salary and living a simple life on his farm, with his wife and dog Tributes poured in on Tuesday from across Latin America following the death of former Uruguayan president Jose “Pepe” Mujica, an ex-guerrilla fighter revered by the left for his humility and progressive politics. He was 89. Mujica, who spent a dozen years behind bars for revolutionary activity, lost his battle against cancer after announcing in January that the disease had spread and he would stop treatment. “With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of our comrade Pepe Mujica. President, activist, guide and leader. We will miss you greatly, old friend,” Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi wrote on X. “Pepe, eternal,” a cyclist shouted out minutes later,
CONTROVERSY: During the performance of Israel’s entrant Yuval Raphael’s song ‘New Day Will Rise,’ loud whistles were heard and two people tried to get on stage Austria’s JJ yesterday won the Eurovision Song Contest, with his operatic song Wasted Love triumphing at the world’s biggest live music television event. After votes from national juries around Europe and viewers from across the continent and beyond, JJ gave Austria its first victory since bearded drag performer Conchita Wurst’s 2014 triumph. After the nail-biting drama as the votes were revealed running into yesterday morning, Austria finished with 436 points, ahead of Israel — whose participation drew protests — on 357 and Estonia on 356. “Thank you to you, Europe, for making my dreams come true,” 24-year-old countertenor JJ, whose
RSS