Government

Meet the key advisors for SA’s propaganda machine

Staff Writer

 ·21 Jul 2014

The DA has published a list of 51 names appointed to the ‘National Communications Task Team’ established to develop a White Paper on the overarching communication strategy of government.

The list, the DA, argued, “is stacked” with individuals closely linked to President Jacob Zuma, and therefore reinforces the perception that communications minister, Faith Muthambi, has been deployed to set up a propaganda machine to defend and promote the President.

The Task Team includes a number of controversial members, including:

• Vusi Mona –  current Sanral spokesperson and former Head of Communications in the Presidency.

• Hlaudi Motsoeneng –  current chief operations officer of the SABC.

According to the DA, Motsoeneng has been known to boast about his strong ties to President Zuma.

“It is alleged that Mr Motsoeneng ensured favourable coverage for President Zuma in the run-up to the ANC’s Mangaung Conference. In the 2014 election, it was reported that Mr Motsoeneng instructed SABC staff not to show crowd shots of opposition party rallies,” the political party said.

Motsoeneng is also the subject of a Public Protector Report that found he had lied about his qualifications and was awarded irregular pay increases as acting chief operations officer.

Muthambi however, recently cleared Motsoeneng of any wrong doing.

• Jimmy Manyi – A former head of the Government Communication and Information Service (GCIS).

“Prior to that, he was President of the Black Management Forum, which he mobilised behind Jacob Zuma following the ANC’s national conference in Polokwane. As Head of GCIS, Manyi threatened to withdraw government advertising from newspapers that did not toe the government’s line,” the DA said.

• Lindelwa Nzimande – founder of Words & All Communication, which lists the Jacob G Zuma Education Trust and the Bongi Ngema-Zuma Foundation amidst several government clients, including the Departments of Human Settlements and Transport.

• Khusela Sangoni – head of media relations at the ANC, and is former head of communications of the ANC Youth League.

“Minister Muthambi has come under heavy fire in recent weeks,” the DA’s shadow minister of communications,” Gavin Davis, said.  “If she wants to dispel the perception that she is creating a propaganda machine for the President, she will move swiftly to remove all Zuma acolytes from the National Communications Task Team.”

The full list of advisors can be found below:

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