There's smoke, but no fire

After initially breaking the story of a senior Department of Communications official accused of fraud and job piracy, ITWeb this week reported that director-general Lyndall Shope-Mafole is refusing to investigate.

The allegations were made in a whistle-blower's letter, requesting a financial forensic investigation be undertaken on the person in question. This letter has been sent to the director of public prosecutions and copied to various other governmental and parliamentary organisations.

Now perhaps one would think that such allegations would be worrying. But no.

Shope-Mafole stated defiantly: "It must be noted that these are just allegations. I am almost 100% sure that these are absolutely false. I personally participate in the interviews and appointments of all senior management posts and have seen nothing which has raised any doubts as to the legitimacy of the recruitment process."

Oh, well that's fine then. I do see a pattern here, however. It seems to be prescribed ANC policy to deny wrongdoing and support the alleged culprit before investigating any accusations.

Think back to Thabo Mbeki's initial unwavering support for Jacob Zuma - until he was eventually forced to fire him. Think Tony Yengeni - before he went to the slammer. Well, sort of. Then think Manto Tshabala-Msimang, until it emerged that she stole a watch, patients' belongings and, most recently, a liver.

Shope-Mafole went on to say: "I very much doubt an investigation will happen - you need doubt to embark on an investigation. At the moment we just have a whistle-blower whom I am certain is acting under a hidden agenda."

I doubt an investigation will happen either. After all, the esteemed DG has no doubt - apart from being ALMOST 100% certain. Something doesn't add up. As for hidden agendas, well that is certainly a point of debate.

Of course, one of the most unbelievable implications arising from this is that, due to the alleged job piracy, only incompetent and unsuitable people are being appointed to the communications department.

Eish, I can't believe...

Many breathed a sigh of relief when M-Net appeared on the scene, followed by DSTV. This, no doubt, brought pregnancy and suicide rates right down.

Martin Czernowalow, news editor, ITWeb

Statistics SA has been caught with its pants down, again. Some people just don't know when to stop. I've always thought Stats SA was a rather benign government institution, kind of just counting things and presenting statistics.

It seems I was wrong. It appears this bunch of happy pencil-pushers has been acting as government's covert bureau of propaganda - almost like a throw-back to apartheid/East Bloc tactics.

After initially being bust for one of its employees attempting to censor information on Wikipedia's page on HIV/Aids in SA, it has emerged that the fearsome Stats SA had struck before. Yes, some dimwit from the agency actually decided to pick on the Aids Foundation of SA (AFSA) - a formidable organisation that is, no doubt, a threat to state security. I kid you not, these guys actually have the nerve to spread the truth about HIV/Aids.

So, the ever-diligent Stats SA employee (the agency has refused to comment on whether it's the same dimwit who altered Wikipedia) has taken to sending threatening e-mails to the dissidents at AFSA, denying the existence of HIV/Aids.

In one of several e-mails sent over May and June, the employee states: "There's plenty evidence that it doesn't [exist], which needs no more argument. Nevertheless people continue to die due to toxic anti-virus drugs and psychological negativity of the people that believe that Aids actually exist... Why do you guys seem to be not ashamed of earning those big bucks with the expense of more innocent, especially black people's lives? I demand a response please [sic]."

An organisation that truly deserves an award for being blatantly shameless is the joke that is the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC). Yes, not only has the public broadcaster been accused of being a government mouthpiece, it has also, for years, tortured South Africans with extremely bad programming content.

Many breathed a sigh of relief when M-Net appeared on the scene, followed by DSTV. This, no doubt, brought pregnancy and suicide rates right down.

Anyhow, this week, the Independent Communications Authority of SA issued pay-TV licences to four new service providers, in the interests of diversity and competition. All good.

What's not good is that the useless and arrogant SABC is trying to weasel its way into this scene. Having pulled out of the pay-TV licence race through state signal provider Sentech, the broadcaster has demanded that it be appointed content provider to the new pay-TV licensees.

"We have applied to ICASA for a 'must carry' principle, where we asked ICASA to make sure the pay-TV channels carry public broadcasting services," said SABC spokesman Kaizer Kganyago.

Here's a quick heads-up, brother: Nobody wants your content. People are willing to pay exorbitant prices to get away from the trash that is dished out by the SABC. Please, just go away and concentrate on something you are good at. Like extorting licence fees under threat of jail.

Not surprisingly, Kganyago could not supply any justification for the SABC to put forward such a request, instead clumsily dancing around the question. I suspect there is simply no way to justify it.