Daily Dispatch Lied, Daily Dispatch is a Disgrace to the Media Industry…!
- 2 days ago
- 7 min read
On 6 September 2019 your paper published an article titled “Gift to Port St Johns or simply a purveyor of fantastical humbug?” that sought to discredit me, Kealeboga (Gift) Mogapi. I write this open right of reply to set the record straight, correct the falsehoods published about me and my work, and to demand accountability from a paper that has shown itself willing to drag a person’s name through the mud without proper verification.
The facts, as they happened, are these:
1. My first visit to Port St. Johns was to attend a funeral in Spunzana, one of 13 villages under the Gomolo Administration Area. I fell in love with the landscape and the potential it holds for the local community.
2. I met the Headman of the area and asked about acquiring land. He introduced me to the local Chief and asked that I see him on Monday at the tribal office.
3. I met with the Chief in the presence of the Area Headman and other tribal leaders. I was asked to prepare a proposal for any size of land I sought and to present it to the Chief’s Council.
4. I was explicitly advised not to limit the amount of land I might request, provided the plan would benefit the local community.
5. I conducted a physical assessment of the area to determine what development would best benefit the community; that assessment informed the proposal I prepared for the Chief’s Council.
6. I presented to the Chief’s Council. The Council was impressed by my presentation and granted me permission to consult with residents across the 13 villages so that community inputs could be included.
7. Over seven months I undertook door-to-door consultations with residents across the 13 villages under the Gomolo Administration Area. Those consultations culminated in a successful full community meeting at the Chief’s Community Hall.
8. It was agreed that I should enter into individual agreements with individual landowners; where land fell under the Chief’s jurisdiction, the Chief agreed to release that land for the proposed project.
9. Following that process, the Chief and his Council introduced me to His Majesty King Ndamase Ndamase of AmaMpondo Ase Nyandeni.
10. The King welcomed my proposal and arranged for me to present it before the King’s Council. At that King’s Council my proposal was unanimously approved and I was appointed Adviser to His Majesty King Ndamase Ndamase and to the King’s Council. (I hold and will attach both appointment letters as proof.)
11. After securing the King’s support and the appointments, I engaged with government, beginning with the Port St. Johns Local Municipality and various local government departments.
12. Some government officials ridiculed the project as unrealistic. Rather than deter me, their negativity propelled me to work around the clock to advance the project.
13. I researched global best practice, selected exemplary building designs and acquired plans I intended to adapt for the RRA AmaMpondo City development.
14. I then sought engagement with the Provincial Government to present the full proposal. There I experienced obstruction: I was sent from pillar to post and repeatedly blocked from gaining a proper audience with provincial administration.
15. I called into a radio programme hosting the Premier to draw attention to my struggle to secure provincial engagement. The Premier promised his office would arrange a meeting; this promise was not fulfilled.
16. The only meaningful provincial engagement I received was via an SAFM radio interview, which arose after the Premier made negative public remarks about me. SAFM arranged that interview for the purposes of clearing the air.
17. That SAFM interview was prompted directly by the Daily Dispatch article that ridiculed and misrepresented me. SAFM invited all parties mentioned in your article — myself, His Majesty King Ndamase Ndamase, the Premier of the Eastern Cape, and the Daily Dispatch. I attended; His Majesty attended; the Premier was represented by a spokesperson; The Daily Dispatch refused to send anyone to defend the accuracy of their reporting. (I will attach the radio podcast link and the relevant WhatsApp communications.)
18. When provincial government cooperation failed, we continued the project regardless.
19. On the day arranged for the soil-turning ceremony for the first construction, His Majesty, my support staff and I were held hostage at the site from about 17:00 until around 03:00 the following morning by a group that had been bussed in by naysayers.
20. The Port St. Johns SAPS failed to assist; only after I phoned the provincial head of police in Port Elizabeth did the SAPS Riots Division travel four hours from East London to rescue us.
21. That hostile group then burned our construction site to the ground, destroying construction material worth hundreds of thousands of Rands.
22. We opened criminal cases of kidnapping, arson and related charges. To date there have been no meaningful investigations by the Port St. Johns SAPS into these events.
The specific lies, distortions and reckless reporting by The Daily Dispatch are as follows:
- You called me a “Botswana businessman” when I am a South African. This was either sloppy or malicious reporting intended to incite locals by suggesting a foreigner was taking their land.
- You falsely reported that the King did not know me. That is categorically untrue. The King and his Council conducted background checks, received my presentations, met me in person and publicly debunked your paper’s version of events during the SAFM interview that your paper refused to attend.
- You alleged I merely “claimed” to be an adviser to the King and that the King confirmed otherwise. That is a lie. I hold appointment letters confirming my advisory role to His Majesty and the King’s Council.
- You attempted to associate my presence in Port St. Johns with post-legalisation cannabis migration, suggesting I was among people flocking there for that reason. My interest in the area was legitimate, documented and community-centred — not as you insinuated.
- You attacked my football credentials by implying Notwane FC campaigned under the Botswana Football Association and even suggested I ran away with my team’s money. These claims are uninformed and defamatory: Notwane FC is not a national team under the Botswana Football Association in the way you described, and the insinuation that I misappropriated funds is baseless.
- You admitted to relying on other media reports rather than conducting independent verification. A newspaper that relies on hearsay and media hearsay to destroy reputations is failing in its duty to the public.
- You falsely implied that His Majesty did not support me or the project. In truth, His Majesty attended the SAFM interview and honoured the engagements arranged; your failure to participate in that public forum exposed your lack of confidence in your reporting.
- You claimed I took eight days to respond to your inquiries. That claim is false. During the SAFM programme I produced WhatsApp screenshots proving I responded within hours; yet you chose to omit my timely responses from your article.
- You attempted to link my project to later statements by the President about a “smart city,” insinuating that I stole the idea. The President’s references to a smart city came long after we had begun work on our project.
- When invited to the SAFM forum to defend your reporting, you declined. A responsible news organisation would have welcomed the chance to support its reporting in a public forum. Your absence speaks volumes.
Bottom line: The Daily Dispatch has discredited itself. Your article intentionally and recklessly misrepresented events, maligned my name, and incited public suspicion and anger against a project conceived, planned and executed in consultation with local leaders and communities. Your actions contributed directly to a hostile environment that culminated in our site being burned and our people being threatened and detained overnight. For that, you must be held accountable.
What I demand
1. A full, public retraction and apology published prominently in The Daily Dispatch, correcting each falsehood itemised above.
2. Publication of my full right of reply, unedited and unabridged, both online and in print.
3. An independent editorial review of the reporting process that produced the 6 September 2019 article and a public statement of the findings.
4. An assurance that The Daily Dispatch will cooperate with any civil or criminal proceedings I pursue against individuals (including journalists) in their personal capacities if necessary.
5. Immediate editorial training and commitment to source verification processes to prevent such reckless journalism from harming other citizens.
6. Financial compensation to the value of R50,000,000 (fifty million rand) for loss of business opportunities and reputational damage: each time I sought to prospect and do business with third parties they withdrew or declined after referencing your article, causing quantifiable and substantial losses.
Demand for prompt redress and legal notice
You have seven (7) calendar days from receipt of this letter to publish the full retraction and apology and to remove or correct the offending content on every platform where the defamatory material was published or republished. If The Daily Dispatch fails to retract and correct the lies in full across all platforms and to confirm engagement regarding the compensation claim within seven days, I will instruct my lawyers to initiate legal action against The Daily Dispatch and any individuals responsible for the publication without further notice.
Attachments and evidence
- Appointment letters confirming my role as Adviser to His Majesty King Ndamase Ndamase and to the King’s Council (attached).
- SAFM radio interview recording link (https://omny.fm/shows/late-night-conversation/setting-the-record-straight-on-the-rra-amampondo-c).
- WhatsApp correspondence showing my timely responses to The Daily Dispatch (confirmed by the SAFM Radio Presenter, Mr. Naye Luphondwana and his Show Producer).
- Evidence of business opportunities lost and parties who withdrew because of your article (Will be presented before a Court of Law and or any other relevant platform).
- Link to the original Daily Dispatch article (https://www.dailydispatch.co.za/news/2019-09-06-gift-to-port-st-johns-or-simply-a-purveyor-of-fantastical-humbug/).
Closing
Newspapers and journalists have a public duty to inform responsibly. When they choose sensationalism over accuracy they inflict real harm on real people and communities. I will not allow The Daily Dispatch to get away with destroying reputations and endangering lives through lazy and malicious reporting. I expect your prompt acknowledgment of this letter, immediate corrective action within seven days, written confirmation of compliance, and substantive engagement on my compensation claim. If you refuse to act, I will pursue all legal and public avenues available to me to secure redress.
Sincerely,
Kealeboga (Gift) Mogapi
Cc: His Majesty King Ndamase Ndamase; King’s Council; SAFM; South African National Editors’ Forum; Press Council of South Africa; Legal Counsel; Public Records
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