Damn, the war of words to take down Dr Iqbal Survé has reached new lows this past week, with all sorts of hacks coming out of the woodwork to take pot shots at the chairman of Independent Media – all in the attempt to boost their own profiles.
By Ray Solomons
First, there is Anton Harber, who makes a regular stab at living his Schadenfreude best life, followed by Ismail Lagardien, promoting his book off the back of an “opinion” piece that has sweet F-all to do with the fight.
Giving oxygen to the fire they created, The Daily Maverick appear to be making a regular habit of stoking division and derision.
The constant drivel spouted by commentators who see a way to boost their own revenue off the back of others has, quite frankly, dear reader, driven me to drink. Something I know that at least two of the persons mentioned so far might appreciate – Rebecca Davis at the Daily Maverick – not so much.
Dr Iqbal Survé is no saint, let’s be clear on this. Neither are the authors of their own greatness who have breached the digital walls of the sanctity of news. But unless I’m mistaken, neither are the banks who lord it over all of us, and the epic battle against which, has brought on this latest nomenclature and tirade against “David.”
As for the decuplets – whose to say they didn’t, in fact exist, since no media house bothered to follow up the claims of a woman, and who by all accounts has made a regular habit of entrapping men into multiple pregnancies. Nor did any of the media, aside from Independent Media, investigate what is a very real crisis in this country – human trafficking. To deny it exists is criminal.
In name, South Africa has a democracy. That means we all have a right to our opinions and can air them – within (t)reason, of course. But, as our democracy becomes a hollow shadow of its intended freedom, these rights diminish.
The question I have is, what can Harber and Lagardien, who have confirmed they have never met Dr Survé or know him, gain from their bashing?
Meanwhile, the Daily Maverick is probably struggling with the moral dilemma of a tabloid editor on what to publish. After all, censorship is a pick and mix of the editor of the day and their cheer leading role as Ramaphosa’s town criers is facing its own sunset clause.
Whose truth is it anyway?
Did this article make sense? Of course not … it’s like reading Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and understanding what he meant and what he was smoking at the time he wrote it … It’s media.
* The views expressed by the author are not necessarily those of Independent Media.