Wierzycka’s doublespeak

The genius of Magda Wierzycka is displayed in her promotion of freedom of the press by doing exactly the opposite (Why I’m all for MultiChoice’s decision to drop ANN7, November 22). The wealthiest woman in SA spends a lot of column space telling us how ANN7 must be muzzled, but is that not suppression of the freedom of the press? This kind of doublespeak makes the worst of Stalinism look holy.

There is an admirable consistency one finds in Wierzycka. She is also on record for offering President Jacob Zuma “as much money as he wishes to have” to step down so that her preferred candidate can take over as president. She doesn’t call her offer a blatant quest towards state capture; instead she calls it rescuing the state and fighting corruption.

The call to shut down ANN7 proves one point — that white monopoly capital is intolerant of views not consistent with its own. If Wierzycka was serious about her claims of freedom of expression, she would open a criminal case against the Guptas and MultiChoice based on her “solid” evidence of wrongdoing culled from unverified e-mail leaks. She could even use her billions and take both parties to court and get a declaratory order against them. The reason she won’t do all these is simple — she has no basis in law or fact to succeed in such an endeavour.

The defenders of the Constitution need to find their moral compass very fast. The hypocrisy is tiring.

Andile Mngxitama

Via e-mail