Manyi: no wrongdoing in R450m Gupta deal
MZWANELE Manyi, former government spin doctor and champion of the phrase “white monopoly capital”, claims he should be celebrated for being the first African media owner in SA.
Last week, Manyi said he would be buying television channel ANN7 and The New Age newspaper for R450-million from the much criticised Gupta family. It sparked accusations that he would be fronting for the family and intends using the platform for propaganda in defence of government.
But in an interview with the Financial Mail, Manyi said he was mightily offended by such claims. “If anybody thinks I’m fronting, I’m challenging them to take me to court – simple as that. Or else I’ll sue them for defamation, because they’re calling me a criminal.”
He says that during his time in government he was part of the team that developed broadbased empowerment rules – including advocating the criminalisation of fronting.
There are some who might take issue with his claim of being the first black media owner. Among them would be Given Mkhari, whose MSG Afrika owns radio stations including Power FM and Capricorn FM; and Trevor Ncube, who owns the Mail & Guardian.
Iqbal Survé, who was involved in the R2-billion purchase of Independent Newspapers from the Irish publishing group in 2012, says Manyi’s claim is “very economical” with the truth. “It’s disappointing Manyi has not realised the real transformation in the form of many empowerment initiatives in media. In TV, you’ve got Satwu; at Primedia, the Mineworkers Investment Consortium is a shareholder; and at Independent, we’re shareholders too.”
Survé says: “It is difficult for anyone to believe it’s a legitimate transaction and not just another front for the Guptas.”
Known as “Jimmy” until two years ago, he now rejects the name as part of his “decolonisation” project.
“The only reason I [was] called ‘Jimmy’ was for working purposes, to enable the white man to be able to call me for work. So it’s no different from having a slave name.”
“People are hypocritical. Whatever is perceived to have been done by them cannot be worse than what apartheid has done in this country,” he says. “If the [Guptas] have committed any crime, our own Constitution says presumption of innocence until proven guilty.”
The Guptas are lending him R450-million, and he is to repay it through profits from the company.