‘Public deserves truth on ANN7’

THE DA said it has asked MultiChoice for the full report it relied on to decide not to renew the contract it has with formerly Gupta-owned ANN7.

This week MultiChoice CEO Calvo Mawela said the contract with ANN7 would not be renewed when it expires on August 20.

He said the timing of the announcement gave ANN7 staff ample time to prepare for the channel’s removal from the DStv bouquet.

He said while MultiChoice had made mistakes in its dealings with ANN7, which was recently bought from the Guptas by Mzwanele Manyi, an internal probe had found no evidence of corruption.

Mawela cited the absence of a due diligence process and “reputation damage” as some of the reasons MultiChoice was not renewing the contract with ANN7.

But yesterday DA MP Phumzile van Damme said her party has “today submitted an application to MultiChoice in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act to request the full report it relied on for terminating its contract with Gupta-owned ANN7”.

She said the public deserved to know the “full truth”.

“Instead of providing substantial answers, MultiChoice’s press briefing on Wednesday left the public with more questions than answers. If MultiChoice has nothing to hide, it will willingly make this document public,” said Van Damme, the DA spokesperson on communications.

“Only the full truth will get MultiChoice out of this mess. We need to know what ‘mistakes’ were made, why no one is being held accountable and whether the money of those who are DStv subscribers may have been used to grease Gupta palms.”

There have been suggestions that MultiChoice paid millions of rands as an “advance payment” to the Guptas to influence government policy on the long-delayed digital migration – something Mawela has denied.

Van Damme said MultiChoice had thus far declined to make the report public.

“The DA will now rely on the law to compel it to do so.”

The DA has submitted the application in terms of two sections of the act, namely 50 and 70.

Van Damme said the DA eagerly awaited a response from MultiChoice.

“One, we trust, that will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.” – African News Agency (ANA)

Calvo Mawela