Zuma decided ANN7 editorial policy, commission told
Former president Jacob Zuma allegedly played an integral part in establishing the Gupta propaganda machine ANN7‚ including signing off on its name and logo – and even deciding on its editorial policy which‚ he suggested‚ should subtly favour him and his camp in the ANC.
In 2013‚ when the channel was launched‚ Zuma apparently left a number of ministers he was in a meeting with to consult with the Gupta family and the ANN7 team on how the station should be run.
This is according to former ANN7 editor Rajesh Sundaram‚ who described Zuma as a person who acted like a “shareholder” in the business‚ telling the state capture inquiry on Monday of three meetings between Zuma and Gupta brothers Atul and Rajesh at which he was personally present.
Sundaram, an Indian journalist, was employed as ANN7’s consulting editor in May 2013‚ a position he was contracted to for two years.
His job was to get the station up and running for the Gupta family, from setting up the company’s organisational structure to interviewing and training staff and establishing the editorial workflow.
“What I found during my experience here was that although [Zuma’s son] Duduzane Zuma was a shareholder [at Infinity Media‚ which owned ANN7]‚ it was Jacob Zuma who was more actively involved in the meetings that were held‚” he told the commission.
“There were regular review meetings where he would give feedback. There was confidential information, which you don’t give out early in the project, that was disclosed to the president.
“I thought it was funny that you would hand out a document which had all the secrets of the project to a public office. Only later‚ I realised it was because he had a much bigger interest in the station.”
Sundaram said he first met Zuma during a meeting at his official Pretoria residence on a Sunday, June 22 2013.
The meeting was also attended by Ajay‚ Atul‚ Infinity Media CEO Nazeem Howa‚ The New Age newspaper (also part of the same company) editor Moegsien Williams‚ and Sahara CEO Ashu Chawla.
Zuma was apparently there on his own.
At the time‚ Zuma was “conducting meetings with some ministers” in another room and the Gupta delegation was made to wait. According to Sundaram‚ this made Ajay “very impatient” and he instructed Chawla to tell the president they were leaving.
“Within a few minutes‚ Zuma came into the meeting room.
“He was very apologetic‚” Sundaram said.
Zuma was given a presentation on ANN7‚ a status update on its progress before the launch.
“He asked us questions‚ kept a copy of the report‚ he said he would study it and said next time we meet he would provide further feedback.
“It was a shareholder review type of presentation‚” he said.
Sundaram claimed Zuma had even suggested the name of the station – Africa News Network (ANN). But the ‘7’ was added because the name was already in use.
The second meeting was a few weeks later.
Sundaram said it was attended by the same people.
This time‚ Zuma is said to have suggested the form of the station’s editorial policy.
Sundaram’s testimony to the commission is continuing.