Survé sues for R100m for ‘narcissistic’ portrayal
● Pride is on the line for media owner Iqbal Survé, who this week filed a R100m defamation claim against a journalist and publishing giant Media24.
The chair of Independent Media said a 2016 article by Terry Bell, published on Fin24.com, painted him as a narcissist and a liar.
In papers filed in the Cape Town high court on Friday, Survé said the article, “Factchecking Iqbal Survé’s bold bio leaves more questions”, impugned his reputation and good standing in the media industry.
Bell’s article said Survé had lied about having a close relationship with Nelson Mandela and Ahmed Kathrada; about having trained as a mahout elephant handler; and about having assisted Bafana Bafana and the Indian cricket team.
Survé emerged as a central figure in the commission of inquiry into the Public Investment Corp, with multibillion-rand investments in AYO Technology Solutions and Independent Media under close scrutiny.
Attorneys for Survé said they were suing Bell, Media24 and its former CEO Esmaré Weideman, who was described in the papers as the Fin24 editor.
“The accusations and statements are … wrongful and defamatory … intended to mean that Survé is dishonest and a liar,” the summons said. “[They] carry the additional sting of being disparaging of Survé … that he is vain, arrogant and narcissistic.”
Bell dismissed Survé’s R100m claim as “an absolute joke”.
“There are far more important things in life to occupy one’s thoughts with,” he said. “It has taken him all this time to rush to court and at the time of writing I gave him every opportunity to respond.
“I suspect he’s trying to muddy the water as he may have gotten wind about a book that’s to be published about his exploits, in October. He wants to position himself as a victim of white monopoly capital.”
Survé’s attorney, Aubrey Magerman, said his client had no wish to make a statement outside of the court process.
Weideman said she had not been Fin24’s editor. She referred the Sunday Times to her successor as CEO, Ishmet Davidson, who said through spokesperson Egbert de Waal that Media24 would defend the lawsuit.