Cheap shot at the prince

I was disturbed to see the Sunday Times’ characterisation of Prince Langalibalele (Dr Mthunzi Ngonyama) regarding the fraud perpetrated against him by slick social media scammers.

I have known the prince — who is also spokesman for AbaThembu King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo — on a professional and personal level for about 15 years. I have no hesitation in vouching for his integrity and impeccable character.

In this Mampara portrayal, I think Hogarth has fallen short of ethical journalism on several counts:

• The prince did not commit the crime — he was the victim! By mocking him publicly the ST has made him a victim twice.

• Hogarth tarnished the prince’s reputation based on a story that, to my understanding, was not properly interrogated or reported on. According to the prince, no reporter from Arena ever spoke to him.

• Hogarth had zero basis for the smutty innuendo that “the prince was so charmed” by the fraudster. Says who? This insult, in poor taste, also completely overlooked the prince’s motive for going public with this story: he wanted to warn people about scams on Instagram.

• To suggest that the prince has “unlimited access to the king’s pipe” is irrelevant, and a further stain on the name of someone who has no record of wrongdoing and a public role to maintain.

I know that newspaper staff are ridiculously overstretched these days, but when did watchdogs become attack dogs? Surely the ST can do better than taking cheap shots at a decent and upright individual whose only “error” was social media naivete.

Dawn Barkhuizen, former journalist, including at the Sunday Times