INXUBA Yethemba local municipality (IYM) mayor Ray Shweni is refusing to give comment to a Mid-Karoo Express correspondent for reports relating to the municipal issues in Middelburg.
This follows after the correspondent, Elsabé Pienaar, had sent an attorney’s letter to Shweni and ANC councillor, Vuyisile Bene, on the advice of the newspaper’s ombudsman and attorneys.
The letter follows a public ward meeting that the Inxuba Yethemba local municipality held on October 29 to discuss, amongst others, the issue of Eskom cutting their electricity supply to Middelburg due to non-payment by the municipality.
According to Pienaar, during the meeting, Bene, pointed her out to the 150-member audience present, as a journalist who is “bashing” the municipality constantly.
“Also during the meeting, the mayor, Ray Shweni, referred to a report published in a daily newspaper of a different media house in which he said lies were told about the municipality. The way he did it, however, made it appear to those present that I had written these so-called ‘lies’ – which was not the case. I write exclusively for Mid-Karoo Express and Media24,” said Pienaar.
According to Pienaar, attempts were made during the meeting to make her feel unwelcome and to stir up the audience against her.
The mayor said to her, in front of the whole audience, “We will victimise you when the day for that comes. And we will close public meetings for the media.”
After the meeting, Pienaar was also told by the mayor that the spokesperson for the municipality is not allowed to give her comment. According to Pienaar, the mayor gave her his cellphone number for comment, and she assured him that in the interest of fairness and ethical reporting, she always makes a number of attempts to get comment from the municipality.
After reporting this incident and threats to EP Media Regional Editor, Bettie Giliomee-Rossouw, Pienaar was advised to gain legal advice.
An attorney’s letter asking them to cease and desist with their actions against Pienaar was then sent to Shweni and Bene, failing which appropriate legal action will be taken against them.
Giliomee-Rossouw said she advised Pienaar on sending an attorney’s letter as Shweni and Bene’s actions were not only against the constitution and the laws around freedom of the press, but also against her rights as a ratepayer of the municipality.
“We, as the media, are the watchdog for the citizens of this country. We will not allow our reporters and correspondents to be bullied and threatened by people who are in power, and who must be held accountable,” said Giliomee-Rossouw.
“We, as a newspaper, are not out to ‘bash’ any municipality. If there are successes we publish those as well. I, however, believe that issues, such as the non-payment of Eskom, is in the public interest to report on, and no amount of threats will stop us from reporting on these.”
Pienaar this week asked Shweni for comment on the fact that refuse removal in Middelburg had been suspended indefinitely due to all refuse vehicles being broken down.
The report was aimed at notifying residents of when a new compactor truck, which has been ordered by the IYM will arrive and what residents should do about their own refuse removal in the meantime.
Shweni on Monday responded in an email from his IYM e-mail address the following (e-mail has not been edited): “I think you are communicating with the wrong person. How dare you are, to think of e-mailing me after u have personalized a non issue to the extent of putting your lawyers on me who so think they can threaten me and expect me to submit to their threats. Tough luck for/on you. Expect no further communication from the office I occupy with urself,” said Shweni in the e-mail.
“In the interest of fairness, and in keeping with our Code of Ethics and the Press Code, we will, however, continue to engage Mr Shweni to get comment from him on municipal issues and the municipality’s side of the story, despite his refusal to do so,” said Giliomee-Rossouw.
