We want answers: ANCYL

The ANCYL says it has fundamental questions which need answers about 'the involvement of big business and Afrikaner right-wing capital in the smear campaign against president Julius Malema."

It says the Rupert family, "which has funded apartheid government since the 1940s and which is the majority shareholder of the Afrikaner dominated and controlled Naspers Group (100% white male senior management) owns Media24".

"Media24 owns and controls the following publications — Rapport, Beeld and City Press, Daily Sun newspapers, and all these publications replicate the apartheid ideology of white supremacy and portray black people as corrupt or superstitious human beings with no potential to develop and engage in conscious social, political and economic issues confronting South Africa."

The league says it wants answers to the following questions:

"1. Is the Rupert family, shareholders of the Naspers Group, Fred Phaswane and Prof Jake Gerwel approving of the manner in which their paper is used to fight political battles?

2. Is the Rupert family, shareholders of the Naspers group approving the Murdoch hacking strategy of prying into personal accounts and private life of political personalities?

3. How much farm and agricultural land does the Rupert family own in South Africa today and how did they acquire such land?

4. Is the newspaper suggesting that the Master of the High Court in Pretoria has registered a secret Trust against the laws of the Republic of South Africa?

5. If this was indeed intended to be a secret Trust, would Cde. Julius Malema appear as a trustee and named his son as a beneficiary?

6. If indeed an amount of R200 000 has been deposited into the trust to facilitate a deal and this is illegal, why did the City Press not open a criminal case against Mr. Malema and the person who claims to have deposited a bribe into his account, because the laws of this country forces them to do so?

7. Why did City Press sensationalize the issue with the caption 'secret fund' uncovered and still acknowledge that the fund became known at the time when Cde Julius Malema donated the church in Seshego in 2009? What was secret about the fund or Trust?

8. What is the role of ABSA, whose CEO, Mario Ramos has publicly opposed the policy positions of the ANC Youth League, particularly on Nationalisation of Mines?

9. The relationship between News24 and rightwing formations, in particular Afri-Forum should be explained because Afri-Forum has been running “STOP MALEMA” adverts in News24 publications for free for many months now.

10. Why is Wilmot James, the Democratic Alliance Federal Chairperson a Director of News24, owner of City Press, and these right wing Newspapers? None of the News24 publications has ever reported anything negative about the DA, but always jumps into an opportunity to rubbish through lies, the leadership of the ANC."

The league says it is asking these questions "not with the intention of getting honest answers from City Press, because City Press journalists and editor are puppets of the Master who desperately seek to safe-guard their ill-gotten wealth.

"We are asking these questions to educate and walk with members of the public about the ulterior motive of the capitalist, imperialists and their representative in the form of the Rupert family which will do everything in their power to maintain the status quo in South Africa."