In a surprising turn of events, the Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Northern Cape faces accusations of media censorship after removing a member of the media from a local Ward group. The Kimberley Prospector, a local community news outlet, had posted a critical live update about the ongoing water crisis regarding nightly water interruptions, sparking controversy within the political landscape.
The Kimberley Prospector sought assistance from DA Councillor Marie Beyleveld, requesting access to ward groups to stay informed about DA Councilor Chris Whittaker’s notices. However, the situation took an unexpected turn when the media outlet was abruptly removed from the Ward 20 group after sharing an official update from the Sol Plaatje Municipality (SPM).
The DA ward councillors, known for sharing verbatim copies of SPM notices, reportedly did not accurately reflect the residents’ experiences in the affected areas. The Kimberley Prospector aimed to provide factual information and engage positively in the group before being removed without warning and clear reasons.
The removal was attributed to conflicting accounts from DA members, with Councillor Belinda Moses citing instructions from Shelley Fielding. At the same time, Councillor Marie Beyleveld said it was at the instruction of Shirley, both different persons working in the DA NC Communication Department, who according to the two councillors have allegedly spoken to us and that we have requested to be removed. The contradictory explanations and lack of reinstatement led to concerns about a potential conspiracy to control the narrative and restrict access to information.
Despite claims of a misunderstanding, The Kimberley Prospector was not reinstated to the group and the publication expressed disappointment in the DA’s actions, accusing them of copy-pasting misleading updates about the water crisis and sharing them verbatim. The DA ward councillors allegedly failed to address the root cause of the prolonged water interruption and ignored the true experiences of residents.
The Kimberley Prospector’s attempt to seek clarification on the removal was met with silence from the DA, raising questions about the party’s commitment to open communication and transparency. The incident adds fuel to the ongoing debate about the DA’s media practices, with residents left speculating on the motives behind the removal and the potential impact on the community publication’s reputation and standing with the residents of Ward 20.
As the water crisis continues to affect Kimberley residents, the DA’s handling of media access raises concerns about the party’s commitment to an informed electorate and the principles of open democracy.
Our questions left unanswered:
Multiple attempts to get clarification have been ignored or deferred.
Urgent Media Inquiry Regarding Removal from Ward 20 Group
We are reaching out to seek clarification on a matter of urgency concerning the recent removal of our publication from the Ward 20 group.
Our investigation has revealed conflicting accounts from Cllr Marie and Belinda, each attributing the removal to different media representatives within the DA Northern Cape. Belinda claims Shelley, while Marie alleges Shirley, leading to accusations of conspiracy and fabrication of lies as a pretext for the removal.
Our primary objective is to understand the rationale behind the decision to exclude The Kimberley Prospector from the group. We are keen to know who provided the instruction for this action and the basis on which it was made.
Furthermore, we seek clarity on the perception that the DA Northern Cape does not support community journalism. There are concerns that the removal may be part of a broader strategy to control the narrative, particularly in light of the #VoteLikeABok campaign, which we believe the DA is intentionally avoiding.
We understand the explanations offered by Cllr Marie and Belinda, citing concerns about duplicate notices. However, this reasoning is questionable, as we are already members of multiple groups, including those administered by Cllr Marie. Moreover, it has come to our attention that a third-party media company, also serving as the admin of the Ward 20 DA group, may also play a role in this decision.
The implications of these decisions extend beyond our publication, affecting the public’s right to information and casting doubt on the transparency of the DA Northern Cape. Residents of Ward 20 are left speculating on the reasons for our removal, potentially leading to further mistrust and reputational damage to the image of the community newspaper.
We invite the DA Northern Cape to provide an official statement addressing these concerns and offering insight into the decision-making process surrounding the removal of The Kimberley Prospector from the Ward 20 group. We believe understanding how the DA operates and ensures open communication with its constituents is in the public interest.
We appreciate your prompt attention to this matter and look forward to a timely response.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
The Kimberley Prospector
Media added to ghost-list
After everyone involved had “realised” their “mistake” instead of adding us back to the Ward 20 group we were placed on the ghost list by the DA NC Communication Department. Going forward we are instructed to “contact Harold McGluwa, as the Provincial Leader, who has always been the provincial spokesperson. Any queries you have from now on should be directed to him. I have advised you to contact him and will not be communicating with you further.”
This move may be pretextual based on the fact that the publication has not been receiving media statements from the DA since 23 November, while this incident only took place on 26 November, three days later.
This and other concerns have prompted a change going forward in how we will handle any information disseminated and distributed by and through the Democratic Alliance Northern Cape and its councillors.
We will update residents about our concerns in a follow-up article.
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Tags: DA Democratic Alliance
The writer of this article makes a few interesting albeit incorrect statements in article. Firstly the writer should figure out whether the individual was removed from the group as opposed to the publication. Perhaps the behavior of the individual was relevant here? This article carries a number of incorrect points that could be easily corrected with a simple call. The Shelly/Shirley situation for one. What is more worrying though is the not so subtle threat and I quote “This and other concerns have prompted a change going forward in how we will handle any information disseminated and distributed by and through the Democratic Alliance Northern Cape and its councillors” Does the writer mean that the publication will not follow established journalistic standards and treat the DA differently because the writer has been offended? Is this revenge for a perceived slight? Media freedom is something that is a critical cornerstone of our democracy and the DA does not take that lightly. It is insulting top think that a party which has always fought for the rights of all South Africans including the fourth estate.
Thank you for your comment, but there are inaccuracies in your understanding. Firstly, there is no confusion regarding the removal of our WhatsApp profile from the group. It happened immediately after we shared an official update from the SPM, as evidenced in the screenshot. This occurred after responding to a resident’s inquiry about the nightly schedule. We assured her that it would only be for that night, and she thanked us. Subsequently, we posted the official update from SPM, clarifying that it’s not a recurring event, and were promptly removed. This was our sole interaction in the group; we had no other posts there basically only what you can see in the posted screenshot. The removal seems unjust and appears to be an attempt to censor the media. Despite acknowledging their “mistake,” we were not added back to the group, leaving the issue unresolved and casting doubt on your claims it could have been because of spam or marketing, which we did not engage in on these groups and this whole DA’bacle seems like an attempt to gaslight because even your provincial leader is misinformed with the same narrative that it could have been because of “spam”. And now with more than three misinformed DA officials talking about alleged “spam” it seems most likely a gaslighting campaign against the publication and you will understand why shortly.
Secondly, the quote you referenced about how we handle DA NC updates on the water crisis is not a threat. It signifies our commitment to higher journalistic standards than that which are in practice by today’s standards. And certainly higher standard than the DA’s current practices in and with the media. We operate as a community publication dedicated to unbiased community journalism, voluntarily representing residents, citizens, and the man on the street. Our motivation is not political or financial gain but a commitment to higher journalistic integrity than any traditional media. Our obligation to triple-check information from the DA NC arises from concerns about the copy-pasting of municipal notices, causing confusion and residents are in agreement.
The Ward 25 councillor’s baseless accusations and threatening our removal earlier tonight on 28 November, was unacceptable behaviour and reminiscent of past instances involving figures like Julius Malema and the media. His claims of “Aggressively Marketing” in the Ward 25 group are a false and disrespectful attempt at gaslighting the publication in front of all the constituents in our ward. To have a leg to stand on he even had to forward our message from the Ward 25 Chat group where marketing and casual chatting are allowed to the main group to make his argument to rip our throats out seem valid. Scolding us in front of all the constituents who mostly themselves don’t reside in Ward 25, unlike this Publication that does. We invite you to verify our facts by doing an oversight inspection of all three councillors’ threads.
The vague response to previous inquiries from Ward 24 Councilor Chris Whittaker and subsequent ghosting add to our concerns, further necessitating thorough verification of information supplied by all councillors, including SPM, verbatim.
Despite attempts to engage positively, the DA’s hostile treatment of the media is disheartening. The DA could have avoided the situation by reinstating us after acknowledging the unjust removal. Feel free to ask more questions or conduct research to witness the unjust treatment we experienced tonight in the Ward 25 group. We have maintained a positive relationship with the DA, since the days of Leader Andrew Louw, and sought a similar one with the ANC, despite their cold shoulder response to all our criticism of the Sol Plaatje Municipality. This is the first time the DA has taken issue with our reporting. We remain bipartisan, with no agenda, committed to truthful, factual, and accurate reporting. We acknowledge and correct our mistakes, fostering better voter engagement with political parties. Feel free to ask for more details on our approach.
Our claims are easily dispelled by our reintroduction to the groups and our right to inform residents is respected.
However, we don’t expect this will be the outcome because keeping residents semi-uninformed and angry without providing solutions or even holding accountable the municipal officials who are preventing your councillors from conducting oversight and who are not performing instruction as put on notice by the municipality is your new political agenda.
• We had the initiative to file a new complaint to the SAHRC.
• We had the initiative to collect data to see the extent of the water crisis.
• We had the initiative to question official notices and instead of sharing it verbatim added context to inform residents and clarify the statement made by the SPM.
Thus far the DA NC has not provided any solutions to the water crisis. Only some onsite information in oversight but nothing investigative uncovering the why. To your credit, your councillors have done more than others, but the results speak for themselves.
An investigative journalist without a salary with only pure passion did a better job covering the water crisis accurately than the entirety of the DANC including all of its funding and manpower, and this community journalist single-handedly provided innovative solutions while dedicating his time to voicing the community’s concerns. And yet you’re here asking us about journalistic standards.
It’s 02:23 AM and I am too tired to continue proving you wrong and proving why our claims are factually correct. There is something wrong with how we are being treated and it’s only been escalated on your side.
Again to conclude, our claims are easily dispelled by our reintroduction to the groups and our right to inform residents is respected. If we are added back and we are not threatened for removal on baseless claims our accusations no longer hold true. While your party engages in this hostile behaviour, ignore our requests these claims remain factually true.
The relationship is determined by your party’s engagement with us, we remain unbiased without agenda. The DA should reflect on this and do the same.