It is not only unconstitutional for a democratic government to do so, it is also unethical, policy analyst Elvis Masoga said.

Masoga, a senior researcher at the Institute for Dialogue and Policy Analysis, said there was no need for a government newspaper.

"The government must perform and the independent media must objectively report about its performance. Now the government wants to report about itself," Masoga said.

He was responding to weekend reports that a government newspaper would be launched next month.

Rhodes University journalism Professor Jane Duncan said the government's failure to support media diversity and community newspapers had led to the stifling of its voice.

"The government could use that money to promote diversity. Since the recession, community newspapers have been declining," Duncan said.

Controversial cabinet spokesperson Jimmy Manyi told City Press that the government's bi-monthly publication, Vuk'uzenzele, would be turned into a monthly newspaper with a print run of two million from next month. Plans are already in the pipeline to publish it fortnightly next year.

"The commercial media is censoring a lot of government information. Niyasivusa ukuba sizenzele (You are waking us up to do things ourselves)," Manyi is quoted as saying.

Manyi said the government would be abdicating its responsibility if it allowed editors of commercial newspapers to decide which government information was published. He said journalists came to government news conferences where 10 issues were raised but they (journalists) only wrote about one.

Government Communication and Information Services had issued a tender for the newspaper which would initially be a 16- to 20-page tabloid with a print run of between 1,7 million and two million.

This would make it the biggest circulating publication in South Africa. It would cost the government more than R1 million to print one edition.

Manyi did not rule out the possibility of turning Vuk'uzenzele into a daily.

"We want it on the streets, in every township and rural area. It will be bigger than all of you guys put together," Manyi said.

It would be published in all 11 official languages.

Comments

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Thu May 23 09:59:53 SAST 2013 ::

Mar 28, 2011

nickster2

This is a fickle attempt from the ANCrap to create yet another propaganda machine.
What an absolute waist of tax payers money !
No wonder, It has 'Manye' at its helm - he is so incompetent - he could not even wipe his own nose.
Look at who is running this country and ask yourself "If the government was a car, would I purchase that car ?"

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Mar 28, 2011

LLCool

this is another way of wasting tax payers money. Some people just make decision while in bed, with their wives. bull....t.
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Mar 28, 2011

lucky7

More money to waste on rubbish,when half the people can't even read. The newspaper will become an ANC mouthpiece for which the taxpayer will pay...it seems like another desperate move by the government to consolidate their position in power...feed uneducated masses with lies, create a system of dependency and make people feel they owe their loyalty to the ruling party.Instead of alleviating poverty, creating unemployment, the government comes up with a propaganda machine..geez!
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Mar 28, 2011

Kwajo

We do need a state owned newspaper. The call does not shut down the existing papers. Its only the existing paper has less interest to see the government work but focuses on making profit. State owned or not, if independent papers think this government is not doing what they are suppose to do they will still talk. We need the state owned paper. If media houses think state should not have this service. Why not call for SABC TV to be run independently from Gov.
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Mar 28, 2011

LLCool

another propaganda........
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Mar 28, 2011

Tjarara

this government is confused more than eva. they are not different from Swaziland and those in the North and their neighbour Zim.
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Mar 28, 2011

QueenB

Tjooo there goes our taxes like seriously now WTF?????? "It would cost the government more than R1 million to print just 1 edition " now why they wanna take the spotlight wht will b so bloody exciting bout tis "vukuzenzele" n they shud jus change tis stupid name vukuzenzele wit our money mxaaahhhh our Gov. iyyyooooooooooo haaai
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Mar 28, 2011

gigolo

There is always a danger of engaging in something that is not your core function and that is being a media house which you are not government.
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Mar 28, 2011

KasiKid

What a waste, all they want to do is to brainwash those who are uneducated with their propaganda, I bet this newspaper will be made available to mostly rural areas where a lot of people are not that much educated to try & feed them lies about the government's perfomance...

It is totally unnecessary for the government newspaper, they want to counterwrite(if there is such a word) every article that is negative about them, this is just a spindoctor but in a form of a newspaper...
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Mar 28, 2011

Segodithomas

They have been spending my money all this years. More tax on my salary, I want share of the pie.

I will distrubute this waste of money paper. nO MORE LOAN SHARKS.
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