THE PRESIDENT’S KEEPERS
JONNY STEINBERG: Fake news would turn Pauw into an apartheid follower
Something important is at stake. There are people in power who would usher in a police state rather than lose the ANC conference
How easy is it to generate fake news in SA? How easy is it to shove nonsense down gullible throats? The thought struck me as I read a disturbing conversation on Twitter in the wake of the publication of Jacques Pauw’s book, The President’s Keepers. "It’s interesting that elements like #Pauw who believed that the ANC was a terrorist organisation 25 years ago," the tweet that began the conversation went, "are now worried about its survival beyond 2019." A flurry of angry responses followed, but some of the corrections introduced new errors. One person said Pauw worked for the SABC under apartheid and thus had an employer that believed the ANC to be a terrorist organisation. Another counselled that Pauw’s previous support for apartheid should not discredit his research. Others said that the original tweet was wrong because its author was a foreigner, thus throwing a dose of xenophobia into the confusion. And so I wondered: is it as simple as that?Because Pauw is white and Afrikaans-spe...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.