By Sipho Tshabalala
Since IOL exposed the racist video involving the Democratic Alliance’s Renaldo Gouws, a brutal smear campaign has emerged against Dr Iqbal Survé and the Sekunjalo Group.
At the centre of this orchestrated attack stands what seems to be a puppet Twitter account "@Goolam,". In fact, one wonders if Goolam is not the racist Renaldo Gouws himself.
The timeline is telling, following the damning exposure by IOL, which led to charges from the South African Human Rights Commission against Gouws, "Goolam" began a relentless attack on Dr Survé and the Sekunjalo Group. The objective is clear — to dismantle and "KILL" the entire black-owned Group, echoing Gouws' own disturbing sentiments “Kill the K*, Kill all N* and Black idiot”.
In response to the video, the South African Human Rights Commission charged Renaldo Gouws. In defending Renaldo Gouws, "Goolam" has since supported a campaign to call on the South African Human Rights Commission to also act against Andile Mngxitama, a black man who is accused of a similar action. He did this by reposting a tweet calling for this.
Moreover, "Goolam" has endorsed the Government of National Unity (GNU) proposal between the ANC and DA, Renaldo Gouws’ political party, while maligning black leaders who are calling for an alternative solution, like Dr Iqbal Survé with false baseless accusations of corruption. This strategy aims to undermine, discredit, and destroy the Sekunjalo Group's integrity and suppress its critical reporting on national issues.
“Goolam” also posted that the white banks are 100% correct when they closed the black owned Sekunjalo Group’s accounts. That is as clear as daylight that aim for “Goolam” is to get the banks to close the Sekunjalo accounts which will lead to its demise.
The tactics employed by "Goolam" are reminiscent of a racist puppetry show, orchestrated by his handlers hiding behind fake Twitter profiles retweeting with no followers hoping to gain likes by spreading false information. It's evident that these accounts operate not out of genuine public interest, but as tools of a coordinated smear campaign against voices that challenge the status quo.
The Sekunjalo Group and its chairman have remained steadfast in their commitment to unbiased reporting, despite facing relentless attacks from government-aligned social media accounts and their proxies who will be exposed.
The malicious intent behind the "Goolam" Twitter accounts and its cohorts is clear: to silence dissenting voices and divert attention from critical issues affecting our nation like calling for a black coalition, which South Africa needs. Such tactics undermine the fundamental role of a free press in a democratic society, threatening the very foundation of media freedom.
Following these smear campaigns, questions linger about the true identities behind "Goolam" and its bot accounts. How long will these puppet accounts deceive the public with their false narratives and divisive rhetoric?
Despite these challenges, the resilience of the Sekunjalo Group and its chairman Dr Survé serves as a beacon of integrity and courage. They continue to uphold the principles of truth and transparency, undeterred by the onslaught of fake news and political agendas.
The time has come to reject the influence of manufactured outrage and support those who uphold the values of responsible journalism. The future of our democracy depends on it.
* The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of Independent Media or IOL.
** Sipho Tshabalala writes in his personal capacity.