Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry asks if there's a law firm willing to sue 'outrageous' ANN7 and MultiChoice for 'broadcasting lies' on DStv.

The Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry is asking whether there is a law firm willing to sue ANN7 (DStv 405) and MultiChoice that is carrying the controversial "Gupta news" channel on its DStv satellite pay-TV platform.


ALSO READ: MultiChoice chairperson Nolo Letele says DStv doesn't have control over ANN7.

In an open letter, Janine Myburgh, president of the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry, says that "the issue of DStv broadcasting the outrageous ANN7 'news' channel raises the broader question of the responsibility of the new forms of media for the content they publish".

"(A feeble defence, DStv, July 27). If, for instance, I write a seriously defamatory letter about an individual or company and Business Day publishes the letter, the victim will sue both me and Business Day. And rightly so."

"If ANN7 defames Pravin Gordhan, he should be in a position to sue both ANN7 and DStv for propagating the defamation."

"The Facebook situation is even worse. It accepts no responsibility for content provided free by the public and, as we know, there has been some vile material on social media."

"Similarly, Gordhan should be able to sue Bell Pottinger, its directors and Facebook for the damage done to his good name."

"Making the situation worse is that social media is drawing advertisers away from the legitimate and responsible media, which do check facts, employ professionals and perform a service vital to any healthy democracy."

"The situation in which a media company allows itself to be used to broadcast lies and insults has continued for too long."

"Is there a law firm out there that is prepared to sue both the defamers and social media or DStv?
There is a reputation to be made here.

Janine Myburgh
President, Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Petition started for MultiChoice to remove the Gupta news ANN7 TV news channel from DStv for 'creating divisions in the country'.

DStv subscribers who have had enough of the alleged one-sided news from the Gupta-news channel ANN7 have started an online petition to get MultiChoice to remove ANN7 from DStv.

Similar to the FOX News channel in America and broadcast on Startimes Media SA's StarSat in South Africa, ANN7 from Infinity Media provides viewers will an entirely different news narrative – one where the firing of the minister of finance Pravin Gordhan was described as "an excellent decision" late on Thursday night.

The Gupta news channel, constantly making the news for its on-air gaffes, saw anchors and analysts on Thursday night laugh and giggle with glee as Sindy Mabe and studio guests discussed president Jacob Zuma's controversial cabinet reshuffle.

On Friday Pravin Gordhan himself chimed in to roast ANN7 publicly for its news bias during a press conference held in Pretoria, saying ANN7 has "a lot so say with so-called independent analysts".

"They have a lot to say when they want to attack us, and malign us and try to disgrace us. So where is ANN7?"

Pravin Gordhan said "why must we constantly deal with people who are never seen in the public domain? Never."

"But they mastermind all these attacks - on family; make false accusations, pay somebody called Bell Pottinger. PR firms are hired, millions of rands are spent. To do what? To do what? To malign democratic institutions of South Africa."

"But why don't they come out? Face to face. Lets have a debate, face to face."

Pravin Gordhan said ANN7 had a terrible record, should prove its independence and challenged ANN7 for a public debate. 

"You can't have fake news and fake Twitter accounts and attacking family members."

Mcebisi Jonas the fired deputy minister of finance, said that certain media - without mentioning ANN7 specifically - is "deliberately distorting the news". 

Now DStv subscribers who are paying more from April, want ANN7 removed from their DStv bouquets and are signing a petition calling for the channel to be taken off of DStv saying "it is biased and creating divisions in the country".

"I object to ANN7 being part of the DStv offering. They give totally fake news reports and they are an insult to my intelligence," said Jenny Zaidel, with Berne Nightingale who said "ANN7 is a propaganda station, should not have to pay for it".

Elise Hattingh said "this junk is bringing our country down".

ANN7 worker James says Indian staff are favoured at the TV news channel, 'Indian workers have wifi' while employees are allegedly being mistreated.

The never-ending real-life personnel drama behind the scenes at ANN7 (DStv 405) continues unabated, with an ANN7 worker called "James" who on Wednesday evening spoke out about how Indian staff are allegedly favoured at the news operation and have access to wifi, while other employees are allegedly also being mistreated.

Infinity Media's struggling ANN7 known as "Guptanews", is part of the bigger Oakbay Investments.

Oakbay is facing a banking crisis after South African banks said they are withdrawing their banking services at the end of May.

Oakbay is desperate to find a new banker, failure of which will result in employees at ANN7 and elsewhere not getting paid and the possible closure and collapse of entities like ANN7 which is carried on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV service and which could possibly go dark and shut down after May.

Now it increasingly looks as if Oakbay workers are being exploited as a pawn to get the South African government and South African banks to "help" so that "job losses" of 7500 workers don't happen if the banking cut-off deadline arrives.

Instead of being referenced by other media for its news, ANN7 constantly remains in the news itself.

The news channel on DStv that was voted "worst employer of the year" by Cosatu in 2015, continues to be the subject of ongoing, sensational stories on an almost daily basis.

With numerous stories and allegations of human resource problems behind the scenes at ANN7 ever since it launch and the months before, right through 2014 and 2015, this year continues the eye-popping "theatre of the absurd" that is ANN7. 

On just one day - today - ANN7 is in the news itself for three different stories, all hugely damaging to ANN7's reputation, credibility and image as a news brand. 

On Wednesday morning for instance ANN7 employees Phuti Mosomane and Robbie Rousseau, the general manager of Sahara Computers (an Oakbay company), suddenly begged FNB, Standard Bank, Absa and Nedbank to reopen the company's bank accounts in an "open letter".

"We are not rich people. We are not politically connected. We have not captured the state. We have never offered any politician a job. We do not know if any of the allegations against the Gupta family or Oakbay management are true."

"We do not care. All we care about is providing for our families.If you do not open Oakbay's bank accounts we cannot be paid and Oakbay cannot pay its bills".

On Wednesday afternoon - and you can't make this up - there was a protest and ANN7 employees and Sahara computer employees chased protesting ANC Youth League members away from the ANN7 and The New Age headquarters in Midrand. 

ANN7 employees meanwhile demanded that Phuti Mosomane and Robbie Rousseau retract their letter and said it's not true that they didn't care about the allegations of state capture by the Gupta family.

ANN7 employees wanted to know why the ANC Youth League is suddenly fighting for Indian people and not for black people. 

Then, an anonymous woman working at ANN7 called radio station 702, furious about the letter and saying The New Age and ANN7 workers are not agreeing with the letter and its sentiment.

"We are now being used to fight a political war".

On Wednesday evening the total weirdness engulfing ANN7 continued when an employee identified as James called The Money Show with David Whitfield on radio 702, slamming ANN7 as a place where "employees are tired of being mistreated".

"The Indian workers that are hired at ANN7 have wifi but the South Africans – who absolutely work their butts off – to try and make sure that we produce quality news, don't get that," said James. 

"There's a mistreatment of the staff for example, the editor who knows nothing of South African news - ," said James.

"I don't think the banks are going to want to do business with Oakbay. We are asking for investors to look into ANN7. We are trying to distance ourselves from the letter."

"All we're asking is outside investors to invest in ANN7. I'm talking from the lady who cleans the floor right through to the biggest anchor at ANN7 - they're willing to produce quality news. All they need is the right investor," said James.

"There are a lot of workers who are distancing themselves away from that letter."

Meanwhile another ANN7 worker who talked to News24 claimed that Oakbay management "treat us like dogs and then they expect us to speak on their behalf. That is nonsense".


Oakbay is suddenly being repped by the controversial British PR agency Bell Pottinger who had clients like Syrian president Bashar al Assad's wife, fracking company Cuadrilla, repressive governments ranging from Thailand and Egypt to Bahrain, and even the paralympic killer Oscar Pistorius.