Sponsored political analysts: betrayal of the trust?
3 June 2023
Sometime during the advent of democracy, the first democratically elected President, Nelson Mandela, threw down the gauntlet when he called on political analysts in the country to analyse political developments fairly, without fear, prejudice and biasness.
Madiba, went further to invite senior political commentators for a frank discussion. To Madiba, inviting political pundits for the brutally frank discussion was by no means an attempt to influence their political analyses or impede their independence.
If my memory serves me well, one of the consummate political commentators at the time, Kaizer Nyatsumba, penned an article that was published in the Star Newspaper, amongst others, entitled: “Even St Mandela has clay feet”.
With brutal frankness, we, as human beings from all walks of life have clay feet. This past week, we have seen how some political commentators trade in influencing political thoughts and narratives that are sometime left unchallenged.
I suppose any ardent reader of political autobiographies gets a sense of the point I wish to advance in this opinion piece. One Prince Mashele dominated the headlines this past week.
The reason? Prince Mashele, an astute and celebrated political analyst admitted to have been extremely economical with the truth in respect of the “unauthorised autobiography” of one Herman Mashaba.
We all know that Prince Mashele publicly announced in the media platforms that Herman Mashaba advanced no recompence for his “unauthorised autobiography”. Prince Mashele was steadfast when he was interviewed by Prof Onkgopotse JJ Tabane on eNCA that Herman Mashaba funded zilch towards the book in issue.
On the very same platform, when Prince Mashele was interviewed by another journalist on eNCA, the celebrated political commentator was asked a simple question: Why did you lie to JJ Tabane and the public that Herman Mashaba did not fund his “unauthorised autobiography”?
Prince Mashele appeared unable to tender a simple answer, reminding me of various witnesses we watched during the live-streaming of the Commission on State Capture chaired by the Chief Justice Raymond Zondo.
Prince Mashele’s admission that Herman Mashaba disbursed millions toward the publication of his “unauthorised autobiography” is telling and at the time a cause for concern. The public now knows that when Prince Mashele showered Herman Mashaba and his political party with praises, this was all part of the sponsored political analyses.
In common parlance, Prince Mashele was actively singing for his breakfast, lunch and super. There has clearly been nothing independent about Prince Mashele’s “independent political analysis” of his paymaster, Herman Mashaba.
As a politician, like many, I sometimes marvel at the partisan analyses offered by some political analysts who at times echo the same sentiments expressed by our political rivals.
I now know that some of our political analysts are sponsored parrots who have no inclination to contribute intellectually to the political thoughts and narratives aimed at informing the populace about the political state of affairs in the country.
I am not sure if our political analysts contribute to journal articles on political science published by various institutions of higher learning in the country and far afield.
The perennial problem with some of our political analysts is that once they are offered an opportunity to opine on political developments, the next moment they frequent media houses and are branded political analysts when in fact some of them are political generalists.
Talking of political generalists, Prof Sipho Seepe, a qualified expert in Mathematics comes to mind. In March 2005, the former Acting Vice-Chancellor of the now defunct Vista University was accused of plagiarism in an essay he wrote after it was established that certain parts of his essay were found to be identical to articles found in various websites published by other academics.
The said essay found itself in the pages of the book: Towards an African Identity in Higher Education. Prof Seepe simply admitted to what he called “sloppiness” on his part.
This caused him to withdraw his candidature to the vacant position of the Vice-Chancellor of Cape Technikon.
Recently, Prof Sipho Seepe featured prominently in the parliamentary enquiry concerning the suspended Public Protector. The evidence that has been led thus far in that enquiry is that Prof Sipho Seepe has been paid by the suspended Public Protector to provide “political analyses” adverse to the judiciary and members of the executive in the country.
The said evidence remains unrefuted either by the prominent Prof or his paymistress, suspended Public Protector. It also common knowledge coming from the parliamentary enquiry that one Paul Ngobeni, alleged “fugitive” from justice in the US was allegedly on the payroll of the suspended Public Protector to write articles disparaging the judiciary and members of the executive.
Lest we forget, funds from the office of the Public Protector are from the public purse. Prince Mashele, Prof Sipho Seepe, Paul Ngobeni et al, are commentators that feature routinely on various media platforms despite their sponsored views devoid of any form of independence expected of any analyst who respects his or her trade.
Media houses who routinely invite sponsored political analysts to their platforms, do a disservice to political science. Worse, sponsored analysts betray the trust the general public has on them as the public depend on them to analyse political developments without fear, favour, prejudice and biasness.
However, sponsored political analysts have the right to see political developments through their jaundiced eyes particularly, if their bank balances ululate.
*The writer is the Secretary-General of the African National Congress.
This article first appeared on ANC Today.
