Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA) welcomes sale of ANN7 and The New Age to Lodidox

22 August 2017

The Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA) welcomes the sale of ANN7 and The New Age newspaper through Lodidox having acquired a majority shareholding in Infinity Media Networks.

This is a progressive move that ensures that two prime South African media assets (ANN7 and The New Age) are African owned, and will be able to continue to report in a truthful and progressive manner about the realities of South Africa. To our minds this sale ticks all the correct boxes with regards to Radical Socio-economic Transformation. It ensures Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) and secures the continued independence of two strong voices for the full economic empowerment of the majority of black (especially African) South Africans.

MKMVA knows the owner of Lodidox, Mr. Mzwanele Manyi, as a person who has consistently held and advocated progressive views in favour Radical Socio-economic Transformation and who is a steadfast opponent of White Monopoly Capital (WMC). Mr. Manyi has been a fearless proponent of these progressive views both in his personal capacity, and as the President of the Progressive Professionals Forum (PPF). MKMVA warmly congratulates him with this successful and progressive transaction.

MKMVA notes that the mainstream media already tries to cast aspersions on this transaction. This is simply a continuation of the biased and reactionary vilification campaign that the WMC mainstream media had been waging against ANN7 and The New Age for years. These WMC owned media have proved themselves to be intolerant of any views that challenge the continuation of White Monopoly control over the economy of South Africa. We are therefore not surprised by the immediate negative posture that they have taken, because a progressive business transaction of this nature, that secures a diversity of media voices and specifically an African owned and progressive (pro fundamental economic transformation) voice collides with the intentions of White Monopoly Capital to maintain their monolithic strangle grip on all media in the country. We know that they want to ensure that only their pro-white and exploitative monopoly capital messages are consumed by the public.

MKMVA therefore calls on the South African public to reject the anti-black (especially anti-African) biased propaganda of most of the mainstream media with the contempt that it deserves.

MKMVA calls on the South African public to support ANN7 and The New Age as progressive voices that are now African owned and are committed to unapologetically promote the empowerment and interests of black people (especially Africans). We call on all South Africans to support this progressive empowerment development by strongly increasing their viewership of ANN7 and readership of The New Age newspaper.

MKMVA furthermore calls on government to support these progressive media outlets as part of the ANC government’s commitment to Black Economic Empowerment (BEE), and to direct its advertising spend to these media outlets in support of their commitment to the empowerment the majority of black South Africans. We re-iterate our longstanding view that it is contrary to the Black Economic Empowerment intentions of the ANC government to spend significant amounts on advertising revenue on the White Monopoly Capital owned mainstream media that are constantly opposed to our progressive agenda for black (and specifically African) empowerment.

MKMVA also calls on progressive business owners in the private sector to similarly turn their backs on these reactionary anti-black (especially anti-African) and anti-Radical Socio-economic Transformation White Monopoly Capital owned mainstream media, and to do business in general with (and specifically direct their advertising spend towards) progressive and pro-African empowerment media such as ANN7 and The New Age.

Issued by Kebby Maphatsoe, President of MKMVA, 22 August 2017