SA government rejects ‘clickbait’ reporting on Hamas, Iran ties in open letter to Paula Slier
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) has criticised journalist Paula Slier for what it describes as a “reckless” and “baseless” amplification of conspiracy theories in her recent Times of Israel blog posts.
DIRCO, spokesperson Chrispin Phiri issued an open letter addressing Slier’s reliance on discredited sources and failure to uphold journalistic integrity.
Phiri singled out Slier’s July 11 blog post, where she chose to platform Justin Lewis, described by Phiri as a man “well-versed in the art of name-dropping”, and his “dangerous and unsubstantiated assertions.”
According to Phiri, Lewis’s claims that the South African government had prior knowledge of the October 7 Hamas attack are not only unverified but easily debunked through “rudimentary desktop research.”
Slier’s follow-up post on July 13, in which she acknowledged the allegations were unverified but insisted they represented an “important lobby mechanism,” failed to satisfy DIRCO.
Phiri accused Slier of failing to apologise to readers or to retract the original blog, stating: “Instead of apologising to your readers for violating the most basic tenets of ethical journalism, you chose once again to amplify these reckless allegations.”
Phiri further deconstructed Lewis’s background, pointing out inconsistencies and fabrications in his self-styled biography. Lewis, who admits to being a “non-lawyer” and claims to have worked with former Chief Justices Chaskalson and Mogoeng, is unknown in any official legal capacity and has no traceable involvement in the globally documented Leveson Inquiry.
”A mere email from a third party, clearly well-versed in the art of name-dropping luminaries could trigger a media inquiry,” said Phiri
“My own rudimentary desktop research swiftly illuminated the gaping holes in Mr Lewis’ narrative and credibility.”
Highlighting Lewis’s dubious past, Phiri cited contradictions in how Lewis has presented his organisation CASISA, a self-described private sector human rights lobby,which, according to Lewis in 2014, was not yet registered in the EU.
Yet by 2017, he claimed to be a human rights lobbyist for an NGO defending South African institutions. “There is no application before any court that contains Mr Lewis’ spectacular fables,” Phiri confirms.
The July 11 blog, Phiri argues, resulted in unjustified reputational damage to South Africa’s media landscape. “You effectively impugned the integrity of our media as a whole,” he said, denouncing Slier’s insinuation that South African outlets ignored Lewis’s allegations as evidence of complicity or bias.
Even more troubling, according to Phiri, is Slier’s insistence on vague “global concerns” about South Africa’s diplomacy towards Hamas and Iran.
He challenged this assertion outright: “How many of the 193 United Nations member states have articulated such concern?”
Phiri added that South Africa’s bilateral ties with Iran long predate the democratic era, countering claims that such relations are recent or ideologically driven.
Phiri warned against “clickbait, biased reporting that confirms unsubstantiated hogwash,” and stressed that South Africa’s case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is grounded in international law, not political expediency.
Phiri pointed to credible legal scholars, including Israeli genocide expert Dr Omer Bartov, who recently wrote in The New York Times that “it appeared no longer possible to deny that the pattern of [IDF] operations was consistent with the statements denoting genocidal intent.”
Reaffirming South Africa’s commitment to international law, Phiri said: “South Africa’s case has nothing to do with politics, nor with religion or ethnicity. It is about the conduct of a State that has signed the UN Charter, the Genocide Convention and numerous international instruments and manifestly and repeatedly violated them.”
”Our support for the right of self-determination of the Palestinian people is predicated on the enduring need to address the manifestation of an illegal settler colonial occupation.”
He closed the letter with a pointed reminder of the principled stance taken by Nelson Mandela on Palestinian liberation.
“But we know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.”
“The world, the readers of the Times of Israel, and the listeners of Chai FM deserve better, Ms. Slier,” said Phiri.
“We cannot accept clickbait, biased reporting that confirms unsubstantiated hogwash.”
hope.ntanzi@iol.co.za
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