Kanthan Pillay and Jeremy Maggs refuse to come clean about what’s really going on at eNCA

When Kanthan Pillay was employed at eNCA, everyone asked the obvious questions. Why was someone who leads a political party which contested the 2019 elections being placed in a position where he would be involved in the political direction of a news channel? Did Pillay plan to step down from his role as leader of the party in question, the Capitalist Party of South Africa (ZACP), and does the party in fact still exist at all?

These were all perfectly reasonable questions, and eNCA editor-in-chief Jeremy Maggs went out of his way not to answer them.

We chatted on the phone at the time. He said that Pillay had been appointed on a short-term contract, due to the tragic death of eNCA director of news Ben Said. However, Maggs said, Pillay was not head of news. And, he would never hire someone who was playing a dual role as a politician, he told me. So Pillay, he was fairly sure, would be stepping down from his role as leader of the ZACP.

These were all bizarrely non-committal answers from the editor of a news channel with a reputation for upholding a high standard of journalistic ethics. Even more so when several employees at eNCA told me that yes, Pillay actually does appear to have been appointed head of news, and neither Pillay or Maggs seemed willing or able to clarify what the deal was with the political party he launched in May this year … a party which said after they failed to gain any seats in parliament that they had no intention of throwing in the towel.

“We are in this for the long haul,” were their exact words.

What seemed a bit fishy back then has progressed to being full-blown bizarre now, following the obvious repercussions of appointing someone with a clear political agenda to a position of power in an independent newsroom.

These repercussions, involving dodgy tweets and the alleged mistreatment of journalist Samkele Maseko, have been well covered in the media.

What no one seems to be asking, though, is why eNCA still refuses to be transparent about whether the channel hired a politician as its head of news.

These are important questions, particularly considering the fact that the channel portrayed their decision to pull out of the EFF’s recent elective conference as one of principle, as they perceived the party’s banning of certain publications an attack on media freedom.

But media freedom comes with responsibility, and can eNCA and Jeremy Maggs really preach ethics when they refuse to be open about what the deal is with Kanthan the Purple Cow?

I sent questions to Maggs and Pillay via WhatsApp. I know they were the right numbers, as the messages were marked read, and I have communicated with both of them on these same numbers in the past two months. I gave both a full 24 hours to respond, and was ignored.

I can only assume one of two things – that neither of them can answer the questions, or that neither of them cares to.

Personally, I think this is unacceptable and unethical behaviour on the part of eNCA. But hey, maybe that’s just me.

These are the questions I sent Maggs:

Are Samkele Maseko’s accounts of mistreatment by Kanthan Pillay at eNCA true?

If so, do you plan to sanction Pillay in any way?

We spoke earlier this year. You said Pillay was only hired on a short-term contract. When does it end?

You also said Pillay was not head of news. But multiple sources at eNCA seem to think that’s his title. Why the discrepancy?

You could not confirm at the time whether Pillay had stepped down from his position as leader of the Capitalist Party of South Africa. Surely a couple of months down the line you can answer as to whether this is the case?

Pillay himself ignored my questions at the time and didn’t answer my phone calls. Is it not unprofessional for neither him nor yourself to be able to confirm what his title is and whether or not he still leads a political party?

These are the questions I sent Pillay:

Are Samkele Maseko’s accounts of mistreatment by you at eNCA true?

What is your title at eNCA?

Are you still the leader of the Capitalist Party of South Africa?

Does the party still exist and if so, who from it can answer questions from journalists?

Multiple calls to both Maggs and Pillay went unanswered.

The Citizen digital news editor Daniel Friedman. Picture: Tracy Lee Stark.

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