Sundaram says ANN7 job was like ‘working with a mafia that pushed propaganda’

Expressing regret at having been easily lured by the Guptas from India to South Africa to launch the now-defunct ANN7 television news station in 2013, the ex-consulting editor, Rajesh Sundaram, yesterday likened his experience to “working with a mafia that pushed propaganda”.

In his testimony at the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture, Sundaram told Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo of the “shame” of having been part of the launch of a “substandard television project” that saw the Jacob Zuma-led administration allegedly splurging millions on advertising to prop up ANN7 revenue.

It marked “the most depressing time of my career and the saddest phase of my life”.

Led by commission senior counsel Thandi Norman, Sundaram told of the Gupta brothers and their business associates’ editorial meddling and staff exploitation during his three-month stint. He revealed, among other things, how:

• Former president Jacob Zuma was allegedly more intensely involved in review meetings in the run-up to the disastrous launch of ANN7. This was despite Zuma’s son Duduzane, whose company Mabengela Investments, which held a 21% shareholding in the media venture, not being involved in the daily operational meetings of the project.
• The Gupta brothers – angered by the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) not spending its advertising budget on The New Age – apparently enlisted the support of the former president in influencing the IEC.
• The Guptas employed models to work as news anchors and presenters at ANN7, due to experienced South African television journalists not having shown interest in working for the television station.

Sundaram, who played a coordinating role in the run-up to the ANN7 launch, told of the immense pressure his technical team had allegedly worked under from Atul Gupta, former The New Age and ANN7 editor-in-chief Moegsien Williams, and Oakbay CEO Nazeem Howa.

“While the project should have been given a month before the launch took place, the technical team worked against time due to pressure from the Guptas and their executives.

“We knew it was a disaster about to happen and we were about to commit suicide – a logistical nightmare. On the day of the launch, the teleprompter blacked out and presenters fumbled. The quick launch of the television station was prompted by pure greed on the part of the Guptas.”

Sundaram claimed Howa and Williams would hijack editorial meetings and say who should be covered in the news bulletins.

“I chose to stand out of the way and take a back seat because this was censorship. Atul Gupta had a cellphone and CCTV that monitored journalists on how much time was spent on tea and on assignments. It was micromanaging at its worst,” said Sundaram.

So involved was Zuma in the planning meetings that preceded the television station launch, claimed Sundaram, that he held four meetings with the Guptas and their executives; three at his Pretoria presidential residence and one at the TNA-ANN7 Midrand offices.

“While Duduzane’s involvement was minimal, Zuma was quite involved in the running of things at the station,” Sundaram alleged.

“He would give feedback on the logo and editorial content of the station during meetings. We would get access cards from Ashu Chawla to drive into the presidential residence.”

Chawla, said to be behind the Gupta clan’s infiltration of South Africa, fled the country after being summoned to testify on state capture. Within a day, Chawla allegedly organised Sundaram a SA passport and a visa to work in the country for two years.

On why he resigned, Sundaram said: “It was a traumatic experience and I was exhausted working for the station. I wrote a letter of resignation and wanted to part well.”

This led to Zondo cross-examining him on why he could not inform the Guptas in the letter of resignation about concerns he raised in his book Indentured – Behind the Scenes at Gupta TV about his true experience.

“You could have ventilated your unhappiness, but you wanted to part amicably,” said Zondo. “Your letter heaps praises on your employer.”

Sundaram continues his testimony today.

– brians@citizen.co.za

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