Mogale City’s tongue cut off?
Do you find it difficult to both listen and see our local municipality? Are they transparent?
Have you ever wondered why the News never publishes comment from Mogale City Local Municipality, Krugersdorp’s municipality, in municipal articles?
Many one-sided articles have been written because the municipality’s tongue might be cut off?
According to the South African Press Code, which the News subscribes to and follows, reasonable time should be afforded the subject of important coverage for a response.
“If the publication is unable to obtain such comment, this shall be stated in the report.”
Christo Peyper, the Democratic Alliance’s caucus leader in Mogale City, says over the past six months communication between the party and Mogale City’s communication department has been scarce.
“We find it difficult to get responses from the spokesperson. But at least we are able to communicate with other municipal officials.”
Yet, as a resident of Mogale City, you might not be afforded that opportunity.
The DA’s Gauteng director of communications and research, Willie Venter, told the News that a municipality should be transparent and be accountable to the community they serve.
“A municipal spokesperson is someone appointed by en executive member, like the mayor, who is responsible for communicating with the public and the media. But there is no law that states a municipality should have a spokesperson.
“A spokesperson must be available.”
The News hopes to inform its readers about the function of a spokesperson and would like to know if you would like to know more about the municipality in the newspaper and website.
Mogale City does, however, have its own website (www.mogalecity.gov.za) and a monthly publication called Dikganag Isa Mogale, informing residents of its activities in the area. This is run by journalists within the municipality, not headed by the municipal spokesperson.
By the time of publishing, and within reasonable time afforded to him to respond, Nkosana Zali, Mogale City Local Municipality’s spokesperson, failed to comment about why there is such a lack of his comment in the News.
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