By Lizaan Nel
As South Africa celebrates Media Freedom Day, a stark reality confronts us: media freedom is under siege. Across the country, powerful forces are working tirelessly to stifle free speech, undermine independent journalism, and control the narrative that reaches the people. In this fight, Dr Iqbal Survé and Sekunjalo have emerged as the defenders of an embattled press, refusing to bow to the economic and political elite that seeks to silence them.
Dr Survé’s acquisition of Independent Media in 2013 marked a turning point in South Africa’s media landscape, igniting a revolution for black economic empowerment in an industry long dominated by white interests. But what began as a bold step to transform the media has now evolved into a battle for the soul of democracy itself. Today, more than ever, media freedom is being suffocated, and the fight to protect it has never been more critical.
For decades, South Africa’s media was a tool of oppression during apartheid, used to propagate the lies and dehumanisation of black people while upholding the apartheid regime. The press, owned and controlled by a handful of white elites, served as an extension of the political system that kept millions in chains. Black voices were excluded, silenced, and rendered invisible. Even after the end of apartheid, these power structures remained entrenched in the media, preventing true transformation from taking place.
When Dr Iqbal Survé, a man who had fought alongside the titans of the liberation struggle, acquired Independent Media, he didn’t just buy a newspaper company—he ignited a movement. It was an act of defiance, a declaration that the days of white media monopoly were over. Under his leadership, Sekunjalo reshaped Independent Media into a platform that champions the voices of the oppressed, exposes corruption, and holds the powerful accountable.
But with this revolution came backlash. Banks, the financial elite, and political forces have waged an orchestrated campaign against Sekunjalo and Independent Media. They’ve shut down bank accounts, launched smear campaigns, and attempted to destroy a media organisation that dares to tell the truth. The reasons given? “Reputational risk.” But the real reason is clear: Sekunjalo and Independent Media refuse to be complicit in the silencing of South Africa’s people. They refuse to bow to the oligarchs who control the country’s media and economic sectors.
As South Africans, we must face a sobering fact: our freedom of speech, a hard-won right, is being eroded. The very institutions designed to protect this freedom are now being used as tools of suppression. In the name of “reputational risk” and “media ethics,” Independent Media has faced relentless attacks aimed at silencing its critical voice.
Let us be clear: this isn’t just an attack on Independent Media. This is an assault on media freedom itself. The ability to speak truth to power, to expose the rot at the heart of government and corporate South Africa, is being suffocated. Independent journalism is being strangled, and without it, our democracy stands on the precipice of failure.
Dr Survé’s fight is not just about the survival of Independent Media; it is about ensuring that South Africa does not return to a one-sided, sanitised narrative controlled by a few powerful elites. It’s about making sure that the corruption, greed, and lies of those in power are laid bare for the public to see. Without this, democracy in South Africa is nothing more than a façade.
True journalism has always been a beacon of democracy. It is a vital institution that holds power to account, exposes corruption, and gives voice to the voiceless. But the attacks on Independent Media reflect a dangerous trend: those in power are now manipulating the ethical standards of journalism to serve their own interests.
Under the leadership of Dr Survé, Independent Media has embodied the true essence of ethical journalism. It has exposed critical stories such as the CR17 campaign’s murky financial web, the Phala Phala scandal, and the looting of state funds during the PPE corruption scandal. These stories weren’t just articles—they were acts of defiance, holding corrupt elites to account in a media landscape where most outlets choose silence over speaking truth.
Dr Survé has always upheld the belief that journalism’s highest duty is to the truth. In empowering journalists like Viasen Soobramoney, who rose from a junior reporter to the CEO of IOL, Adri Senekal de Wet, the first female Editor-in-Chief in the history of Independent Media, Melanie Peters who was previous editor of the Weekend Argus Sunday now is the Managing Editor of Independent Media, and Siyavuya Mzantsi appointed at the age of 26, Editor of the Cape Times. Survé has ensured that Independent Media remains a home for courageous, ethical journalism. These journalists are not just storytellers—they are defenders of democracy.
But ethical journalism is under attack. Those who expose corruption are targeted, discredited, and smeared. Financial institutions, like banks that have targeted Sekunjalo and Independent Media, act in collusion with the political elite to silence voices that refuse to be controlled. This is economic sabotage masquerading as concern for “ethics.”
Sekunjalo’s acquisition of Independent Media was not just about owning a newspaper—it was about transforming an industry. Before Sekunjalo, South African media was dominated by the same white economic interests that had thrived during apartheid. Black journalists were marginalised, and the stories of ordinary South Africans went untold. Dr Survé changed that.
Heeding the call of President Nelson Mandela for black professionals to enter the mainstream economy, Dr Survé established Sekunjalo to bring about meaningful change. The acquisition of Independent Media in 2013 was a milestone not only for Sekunjalo but for South Africa. It was the first time a black-owned company entered the media space, fundamentally shifting the balance of power in the country’s press.
Through Independent Media, Sekunjalo gave voice to millions of South Africans who had been silenced. Dr Survé’s vision was to create a media platform that was truly representative of the people, where black journalists, editors, and media leaders could rise to positions of power. His empowerment of journalists like Viasen Soobramoney and Adri Senekal de Wet is a testament to this vision. He opened doors that had long been closed to black South Africans and women, breaking down the barriers of apartheid that persisted even after its official end.
As we commemorate Media Freedom Day, let us remember this: media freedom is not just a right; it is the foundation upon which all other rights stand. Without it, we are blind to the corruption, greed, and lies that plague our society. Without it, democracy crumbles.
The fight that Dr Iqbal Survé and Sekunjalo are leading is not just their fight—it is our fight. If we allow them to be silenced, we allow the truth to be buried. We allow the rich and powerful to control the narrative, to decide what we know and what we are allowed to think. The stakes have never been higher.
In defending Independent Media, we defend our right to know. In supporting Sekunjalo, we support black economic empowerment and the transformation of an industry that has long been a tool of oppression. Media freedom is not negotiable. It is a right that must be fought for, protected, and defended with everything we have.
Today, as we celebrate Media Freedom Day, let us remember that this freedom is fragile. It can be taken away if we are not vigilant. Dr Iqbal Survé and Independent Media are standing on the frontlines of this battle. We, as citizens, must stand with them—because to lose media freedom is to lose our democracy.
* Lizaan Nel is the Company Secretary of Sekunjalo.
** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of Independent Media or IOL.