Jacana

Raymond Suttner, an activist and author (most recently of The ANC Underground in South Africa) – and a person familiar with Jon Qwelane’s controversial career as a journalist – takes a closer look at what the rumoured appointment of Qwelane as South Africa’s ambassador to Uganda means for our democracy:

AT THE moment columnist Jon Qwelane is in the middle of controversy about possibly being appointed ambassador to Uganda. Before focusing on the present, let us rewind to the 1980s when Qwelane was a reporter for The Star. At that time a fake priest in Port Elizabeth, Ebenezer Maqina, purporting to represent the Azanian People’s Organisation (who later disowned him), repeatedly claimed attacks by United Democratic Front supporters. He was awarded honours by cities and given similar recognition. He was exposed in the late 1980s and it was found by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that Maqina had been a SADF agent and had incited the abduction of then-trade unionist, Dennis Neer and journalist Mona Badela. Among other matters he was implicated in killings.

In the meantime, Maqina’s false claims had been popularised and never scrutinised by Qwelane. He has never returned to the subject, where he misled the public and helped spread lies on the word of Maqina. I do not thereby claim that there were no misdeeds by the UDF. I merely point to an element of Qwelane’s past that has receded into the memory of a few people who were politically active then.

The response of ANC spokesperson, Jackson Mthembu, to objections to a self-confessed homophobe being sent to a country which has strong backing for legislation to hang gays/lesbians, is “bring the proof”. Now Mthembu seems to confuse his role. He forgets that he is not a government spokesperson and it is Foreign Affairs or the Presidency which ought to answer.

• Read the complete article in the Daily Dispatch

Book details

• The ANC Underground in South Africa by Raymond Suttner
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  EAN: 9781770095977
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