Rightists worry paper's staff

2005-06-24 20:40

Pretoria - Die Wereld employees voiced concern at a meeting on Friday about a "rightwing agenda" by the Afrikaans Sunday newspaper's management, said a senior staffer.

"The editorial staff have worked hard to keep political agendas out of news copy, but management has invited outside contributors to write in-depth pieces which we felt had a rightwing political agenda," said the staffer, who asked not to be named.

"Staff are very concerned about this," he said.

Staff expressed their worries at a staff meeting on Friday morning to discuss late salary payments and uncertainty about the renewal of their contracts.

They voiced unhappiness about the direction in which Kobus Wolvaardt - head of a trust which funds Die Wereld - was taking the paper.

At the meeting, staffers also wanted to know what would happen when their three-month contracts expired at the end of the month.

About 40 employees, among them journalists, photographers, sub-editors and administrative staff, are affected.

Confirmed two resignations

"At this point, the contracts are still being negotiated. No one knows whether they will be renewed or not, for how long, or on what terms," said the staffer.

He confirmed that sports editor Johan Rhoodie and financial editor Louw Aucamp had resigned.

Rhoodie, who is to leave the paper at month-end, said he resigned because of a lack of leadership and because he did not wish to be associated with the "rightwing direction" in which the weekly was moving.

He claimed that several anonymous writers and outside contributors were "from the extreme right", but declined to name them.

Rhoodie said he received his May salary nine days late, and would consider legal action if his June salary was not paid.

He described the atmosphere at the paper's Pretoria newsroom as "funeral-like".

There has been speculation recently about the paper closing down because of financial problems.

Earlier this month, senior staff said the publication was in "dire straits" because of low sales and distribution problems.

They claimed salaries were always paid late. Staff were apparently told to expect their June pay cheques only in August.

Wolvaardt said on Friday the paper would not close in the near future, but declined to elaborate on staff contracts.

'Enough money for two years'

He confirmed Rhoodie had resigned, but would not be drawn on the reasons.

The paper's editor, Maryna Blomerus, could not be reached for comment.

At a press conference before the first issue in April, Blomerus said the paper had enough money from financiers to sustain itself for two years.

She said Die Wereld would need to sell 40 000 to 50 000 copies a week to break even.

According to its management, the paper sold 70 000 of the 200 000 copies printed in the first publication week.

- SAPA