M&G gagged on CEO story

2006-09-15 00:47

Johannesburg - The Mail & Guardian (M&G) weekly newspaper has been effectively prevented from publishing a story on MTN CEO Maanda Manyatshe, the newspaper said on Thursday evening.

"We've been gagged for now," said M&G associate deputy editor Nic Dawes.

"The judge granted the interim order, the interim interdict, saying we're not allowed to disseminate any information on this matter until the court reaches a final decision on whether to finally interdict the publication."

The interim order was issued by Judge Mohamed Jajbhay in Johannesburg High Court late on Thursday.

Sent questions

On Wednesday, M&G reporters Stefaans Brummer and Sam Sole sent questions to Manyatshe, who is the former GM of Engen Petroleum and former MD of the SA Post Office.

Manyatshe responded with a lawyer's letter.

"They asked us to promise not to publish the story," said Dawes.

"We declined to give them any such undertaking.

"They served us this morning (on Thursday) with an application for an urgent interdict to prevent us from publishing the story we intended to publish or revealing the information we had on Mr Manyatshe."

Dawes said the judge emphasised that he was not saying the newspaper couldn't publish, just that it couldn't publish the story now.

'Buying time'

The applicant has filed founding papers, the newspaper filed its reply, and the matter is now waiting for the applicant to file responding papers on Thursday night.

Even if the matter were to be settled on Thursday night, Dawes said it had already gone to print for Friday publication.

"The way the court rules are being interpreted at the moment means it's possible for anyone to buy time.

"Whatever the merits of the case are... they achieve their objectives."

- SAPA