Newspaper closes its doors

2005-06-30 15:57

Pretoria - After three months and 12 editions, the Afrikaans Sunday newspaper, Die Wêreld, has closed down, the publication's management said on Thursday.

It had been apparent from the paper's beginnings that there was not satisfactory financing, said Kobus Wolvaardt - head of a trust which funded the paper.

Wolvaardt said although staff were prepared to continue working at the paper despite its financial troubles, that could not be expected of them.

He said their June salaries were paid to them on Thursday.

Wolvaardt said Die Wêreld had shown that there was a loyal market for a high quality newspaper which did not emphasise sensationalism and which could criticise the Government when needed.

Wolvaardt thanked editor Maryna Blomerus, news editor De Wet Potgieter and others who had worked constructively at the newspaper.

He said there had been a lot of pressure over the past few weeks and it was in such times that true magnanimity came to the fore.

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.

Sports editor Johan Rhoodie and financial editor Louw Aucamp had resigned from the paper this month.

'Right-wing agenda'

Staff at a meeting last Friday had voiced concerns about a "right-wing agenda" by the newspaper's management.

Rhoodie had told Sapa the paper lacked leadership and that he did not want to be associated with the slant it was taking.

"I am not prepared to be associated with the right-wing direction the paper is being taken in. I do not identify with it at all."

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

Die Wêreld was the first new Afrikaans Sunday paper to be published in South Africa in the past 30 years, its competition being Rapport.

At a news conference prior to the first issue going on the streets in April, Blomerus said the paper had enough money from financiers to sustain itself for two years.

She said Die Wêreld 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