Haffajee: Newspaper will take down Spear

2012-05-28 08:38

Cape Town - City Press editor, Ferial Haffajee, said that the newspaper would likely remove the image of The Spear from its website following a meeting with ANC representatives.
 
Representatives from the ANC met with City Press’s editorial staff on Friday and a meeting with SACP members is scheduled for on Monday.

“This whole controversy has taken an enormous toll on me and my staff over the past week,” said Haffajee.

She also told The Times newspaper that City Press would remove the image from its website because it was not worth "what we are going through".

Haffajee said City Press reporters had even received death threats.

"I would be stupid and suicidal not to open a series of talks this week because it has been a painful week for my colleagues. I had a colleague thrown out of the NUM congress. It is a political year, I cannot afford to be on the margins of reporting life," she told The Times.

The newspaper editor on Sunday apologised to Zuma’s daughter for the “harm” caused by its republication of The Spear.

In an open letter addressed to Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, Haffajee said that she understood the pain that Brett Murray’s portrait of the president had caused to her family.

“(W)hat is a work of satire to me is a portrait of pain to you. I understand the impact on your little brothers and sisters, who may face teasing at school. Playground cruelty leaves deep scars,” wrote Haffajee.

Last week, ANC spokesperson Jackson Mthembu and SACP president Blade Nzimande called on their supporters to boycott City Press.

- News24