In anticipation of World Press Freedom Day 2019 on Friday, 3 May; MatieMedia spoke to investigative journalist Pieter-Louis Myburgh, author of Gangster State: Unravelling Ace Magashule’s Web of Capture, a book alleging deep-seated corruption among high-ranking members of the African National Congress (ANC).
Myburgh, who completed his postgraduate Journalism studies at Stellenbosch University (SU) in 2009, spoke about the experiences which led him toward pursuing a career in investigative journalism, as well as the importance of such inquest in relation to the public good.
Myburgh transitioned from general reporting at Beeld to more research-oriented journalism at Rapport around 2013
“When I began working at Rapport,” says Myburgh, “I tended to have more time to go deeper into my reporting. I hadn’t had that opportunity while working at Beeld, which is a daily newspaper and therefore fast-paced. But at Rapport, due to its weekly circulation, I found that I had a better platform to take a more in-depth look at the stories I was writing about.”
It was during his reportage of the upsurge in rhino poaching from 2012 onward that “the bug of investigative reporting bit”, says Myburgh.
“Over the course of 2013,” Myburgh continued, “I managed to build up some contacts in the South African military, and by talking to some of the generals and officers who were stationed in the Central African Republic (CAR), I was able to report on several atrocities committed on civilians which occurred at the hands of military personnel.”
“While it hadn’t always been investigative journalism from the get-go,” Myburgh says, “public benefit journalism always did have a very strong appeal to me.”
Since then, Myburgh has created a name for himself as an investigative reporter in South Africa. In 2017, he published The Republic of Gupta: A Story of State Capture, and followed it up by honing-in on corruption allegations surrounding former Free State Premier and incumbent ANC secretary-general, Ace Magashule, in Gangster State.
Speaking about the impact of the book in the month since publication, Myburgh affirms its relevance.
“Certainly, in publishing the book I have achieved what it was that I’d set out to achieve. It is indeed an important book,” he says, “and in many ways it is only the beginning.
“I am constantly being inundated with tip-offs, documents, and further information concerning the extent of the corruption in the Free State government and in the ranks of the ANC. The rot runs deep.”
Responding to noises being made by Magashule on being sued for defamation, Myburgh insists that he would welcome involvement by the courts.
“If the statements I make in my book come under scrutiny in a defamation case,” he says, “it would result in more depth of investigation… something which could only go one way.
“Mine were not baseless claims…” Myburgh points out, “they are carefully built on corroborable evidence. People who criticise the book tend to often have not taken the effort to read it.”
Pieter-Louis Myburgh will be speaking on World Press Freedom Day on 3 May 2019 in Stellenbosch, at an event hosted by SU in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Room 230.
To find out more about the event, or to RSVP, one can contact Mrs Elizabeth Newman here.