Sunday Times admits breaking the press code by publishing sponsored content without alerting readers
On 21 February, the DA lodged a complaint with the Press Council of South Africa against the Sunday Times following a full page spread featured in the paper on 28 January 2018.
The “Special Feature” spread contained baseless allegations against the Western Cape Government, the City of Cape Town and the DA regarding Day Zero and the water crisis the province is currently facing.
Despite the highly critical contents of the piece, neither the DA, the Western Cape Government or the City of Cape Town was afforded an opportunity to respond to these allegations.
It later came to the DA’s attention that the content was in fact paid for by the Department of Water and Sanitation and by extension the former Minister Nomvula Mokonyane. The Sunday Times failed to alert its readership of this crucial fact.
The Sunday Times has since admitted that it “should have alerted [their] readers to the fact that the content was sponsored by an outside party” and has granted the DA an opportunity for a right of reply.