CITY PRESS IS TRYING TO DIVERT ATTENTION FROM THEIR POSSIBLY CORRUPT JOURNALIST, DUMISANI LUBISI:
The ANC Youth League is totally disappointed by the Editor and management of City Press Newspaper, who instead of clarify the veracity of the information we sent them, they continue with their mischievous slander (see report). The City Press claims on page 2 of its 14th of March edition that they have written to ANCYL Spokesperson requesting that we stop distributing a document that puts money laundering and tax-fraud allegations of City Press Investigations Editor, Dumisani Lubisi. For the record, the City Press has not communicated anything with the ANC YL, and we will never be told by the City Press what to communicate and what not to communicate.
Background Information:
On the Thursday, the 11th of March 2010, concerned citizens brought to the attention of the ANC Youth League a document which links Dumisani Lubisi to tax fraud, money laundering and tendering with the Gauteng Shared Services Centre (GSSC). At various intervals, Dumisani Lubisi has been receiving payments on his company and personal accounts and none of these payments are accounted for in terms of tax payments. The document indicates how Dumisani Lubisi paid for two houses (costing above a R1.5 million) and four cars in a period of one year on a monthly salary of R19 000 from the City Press. The 19 000 per month salary is the only income recorded for tax and the rest of the monies are not accounted for. This justifies our observation that Journalists take bribes and additional money that they cannot explain so that they write bad stories about certain individuals.
Being the carrying and law abiding citizens that we are, we brought the information to the attention of Ferial Hafajjee, the Editor of City Press and made Dumisani Lubisi aware that we are in possession of such information. Instead of clarifying the veracity of such information, the City Press rushes into what is a weak defence of Dumisani Lubisi who is allegedly in conflict with the law. The ANC Youth League believes that the tax evasion information we have about Dumisani Lubisi is true and will expose the people behind the payments.
As promised in our 22nd of February statement, our approach to uprooting corruption and fraud does not happen in Newsrooms, we approach the police whenever we are convinced that there is wrongdoing. We will on Tuesday, the 16th of March 2010 approach a police station to report Dumisani Lubisi for money laundering and tax-fraud, because we are convinced that the information at our disposal is true. Our approach to corruption is courageous and not aimed at bullying anyone. Dumisani Lubisi and the City Press are at liberty to approach South Africa's legal institutions if they believe that there is any wrongdoing on the part of the ANC Youth League.
People who are in conflict with the law should be ready to be accountable and institutions that protect such individuals should be exposed. The ANC Youth League is consistent with its promise, taking the anti-corruption struggles to another level and will report all corrupt individuals to the police. The City Press and all other Newspapers are called upon to take the fight against corruption seriously and stop using corruption claims as means to sell more copies of Newspapers.
Statement issued by Floyd Shivambu, ANC Youth League spokesperson, March 14 2010
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