Yesterday the Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki called a special press conference to make this statement.
I hold no brief for Kibaki, given his–and his party’s behavior–during and after the December 2007 Kenyan presidential elections. But I am astonished by the tabloidization of African media, focusing increasingly on the sex lives of public representatives as if that is real news. (BTW, Kibaki’s wife, Lucy, not a friend of the media, is clearly annoyed in this clip–that’s being understated).
I know ruling elites in Africa are jumpy and not always fond of critical, free media. But who cares about whether Kibaki–who looks like he will fall over–has only one wife? Does it have any impact on governing the country? If he campaigned as a moral crusader and turned out to be hypocritical, that is another matter.
In another case, an Ugandan tabloid alleged an affair between Libyan leader and African Union President Muammar Qaddafi, and the Buganda Queen Mother. That case has now gone to court, with the Ugandan government sadly getting inolved.
Meanwhile, in South Africa, a major Sunday newspaper peddled unverified gossip about the President, Kgalema Motlanthe’s personal life, that later proved to be false. Instead of apologizing, some in the country’s media tried to justify their behavior as moral guardians of society or insisting that private lives of politicians are fair game.
* Incidentally, the clip is off the Youtube channel of Kenyan channel, NTV, probably the only African TV channel with a regularly updated Youtube channel.
kgalema motlanthe dealt with his accusations more gracefully i think – took media to the press ombudsman but not this type of spectacle, court threats etc which might do more damage than good and is likely only to get the media more interested in undermining him. not that i think private matters are of any interest to the public unless they are clearly an indication of somebody being hypocritical (e.g. the US politician who was on a ‘family values’/ anti-gay ticket but then got caught hooking up in a public toilet…)
Yes, I agree. Guy Berger makes this point in the SA Mail & Guardian today:
“[Government Minister Pallo] Jordan wrote last week that “the only person who has been harmed in this disgraceful saga is Motlanthe”. But it could be argued that the president’s dignified dismissal of the tale has enhanced his stature, and — instead — that it is, finally, the public interest credibility of the press that has been harmed.
See here