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The Presidency is disappointed at the distortion and manipulation of information by City Press relating to the travel to China by President Jacob Zuma and the Minister of Finance, Mr Pravin Gordhan, to attend the G20 Summit.

In the story entitled “Separate planes to China for Zuma and Pravin, 4 September 2016”, reporter Ms Erika Gibson, who normally reports on rumours and gossip for the Media24 Sunday titles on the President’s aircraft and travel, complains that the President and the Minister travelled separately to China. She laments that the President flew via a charted aircraft and the Minister commercially, and gives an impression that something wrong or unfair happened, and that the President and Minister Gordhan should actually have flown together in the same aircraft.

The story appears to be intended to create an impression that Minister Gordhan has been treated badly. No mention is made of the other Ministers and the Deputy Minister who also travelled commercially on their own to China.  In addition to Minister Gordhan, the President is also accompanied by the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ms Maite Nkoana-Mashabane to the G20 summit in Hangzhou. On the second leg of the visit in Guangdong where he will attend the 2nd Investing in Africa Summit on 7 September, the President will be supported by the Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Rob Davies and the Deputy Minister of Transport, Ms Sindi Chikunga. City Press and News24 do not complain that they also travelled on their own.

Incidentally, Minister Gordhan alerted the Presidency on Saturday when he began to receive inquiries about his travel to China and raised his concern. Regardless of the requirement of balanced and fair reporting, City Press did not seek a comment on the story from the Presidency. They published the allegations without providing the Presidency an opportunity to respond to the bizarre narrative.

Ms Gibson also says that Minister Gordhan has “quietly followed his own programme” in China. This is a total fabrication.  Minister Gordhan and Minister Nkoana-Mashabane have accompanied the President to all his meetings since their arrival in Hangzhou.

For the record, it should be noted that the President does not have to travel with Ministers in the same aircraft. There is no such requirement.

We trust that City Press has not decided to adopt a particular stance and to package stories according to a certain fixed narrative, regardless of the facts.

That would mean that professionalism and ethical journalism have been sacrificed in order to fulfil certain divisive objectives.

Issued by the Presidency