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The Presidency has noted with serious concern and disappointment, the manner in which an interview that President Jacob Zuma had with two Business Report journalists last week, on 8 September 2011, has been manipulated by Independent Newspapers.

President Zuma granted an interview to Ellis Mnyandu and Adriaan Groenewald of Business Report, for the newspaper’s Leadership Platform feature.

In the course of a discussion on leadership, they asked about matters relating to the ruling party disciplinary hearing.

That portion has been taken out of context and used in Independent Newspaper products today, 13 September, in relation to a judgement by Justice Colin Lamont to the effect that the words “Dubul’ ibhunu’’ in the struggle song “Ayesab’ Amagwala’’ constituted hate speech. No mention is made of the context of the interview, or that it took place even before the judgement.

It is highly regrettable and unprofessional, if not unethical, for the newspaper group to publish these bits, not even the full interview, potentially creating an impression that President Zuma was responding to the judgement, when he spoke to the journalists a few days before the judgement on a totally unrelated topic.