The recent controversy surrounding journalist Sophie Mokoena’s coverage of the Botswana elections and her remarks about Zimbabwe has cast a spotlight on the ethical challenges faced by journalists when financial interests intersect with reporting.
Mokoena’s alleged ties to the Democratic Alliance (DA) and Brenthurst Foundation have raised concerns about her impartiality, suggesting that her financial incentives may be shaping her reporting style and influencing her critical coverage of Former Liberation Movements (FLMs), including South Africa’s ANC.
This situation brings into focus the issue of conflict of interest in journalism, where a journalist’s private financial interests can overshadow their public duty to deliver unbiased information. Mokoena’s associations with the Brenthurst Foundation and DA reportedly contribute to an ongoing pattern of partiality in her reporting. The core principles of journalism—objectivity, fairness, and accountability—are essential to maintaining public trust, and breaches of these values can compromise both the journalist’s credibility and the reputation of the platform they represent, in this case, SABC.
Mokoena’s career has seen its share of controversies. Notably, in 2007, she gained considerable wealth by receiving Batho Bonke shares worth R3 million ($220,000 USD) from businessman and ANC leadership hopeful Tokyo Sexwale. At the time, she continued to praise Sexwale without disclosing her financial ties, creating a perceived conflict between her role as a journalist and her personal gains. Additionally, in 2009, Mokoena’s conduct was scrutinized when she was accused of dishonesty after allegedly calling into a rival station to criticize SABC during a pay strike while using a pseudonym. This incident highlighted concerns about her integrity and sparked questions about the objectivity of her reporting, as such actions can damage the credibility of the media outlet she represents.
Reflecting on these issues, former SABC radio news head Pippa Green highlighted in Mail & Guardian that Mokoena’s undisclosed acceptance of gifts and her decision to continue reporting on these benefactors damaged the credibility of SABC news. Furthermore, Mokoena’s ongoing criticism of FLMs, particularly Zimbabwe’s ZANU PF, has raised additional concerns about media capture—where journalists or media outlets become influenced by powerful entities, potentially compromising journalistic independence.
The influence of powerful interests in journalism is not without consequence. Media capture can damage public trust, erode journalistic integrity, and jeopardize democratic values. In the face of such challenges, FLMs like ZANU PF continue to assert their resilience and unity, despite these critiques.
The Zimbabwean people, through ZANU PF’s commitment to sovereignty, remain determined to maintain the nation’s dignity and values.
