[Photo: Citizen]

The Institute of Race Relations (IRR) has urged prominent South African media outlets, including EWN, The Sowetan, and SABC, to rectify their misreporting of an assault case in Groblersdal, Limpopo. The accused were erroneously labelled as “farmers” when, in fact, they operate a security company.

Media outlets have incorrectly labelled the individuals involved – Piet Groenewald, 63, and Stephen Greef, 27, accused of assaulting a farmworker were mistakenly identified as ‘farmers’ despite operating a security company. This misrepresentation, particularly prevalent in reports from January, has drawn criticism from the Institute of Race Relations (IRR). The alleged victim worked for their security firm.

Hermann Pretorius, head of strategic communications at IRR, stated that such misclassification risks further stigmatising farmers, who already face unique safety and economic security challenges. The IRR has urged prominent media outlets to correct these inaccuracies and refrain from fuelling unwarranted tensions.

Pretorius, speaking to Radio Islam, emphasised that the problem does not lie with the case or the law itself but rather with the irresponsible reporting practices of the media in South Africa.

The IRR highlighted the critical need for accurate reporting, especially in sensitive cases prone to stigmatisation. Misidentifying the accused as farmers risks perpetuating harmful stereotypes and exacerbating divisions, particularly during pivotal election periods.

“It is crucial that those who report on events in our country and spread news stories are accurate. Failure to do so would be detrimental to democracy and free speech and could hurt the media’s positive role. It is concerning when basic facts are ignored, and narratives that could escalate societal tensions are presented as facts. These are major media corporations and the most-watched news platforms in South Africa. They have a responsibility to do better and understand their role in this democracy,” said Pretorius.

He emphasised the impact of misreporting on the agricultural sector, undermining societal relations and the country’s path to growth and prosperity. “South Africa is a country struggling with a sustained cost-of-living crisis. Our agricultural sector is key to the pro-growth fightback needed to defeat this crisis. Unfairly demonising this sector through misreporting basic facts not only undermines societal relations in an election year but also our ability as a country to chart a path to growth and prosperity for everyone,” he said.

Pretorius reiterated that one of the hallmarks of South African progress has been the presence of a free media space, providing platforms for multiple opinions. “However, it’s crucial to exercise caution in distinguishing between reporting, analysis, and opinion writing. Our priority should be to accurately uncover and convey the facts to the audience. We’re not demanding high-intensity journalistic investigations, although they are certainly valuable. Rather, we’re emphasising the importance of basic factual reporting, distinct from opinion or analysis pieces,” he said.

LISTEN to the full interview with Ml Junaid Kharsany and Hermann Pretorius, IRR head of strategic communications, here.