By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Pretoria News editor Piet Rampedi has apologised to his colleagues for the damage his story on SA’s so-called “Tembisa 10” babies did to Independent Media’s reputation.
In a letter to Independent Media’s editor-in-chief Aneez Salie, Rampedi apologises for how the story was handled — but also accuses other media houses and journalists of scrutinising the story simply because he wrote it and because it was published by an Independent group title.
“I am writing to you full of sadness and regret about how the decuplets story, which I authored on June 8 2021 was handled, and the obvious affect it had on the company’s reputation,” he starts his email to Salie.
“Let me start by stating from the onset that I stand by the fact that Gosiame Sithole was pregnant, and that she did give birth. I don’t doubt it and never have.
Be that as it may, I am sorry for the reputational damage the aftermath of the story has caused for the group, the company and my colleagues in general. I am fully aware that the story, and the general response, put all my colleagues in an awkward position, and under immense public pressure,” he added.
Rampedi continues that the story “provided detractors with an opportunity to cast aspersions on the professional integrity of not only myself but also my colleagues in the group”.
“For that, I am extremely sorry. It was unfortunate. And I would like to apologise to you, my colleagues and the group,” he wrote.
Rampedi also acknowledged that he could have — and should have — handled the story better and differently.
“It seems the reaction was more about how some of my mainstream media colleagues felt about me rather than the story itself. I doubt the reaction, and the level of sustained attacks on the group, would have been the same had the story been authored by someone else even from within Independent Media,” he said.
Rampedi also admitted that he should have “involved more people in the group” and, perhaps, “shouldn’t have written the story myself” — though he said that the family rejected the idea “out of hand” that another journalist do the story.