Soccer Laduma must apologise to Kaizer Chiefs for fake Lucky Baloyi interview - Press Council

Soccer Laduma must apologise to Kaizer Chiefs for fake Lucky Baloyi interview
Soccer Laduma must apologise to Kaizer Chiefs for fake Lucky Baloyi interview
Kaizer Chiefs have won their Press Council battle to have football newspaper Soccer Laduma publicly acknowledge and apologise for a fake interview involving Amakhosi midfielder Lucky Baloyi.

In a statement released on Wednesday‚ Chiefs said the ruling of the South African Press Council appeals panel‚ led by Judge Bernard Ngoepe‚ had found‚ “that Soccer Laduma had never interviewed Lucky Baloyi”.

The council ruling found that Soccer Laduma must‚ “publish an apology in their publication and this must be given the same prominence as the fake interview received at the time”‚ Chiefs said.

Amakhosi’s statement read: “The final ruling in a marathon case involving Kaizer Chiefs and the football publication Soccer Laduma was handed down on Monday.

“After having had several issues with the soccer publication over the years‚ Amakhosi finally decided to lodge a formal complaint against Soccer Laduma with the South African Press Council because of a fake interview with our player Lucky Baloyi‚ published in the edition of 18 November 2015.

“… The ruling of Judge BM Ngoepe’s Appeals Panel confirmed Kaizer Chiefs’ position – that Soccer Laduma had never interviewed Lucky Baloyi (for the interview published on 18 November 2015).

“The Appeals Panel ordered that Soccer Laduma must apologise to Lucky Baloyi and Kaizer Chiefs for publishing the fake interview in the edition of 18 November 2015.

“This apology must be accompanied by a statement‚ indicating that the Appeals Panel of the Press Council has found that the interview with Lucky Baloyi did not take place and that the alleged interview has to be withdrawn.

“Soccer Laduma also has to publish an apology in their publication and this must be given the same prominence as the fake interview received at the time.”

Soccer Laduma (SL) CEO Peter du Toit has already issued an apology on the hugely popular weekly football tabloid’s website‚ www.soccerladuma.co.za.

In part‚ it read: “In February Kaizer Chiefs and Lucky Baloyi complained to the Press Council that an interview with Lucky Baloyi‚ that appeared in Soccer Laduma in November 2015‚ was fake.

“The freelance journalist‚ Patrick Baloyi‚ who submitted the interview to Soccer Laduma‚ denied the accusation and presented an affidavit to that effect.

“Soccer Laduma at the time accepted the freelancer’s stand and said that the due process must take place.

“Now‚ over eight months later‚ a verdict has been reached. Despite the country’s leading voice expert testifying in Soccer Laduma and the freelance journalists favour‚ the Judge still ruled in Lucky Baloyi’s favour.

“We respect that process and the verdict. Soccer Laduma will issue a full apology to Chiefs and Lucky Baloyi in the paper as soon as possible.

“Procedurally‚ we first have to send the apology to the Press Council and wait for their approval before we can publicise it.”

Judge Ngoepe’s finding casts doubt on the findings of the voice expert provided by SL.

The report read: “The respondent submitted a first report by Dr Jansen which‚ without being emphatic‚ tended towards confirming that the disputed tape was a genuine recording of Lucky’s voice.

“The appellant ‚ after much search‚ found Mr Swart as their expert‚ and submitted his report. This he did after physically listening to Lucky‚ comparing it with the disputed tape. His report supported appellant’s case. This resulted in the postponement of the appeal as respondent said it wanted to give Dr Jansen the opportunity to consider Mr Swart’s report. The understanding was that he would‚ like Mr Swart‚ also physically listen to Lucky.

“Dr Jansen did not physically listen to Lucky as had been arranged. Instead‚ he re-listened to the same disputed tape in full‚ and the other. This time round his report‚ in the form of an affidavit‚ was more emphatic that the disputed type was authentic. He also criticized Mr Swart’s report.”

The full ruling of the Press Council is available at:

>http://www.soccerladuma.co.za/news/articles/categories/announcements/soccer-laduma-s-apology/240136

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