The spokesperson for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation chose to paraphrase the leader of Nazi Germany in a statement aimed at discrediting a media story about the unit’s head.
“I align myself with Adolf Hitler when he said if you tell a big enough lie and tell it frequently enough‚ it will be believed‚” the Hawks’ Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi said on Wednesday.
“The journalist’s agenda is evident‚ make the lie big‚ keep saying it‚ and eventually they country will believe it.”
Mulaudzi’s comments were made in reaction to a story carried in the April 29 edition of The Star‚ which claimed Hawks boss Lieutenant-General Mthandazo Ntlemeza “is set to be charged for defeating the ends of justice for a so called case that has been dragging on for five years”.
According to Mulaudzi‚ The Star accused the “head of the Hawks…of ignoring a complaint against a former police captain at Polokwane Police Station” while Ntlemeza was deputy provincial commissioner for Limpopo.
The story contained at least three “lies” and “official accusers are being hidden by the journalists so nobody can confront them or hold them accountable when their malicious accusations turn out to be false”‚ Mulaudzi said.
“And journalists who write such reports continue to treat self-serving decrees by unsavoury characters — laundered through their media — as gospel‚ no matter how dubious are the claims or factually false is the reporting.
“It is obvious that The Star is merely recycling the same evidence-free smears that have been used by other media houses‚ the Mail & Guardian to be precise.
“But what is surprising‚ and outrageous‚ is journalists continue to be so plagued by some combination of absurdity and gullibility‚ so that no matter how many times this trick is revealed‚ they keep falling for it.”
Hawks: Journalists continue to be plagued by absurdity and gullibility
“I align myself with Adolf Hitler when he said if you tell a big enough lie and tell it frequently enough‚ it will be believed‚” the Hawks’ Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi said on Wednesday.
“The journalist’s agenda is evident‚ make the lie big‚ keep saying it‚ and eventually they country will believe it.”
Mulaudzi’s comments were made in reaction to a story carried in the April 29 edition of The Star‚ which claimed Hawks boss Lieutenant-General Mthandazo Ntlemeza “is set to be charged for defeating the ends of justice for a so called case that has been dragging on for five years”.
According to Mulaudzi‚ The Star accused the “head of the Hawks…of ignoring a complaint against a former police captain at Polokwane Police Station” while Ntlemeza was deputy provincial commissioner for Limpopo.
The story contained at least three “lies” and “official accusers are being hidden by the journalists so nobody can confront them or hold them accountable when their malicious accusations turn out to be false”‚ Mulaudzi said.
“And journalists who write such reports continue to treat self-serving decrees by unsavoury characters — laundered through their media — as gospel‚ no matter how dubious are the claims or factually false is the reporting.
“It is obvious that The Star is merely recycling the same evidence-free smears that have been used by other media houses‚ the Mail & Guardian to be precise.
“But what is surprising‚ and outrageous‚ is journalists continue to be so plagued by some combination of absurdity and gullibility‚ so that no matter how many times this trick is revealed‚ they keep falling for it.”
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