Did New African plagiarise Sunday Times profile?

Posted by Madibeng Kgwete: 16 April 2009

In its April 2009 edition, the revered New African magazine published a profile of ANC Youth League President Julius Malema. The profile seems to have been lifted directly -- often word-for-word -- from an earlier (15 March) Sunday Times profile of the same man. Spot the “difference” below:

Sunday Times: Former Limpopo premier Sello Moloto — who at one stage almost traded blows with Malema and who has also been on the receiving end of his insults — says there is little respect for Malema in his home town.

New African: So what does his home town think of Malema? Sello Moloto, the former premier of Limpopo, who has had several run-ins with Malema, says there is little respect for him.

Sunday Times: “Limpopo is very conservative. Every old person is asking, ‘Who is this child? Who are his parents and family and why are they allowing him to behave the way he does?’”

New African: “Everybody is asking, who is this child? Who are his parents and family, and why are they allowing him to behave this way?”

Sunday Times: But Malema finds a champion in Marcus Malebatse, a teacher at Malema’s former high school. Malebatse blames the media for provoking Malema to make his outrageous statements, claiming the coverage of his past pupil was merely to “sell newspapers”.

New African: His former teacher, Marcus Malebatse, however has a different opinion. He charges that the coverage of Malema’s utterances was merely to sell newspapers. That as a young man, he should be given space to mature in the political arena.

Sunday Times: ANC Women’s League president Angie Motshekga last month told a congregation in KwaMakhutha, south of Durban: “I know you will ask me why you should vote for the ANC if it still keeps Malema, who is a problematic child. I will reply and say that no home is without someone who I can refer to as a black sheep.

New African: The ANC's concern (about Malema's utterances) was evident when Angie Motshekga, the president of the ANC Women's League, opined: “I know you will ask me why you should vote for the ANC if it still keeps Malema, who is a problematic child. I will reply that no home is without someone is a problematic child. If you have children you do not throw them into the dustbin or eliminate them to solve a problem.”