Alert! Disgraced former City Press editor Vusi Mona has made a startling return to the forefront of national affairs, having been appointed, yesterday, as the head of president Jacob Zuma’s communications office.
Also while editor of City Press, Mona was involved in a scandal which saw him accused of having outside business interests – said interests including a link to a public relations company, a clear conflict for any journalist.
After he left City Press, Mona remained linked to the world of PR, which in turn remained linked to controversy:
Rainbow Kwanda, a communication company linked to former City Press editor Vusi Mona, was awarded a multimillion-rand contract by the Mpumalanga government in June 2003 for services that included advertising, marketing, public relations and media liaison.
The R30-million contract prompted an inquiry by City Press owners Media24 into possible conflicts of interest for Mona, who reportedly held shares in Rainbow Kwanda and participated in its consulting services to Mpumalanga government agencies while still editor of City Press. Mona resigned from the newspaper after the Media24 probe concluded that there had been a conflict of interest.
Most recently, Mona had a stint as the spokesperson for Rhema Church leader Ray McCauley – a friend of his new employer.
As a journalist, many would argue, Mona covered himself in shame; and, as a PR man, in slime. The president has put his public image in the hands of a highly compromised figure – the sort of character who could very well spur an increase in the kind of satire and ridicule that Zuma dislikes so much.
