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Cape Town Press Club

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Cape Town Press Club
AbbreviationCTPC
Formation1975; 49 years ago (1975)
TypePress club
Location
Chairpersons
Brent Meersman
Twanji Kalula
Secretary
Lalage Maurer
Websitecapetownpc.org.za

The Cape Town Press Club is the oldest press club in South Africa. Founded in 1975 as a voluntary association of journalists, it has since become a non-profit organisation supporting freedom of the press. It is based in Cape Town, South Africa and hosts public and private gatherings with invited speakers from public life.

The Press Club is a popular venue for speeches by South African politicians and also for speeches by prominent figures in academia and business. It has hosted all five post-apartheid South African presidents.[1] Foreign visitors have included Dick Clark in 1977,[2] David Aubrey Scott in 1977,[3] Jesse Jackson in 1990,[4] David Blunkett in 2008,[5] and Annie Lennox in 2013.[6] Since 2007 the Press Club has held the Barry Streek Memorial Lecture on an annual basis.

History

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The oldest press club in South Africa,[7] the Cape Town Press Club was relaunched in 1975 after a period of stagnancy.[1] The relaunch was pioneered by Cape Times journalist Tom Copeland and continued by his colleague John Scott.[1] In later decades, Donwald Pressly played an important role in the club's maintenance.[8]

Because of its location in the legislative capital of Cape Town, the Press Club was historically dominated by parliamentary reporters, such as Pressly. Full membership in the club was available only to working journalists until the late 1990s, when a single category of membership was established for all interested parties regardless of profession.[1] Nonetheless, on some accounts, a rival press club was established in Pretoria in 1978 due to dissatisfaction with the predominance of public relations professionals in the Cape Town club.[9]

The Press Club was formerly based at the Café Royal on Church Street in downtown Cape Town,[7] but in the 21st century it has lacked a permanent venue.[1] However, it frequently held events at the Kelvin Grove Club in Newlands, a venue sometimes regarded as the "colonial home of the Mother City's ageing gin-blossomed Wasp elite"[10] or "one of Cape Town's bastions of the privileged English liberal establishment".[11] As a result, journalists teased the Press Club for drawing "a predominantly white, elderly audience including the city's media stalwarts who keep the Press Club alive".[12][13]

As of 2012, the Press Club had over 500 members, including 133 businesspeople, 125 journalists, and 86 public relations professionals;[14] to cover its costs, it relied not on membership dues but on corporate sponsorship.[15]

Scholarships

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In December 2003, the Press Club awarded its first Cape Town Press Club Award for investigative journalism, intended to sponsor in-depth reporting on a story of the recipient's choice. The first award, worth R20,000 and sponsored by Telkom, was given to John Yeld, an environment writer for the Cape Argus, for reporting on property developments in the Western Cape.[16]

After Press Club deputy chairperson Barry Streek died in 2006,[17] the Press Club established the Barry Streek Memorial Bursary, an annual award of R20,000 to a journalism student. Its endowment is funded by donations and by ticket revenues from the Barry Streek Memorial Lecture, which has been held annually since 2007 (see below).[18]

Leadership

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The Press Club Committee is elected annually. Its current co-chairpersons are Brent Meersman and Twanji Kalula.[19]

Notable events

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Barry Streek Memorial Lectures

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Controversies

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Membership policy

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On 4 May 2012, Tina Joemat-Pettersson, then the Minister of Agriculture, withdrew from a breakfast speaking engagement at the Press Club because opposition politician Pieter van Dalen, a member of the club, was present in the audience.[51][52] In the prologue to a series of mutual recriminations, her behaviour was criticised publicly by Yusuf Abramjee of the National Press Club, as well as by Cape Town Press Club chairperson Donwald Pressly.[52] In response, Joemat-Pettersson released a statement that concluded with the barb, "We now finally understand why the majority of black reporters in the city are not members of the press club."[53]

The governing African National Congress (ANC) defended Joemat-Petterson: party spokesman Jackson Mthembu argued that van Dalen's membership in the Press Club undermined its claim to being a professional and non-partisan organisation,[54] and Chief Whip Mathole Motshekga proposed that the club should review its membership criteria to ensure that politicians did not "infiltrate the ranks of a press body".[55] Pressly pointed out that the club's members included ANC politicians too.[15] Nonetheless, Motshekga's suggestion provoked debate among the commentariat about the membership policies of press clubs.[56][57][58] During a show at the Press Club the next month, Evita Bezuidenhout satirised Joemat-Pettersson's behaviour.[59]

Steve Hofmeyr

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In October 2016, the Press Club cancelled a scheduled event featuring Steve Hofmeyr, a musician noted for his far-right-wing political views.[60][61] The club was criticised both for scheduling the engagement[62] and for cancelling it.[63]

Parliament

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In November 2017, when asked by administrators of the South African Parliament to "alert" Press Club members to an upcoming parliamentary briefing, Pressly (then serving as the club's full-time secretary) sent a WhatsApp that read, "What is so important about ANC thugs wanting to advertise their press conference which is NOT our function".[64] Parliament issued a public statement which quoted the content of the message and condemned it as an "astonishingly vitriolic attack on the Presiding Officers of Parliament".[65] The Press Club distanced itself from Pressly's message,[64] and it later said that he had been "severely sanctioned".[66]

Racial composition

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In a front-page article in August 2018, the Cape Times reported that, at its recent annual general meeting, the Press Club had elected an "all-white, predominantly male" committee.[66] The newspaper quoted critical reactions from parliamentary spokesperson Moloto Mothapo, who Tweeted that the Press Club "has reverted to its old pre-1994 self", and from provincial ANC leaders: ANC provincial secretary Faiez Jacobs called on the Press Club to appoint a more demographically representative committee,[66] and ANC legislator Cameron Dugmore said that the development was "deeply disappointing" and that the Press Club "owe[d] everyone an explanation".[67] In response the Press Club explained that, due to a shortfall of candidates, everybody who had volunteered to serve on the committee had been appointed, and that it intended to co-opt additional black members if any volunteered.[66][68]

Later the same week, the Cape Times printed the resignation letter of Joylene van Wyk, a black journalist at Landbouweekblad who had served as the Press Club's co-chairperson until she failed to gain re-election at the 2018 general meeting. Van Wyk told the newspaper that she was resigning her membership because of the Press Club's elitism, saying, "It's got that elitist vibe, with black journalists sitting on the side, and the elite eating cake."[67] In later editions, the newspaper printed van Wyk's further allegations that the Press Club had been captured by commercial interests, particularly the newspaper the Cape Messenger.[69][70] The Press Club strongly denied her allegations,[71] and Ed Herbst suggested in an opinion piece that the Cape Times's reporting was part of a personal attack on Pressly by Iqbal Survé, Pressly's former employer, whose Sekunjalo vehicle owned the newspaper.[72]

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Gallery of Press Club events

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "History and list of speakers". Cape Town Press Club. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  2. ^ Lewis, Anthony (10 January 1977). "Carter's Agenda: Africa II". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  3. ^ Sanders, James (2012). South Africa and the International Media, 1972-1979. Routledge. p. 20. doi:10.4324/9780203045039. ISBN 978-1-136-32720-9.
  4. ^ "South Africa's New Era; The Lincoln Touch". The New York Times. 13 February 1990. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  5. ^ "Revealed: David Blunkett finds love again with a divorced GP who has two children". Evening Standard. 13 April 2012. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  6. ^ "Lennox calls on SA to fight gender-based violence". The Mail & Guardian. 2 May 2013. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  7. ^ a b South Africa: Official Yearbook of the Republic of South Africa. Department of Foreign Affairs. 1989. p. 688. ISBN 978-0-7970-1729-0.
  8. ^ Bhengu, Cebelihle (28 October 2022). "'I'll be going to Anglican heaven soon': Tributes pour in for veteran journalist Donwald Pressly". News24. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  9. ^ de Vente-Bijker, Tanya (December 2018). A media historiographical investigation: Examining three aspects of a press club's history over four decades (Master of Journalism thesis). Stellenbosch University. pp. 48–52. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  10. ^ Donaldson, Andrew (11 February 2015). "Evita journeys to suburban heartland and declares war". Sunday Times. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  11. ^ "Malema 'charms old money'". IOL. 13 September 2014. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  12. ^ Thamm, Marianne (11 September 2014). "Charm offensive: EFF commander-in-chief chats up old money". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  13. ^ Poplak, Richard (15 September 2014). "Sh*t the EFF will do: Charm your (white) grandma's pants off". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  14. ^ "Press club not neutral ground, says ANC". The Sowetan. 8 May 2012. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  15. ^ a b "Actually we do have ANC members, says CT press club". The Mail & Guardian. 8 May 2012. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  16. ^ "Cape Argus writer scoops Press Club award". IOL. 15 December 2003. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  17. ^ "Journalist Barry Streek passes away". The Mail & Guardian. 21 July 2006. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  18. ^ "Barry Streek Memorial Bursary". Cape Town Press Club. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  19. ^ "The committee". Cape Town Press Club. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  20. ^ Mohr, Charles (3 December 1972). "Dance in Dispute in South Africa". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  21. ^ Burns, John F. (24 May 1976). "South Africans Hoping for an Understanding With U.S". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  22. ^ Kissinger, Henry (22 May 2014). The Complete Memoirs. Simon & Schuster UK. ISBN 978-1-4711-3679-5.
  23. ^ Duodu, Cameron (1986). "Cape Times: Cape Town Ovation for Heard". Index on Censorship. 15 (1): 8–10. doi:10.1080/03064228608534008. ISSN 0306-4220.
  24. ^ Wren, Christopher S. (4 May 1990). "Mandela Ally Speaks of Broader Talks". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  25. ^ Gevisser, Mark (2022). Thabo Mbeki: The Dream Deferred. Jonathan Ball Publishers. ISBN 978-1-77619-199-4.
  26. ^ "Zille to run for DA leadership". The Mail & Guardian. 15 March 2007. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  27. ^ Gordin, Jeremy (22 November 2010). Zuma: A Biography. Jonathan Ball Publishers. ISBN 978-1-86842-371-2.
  28. ^ "Africa Check: No evidence to support ANC leader's claim that 98% of property owners in Cape Town are 'white' and 'Jewish'". Daily Maverick. 16 October 2013. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  29. ^ "ANC MP wants Fransman disciplined". IOL. 15 October 2013. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  30. ^ Bezuidenhout, Evita (10 February 2015). "Evita's 2014 Luthuli Houskeeping Report". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  31. ^ Bezuidenhout, Evita (4 March 2016). "Hi, my name is Evita and I'm a racist". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  32. ^ Uys, Pieter-Dirk (7 February 2017). "Evita's Luthuli Housekeeping Report of 2017: Let us again make South Africa great again". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  33. ^ "It's official: Steenhuisen announces he will contest DA leadership". The Citizen. 28 October 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  34. ^ Fabricius, Peter (18 April 2022). "Ukraine's ambassador urges SA to acknowledge the suffering of her people". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  35. ^ Felix, Jason. "Be careful of what Russia tells you - Ukrainian ambassador to South Africa". News24. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  36. ^ Nombembe, Philani (11 March 2022). "'Is this how Madiba would have reacted to Russia's aggression?' Ukrainian ambassador asks Ramaphosa". timeslive.co.za. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  37. ^ "South Africa's neutral stance on Ukraine war puts it on 'wrong side of history'". The Irish Times. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  38. ^ Quintal, Angela (7 August 2007). "Asmal cautions against judiciary battle". IOL. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  39. ^ "'I have had so much abuse poured on me'". IOL. 22 September 2009. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  40. ^ "Allister Sparks – Surviving the Media Crisis (Barry Streek Memorial Lecture)". Cape Town Press Club. 28 October 2010. Archived from the original on 22 October 2016. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  41. ^ "DA moves to attract more black voters". IOL. 2 October 2011. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  42. ^ Davis, Gaye (7 September 2012). "Workers, jobless the new divide – De Klerk". IOL. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  43. ^ "Tony Leon salutes Barry Streek". Cape Times. 8 August 2013. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  44. ^ "ANC attacks have left sections of SA media 'compromised': Maimane". Sunday Times. 5 June 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  45. ^ Mokone, Thabo (1 August 2018). "Mazibuko supports De Lille, says her love for the DA won't be everlasting". Sunday Times. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  46. ^ "Barry Streek Memorial Lecture 2019 by Pippa Green". Cape Town Press Club. 3 July 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  47. ^ Harber, Anton (15 July 2020). "Journalism plays a critical role in the scrutiny of public life". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  48. ^ Lister, Gwen (4 March 2022). "Saving journalism and engendering trust through activism". iSPEAK. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  49. ^ "Prof Jonathan Jansen on the Leadership Crisis in South African Universities". Cape Town Press Club. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  50. ^ "Barry Streek/Donwald Pressly Memorial Lecture delivered by Cheryl Carolus". Cape Town Press Club. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  51. ^ "Minister refuses to speak in DA's presence". News24. 4 May 2012. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  52. ^ a b "Joemat-Pettersson's conduct 'disrespectful'". IOL. 4 May 2012. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  53. ^ "Why I refused to address the Cape Town Press Club – Joemat-Pettersson". PoliticsWeb. 4 May 2012. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  54. ^ "ANC lashes out at press club 'alienation'". The Mail & Guardian. 8 May 2012. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  55. ^ "ANC lauds CT press club's membership discussion". The Mail & Guardian. 8 May 2012. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  56. ^ Pressly, Donwald (11 May 2012). "The home of critical, open debate". The Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  57. ^ Mangena, Isaac (8 May 2012). "Press clubs are no places for politicans [sic], period". Thought Leader. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  58. ^ Meersman, Brent (9 May 2012). "Press clubs are for public engagement, not political intolerance". Thought Leader. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  59. ^ Davis, Rebecca (1 June 2012). "Evita Bezuidenhout: Don't cry for me, Bapetikosweti". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  60. ^ "Steve Hofmeyr talk at CT Press Club cancelled". News24. 13 October 2016. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  61. ^ Lowman, Stuart (14 October 2016). "Pressly: Allowing 'the wrong' a platform to preach. Why we had to cancel Hofmeyr". BizNews.com. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  62. ^ "Axed by popular demand: Cape Town Press Club nixes Steve Hofmeyr talk". Business Day. 13 October 2016. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  63. ^ Silber, Gus (6 January 2017). "What's the good news? Fake news and acts of kindness". The Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  64. ^ a b Mzantsi, Siyavuya (17 November 2017). "Cape Town Press Club secretary mum on his suspension". Cape Times. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  65. ^ "Parliament registers concern about unprofessional vitriolic attack from Cape Town Press Club secretary". Parliament of South Africa. 15 November 2017. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  66. ^ a b c d Villette, Francesca (10 August 2018). "Press Club under fire". Cape Times. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  67. ^ a b Villette, Francesca (13 August 2018). "First black Press Club chairperson quits". Cape Times. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  68. ^ "A reply to the Cape Times – Cape Town Press Club". PoliticsWeb. 14 October 2018. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  69. ^ Villette, Francesca (31 August 2018). "Press Club's 'blatant bias, commercial plans' slated". Cape Times. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  70. ^ van Wyk, Joylene (1 September 2018). "What is the Cape Town Press Club up to?". Cape Times. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  71. ^ "Cape Town Press Club Once Again Has to Set the Record Straight". Cape Town Press Club. 31 August 2018. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  72. ^ Herbst, Ed (24 August 2018). "A fake news attack on the Cape Town Press Club". The Media Online. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
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