Report implicating Russia in bid to influence elections ‘nothing more than clickbait’

The Embassy takes note of the article Did Putin's 'Chef' attempt to interfere in South African election? published by Daily Maverick on 7 May 2019.

Having gone through this piece, we must regretfully conclude that this is yet another poorly disguised attempt from certain South African media outlets and journalists to “cash in” on the election period public fever. One may call it sensationalism or even, using modern internet terms, clickbait, conveniently published just one day before the election itself, at the peak of public interest.

This article follows a well-known pattern of promoting an anti-Russian “fake news” narrative through what seems to be documentary evidence provided by organisations with pretentious titles and, again, seemingly reputable backgrounds. For an unprepared reader, such competently presented (but essentially baseless) allegations look convincing. At first glance.

Let us look at the facts.

These papers have no imprint or output data, there is no way to verify or identify them. In serious investigative journalism, which regretfully seems to have largely become a thing of the past, this “evidence” would not stand basic scrutiny. It is sad that in today’s reality, the temptation to go for a juicy albeit ultimately false headline outweighs both professional considerations and (lack of?) facts.

The entire Yevgeny Prigozhin rigmarole, “a tale of a businessman turned Russian George Soros”, makes for some good fiction and article headlines, but little less. Our US partners are still adamant in trying to persuade the world that a restaurateur could influence the election in the US, a major power, through social media posts. Let this lay on their consciousness, if they themselves consider their own democracy such a “house of cards”.