Minister McPherson and Daily Maverick Must Stop the Targeted Attacks on IDT CEO Tebogo Malaka

By Michael Andisile Mayalo

It is becoming disturbingly clear that black excellence continues to be seen as a threat in certain quarters of South Africa’s political and media spaces. The ongoing, unjustified attacks on Independent Development Trust (IDT) CEO Tebogo Malaka are a glaring example of this shameful reality.

The latest offensive, led by Minister Dean Macpherson and shamefully echoed by the Daily Maverick, is not just an attack on Malaka as an individual—it is an attack on all black professionals who dare to rise, lead, and succeed in this country. These coordinated attempts to smear her reputation through a frivolous “lifestyle audit,” while harassing her family and questioning her personal financial affairs, are nothing short of racist, sexist, and dangerously reckless.

Let’s be honest: this has nothing to do with accountability. If it were truly about transparency and ethical governance, it would follow a formal process and be conducted with discretion and integrity. Instead, what we are seeing is a politically motivated witch-hunt playing out in the public arena, fuelled by prejudice and the toxic belief that a successful black woman must have something to hide.

Minister McPherson’s conduct has been especially appalling. Rather than exercising the dignity of his office and dealing with issues professionally, he has opted for grandstanding—using media platforms to throw wild allegations into the public space, with no regard for the harm he is causing. His public statements not only mislead the public, but they also recklessly drag Malaka’s personal and family life into the spotlight.

The minister is not just targeting Malaka—he is targeting her family. This includes making invasive inquiries into how they purchase property and vehicles, as though success and wealth are crimes when in black hands. What business is it of the state how Malaka’s family members live, or what assets they lawfully acquire? This is harassment, pure and simple. And it reeks of desperation.

We must ask: would a white male executive be subjected to this same treatment? Would the personal finances of his family members be dragged into a public spectacle simply because he holds a senior position? The answer is clear. This is not about governance. This is about the deep discomfort certain people feel when black professionals occupy spaces they were never “meant” to reach.

The  Daily Maverick has not helped. Once regarded as a publication of record, its recent reporting on this matter has devolved into thinly veiled tabloidism. Instead of interrogating the facts with journalistic rigour, it has amplified Minister McPherson’s narrative, portraying Malaka as guilty without evidence, and failing to interrogate the real motive behind these attacks.

The role of media in a democratic society is to question power—not to be used as a megaphone for it. By allowing itself to be weaponized in this vendetta, the Daily Maverick has lost credibility and betrayed the principles of balanced reporting.

What is perhaps most disturbing is the broader message this campaign sends: that if you are black, successful, and unafraid, you will be punished. If you come from humble beginnings and rise to executive leadership, there will be efforts to drag you back down. If you are a black woman with power, your legitimacy will be questioned, your family harassed, and your every move scrutinised.

This is how systemic racism operates in plain sight. It cloaks itself in bureaucratic language—“lifestyle audits,” “due diligence,” “public interest”—but at its core, it is about control. It is about reminding black professionals that they do not belong. That their success must always be explained away, investigated, and undermined.We cannot allow this to continue. We cannot stand by while Minister McPherson uses his position to bully and discredit black executives. And we cannot allow respected media institutions to be complicit in character assassinations under the guise of reporting.

Tebogo Malaka is a competent, capable, and qualified leader. She has risen to the position of CEO because of her hard work, not because of political favors. Her track record speaks for itself. And until there is clear, evidence-based wrongdoing—not rumour, not innuendo—she deserves to be treated with the same respect and dignity afforded to any other professional.

Enough is enough. These attacks are not just about Malaka—they are about every black executive who has been made to feel like a visitor in their own boardroom. They are about every professional who has had to work twice as hard for half the recognition, only to be told they still don’t belong.

We must defend black excellence. We must protect those who are targeted for daring to lead. And we must hold to account those who abuse their power—whether they sit in political office or behind a journalist’s desk.

Minister McPherson and the Daily Maverick must be called out and condemned. Their actions are not about transparency. They are about control, intimidation, and exclusion.

* Michael Mayalo is an independent writer, analyst, and commentator.

** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL or Independent Media.