The many lives of Vusi Mona

The former editor of !_LT_EMCity Press!_LT_/EM has returned to journalism as editor-in-chief of Mafube Publishing, where he plans to put Enterprise “firmly on the map”. Mona resigned as editor of the paper in 2003, following an investigation ordered by Media24. It found Mona had failed to declare details of his 50 percent member’s interest in Zan Moss Technologies to his employer.

This constituted a conflict of interest. Instances of preferential treatment of the company’s clients in the paper could, however, not be found.

“I was making bad headlines. I thought it would be better to be out of media,” Mona explains his departure. He joined !_LT_EMCity Press!_LT_/EM as features editor in 1999. By 2000 Mona was the editor Ã¢Â€Â“ a “meteoric rise”, he calls it. Despite the controversy that followed, he believes his employers were right to entrust him with the editorship.

In the year of his resignation, Mona came under fire for publishing a report claiming Bulelani Ngcuka, the former director of public prosecutions, was an apartheid spy. Mona was also criticised for disclosing the details of Ngcuka’s off-the-record briefing with a group of newspaper editors.

The Hefer Commission of Enquiry subsequently found Ngcuka had “probably never” acted as an apartheid spy. Mona is not keen to talk about the episode: “I’ve moved on with my life. South Africa has moved on.” After his resignation, the former teacher “dabbled in public relations” and owned and managed a fuel station in Midrand.

He believes his knowledge of the challenges faced by an “SME (small and medium enterprise) person”, benefits him in his new position Ã¢Â€Â“ particularly as he oversees the content of business magazine !_LT_EMEnterprise!_LT_/EM. Mona does not want to speculate about why Mafube’s flagship publication has underperformed. He wants !_LT_EMEnterprise!_LT_/EM to be the “definitive source of business information; particularly for black business issues”.

Mona will be expected to put editorial quality control mechanisms in place for all Mafube’s publications and to increase circulation. He will continue to assist the Rhema church, of which he is a member, with its media relations.

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This profile first appeared in !_LT_EMThe Media!_LT_/EM magazine.

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