Collen Mashawana says he won’t stop fighting against 'Daily Maverick'

Businessman and philanthropist Dr. Collen Mashawana has vowed to escalate his legal battle against Daily Maverick to South Africa’s Apex court, after the Johannesburg High Court yesterday struck his urgent application off the roll.

Mashawana had approached the court seeking an interdict to stop Daily Maverick and two of its journalists from publishing further stories about him, alleging a sustained campaign of “false and defamatory reporting.”

The case was removed from the roll on 27 August 2025, with the judge reportedly finding that Mashawana had not demonstrated sufficient urgency. But speaking to The Star on Thursday, Mashawana said the ruling would not deter him.

“This is not the end - it’s the beginning. We are exploring every legal avenue, including the Constitutional Court,” he said.

“For them, I must be corrupt simply because I’m a successful Black businessman. Where has Pieter-Louis Myburgh ever investigated white corruption?”

His legal action stems from two Daily Maverick articles.

The first, an investigative piece titled Malaka’s Mansion published on 11 August 2025, alleged that Mashawana, via his foundation, made payments toward a R16 million luxury home reportedly being built for suspended Independent Development Trust (IDT) CEO Tebogo Malaka.

It also noted his companies had received a R60 million IDT contract under the Expanded Public Works Programme. Mashawana denies any involvement in financing the property, calling the claims “entirely false and misleading.”

The second article, published on 25 August 2025, contained a factual error stating that Mashawana had admitted in court papers that the payments to Malaka were “loans.” This was incorrect — Mashawana had, in fact, denied making any payments towards the house.

Daily Maverick Admits Mistake, Rejects Defamation Claim

Daily Maverick has admitted the error in the 25 August article but insists it was a genuine mistake that was corrected swiftly within 25 minutes and had limited impact.“This was an honest reporting error made under deadline pressure while working through voluminous legal documents,” the publication stated in court papers.

“The applicant’s attempt to exploit a short-lived, corrected mistake to secure an interdict is without merit.”

The article had reportedly received only 255 views and had not yet been shared on social media at the time of correction.

Journalists Rebecca Davis and Pieter-Louis Myburgh submitted affidavits confirming there was no malice involved and that the correction was made in good faith.

Daily Maverick maintains that its reporting on the IDT and Mashawana’s alleged ties to the Malaka mansion are matters of public interest, given his business dealings involving public funds.

“Mr Mashawana is a public figure with ties to state contracts. The public has a right to know how public money is used,” the affidavit read.

Mashawana: "I'm Still Waiting for the Facts"

Despite the publication’s explanation and swift correction, Mashawana argues the harm has already been done and that the articles are part of a broader pattern of biased coverage targeting Black entrepreneurs.

“At what point did I give money to Tebogo Malaka? I’m still waiting for the facts,” Mashawana said. “This isn’t just about me. It’s about protecting every Black professional who gets dragged without evidence.”

He now says his legal team is preparing to take the matter to the Constitutional Court, citing violations of his right to dignity and protection from defamation.

“We cannot allow media institutions to publish unverified allegations and hide behind press freedom when they’re wrong,” he added.