Max du Preez

Max du Preez (born 3 March 1951) is a South African author, columnist and documentary filmmaker and was the founding editor of Vrye Weekblad.

Max du Preez is a writer, columnist and documentary filmmaker. He founded the Vrye Weekblad, an Afrikaans-language weekly and the first anti-apartheid newspaper. He won the Nat Nakasa Award for fearless reporting in 2008. Between 1982-1988, Du Preez was the Political Correspondent for various publications including Beeld, Financial Mail, Sunday Times and Business Day. He currently works independently.

Du Preez founded the Vrye Weekblad, an Afrikaans-language weekly newspaper, in November 1988. During his tenure as editor-in-chief, the newspaper's offices were bombed and Du Preez received death threats as a result of the paper's opposition to apartheid.

He was sentenced to six months in jail for quoting Joe Slovo, the then leader of the South African Communist Party and a banned person.

The Vrye Weekblad broke the news of the Vlakplaas Death Squads and the role of its commander, Dirk Coetzee.

In 1999, Du Preez was dismissed by the SABC from his position as the executive editor of Special Assignment, an investigative television show, after he objected when a documentary was barred from being shown. Though initially it was simply stated that his contract would not be renewed, the SABC later said he had been dismissed for gross insubordination.

The decision led to a public campaign to call for his reinstatement and the handling by the SABC led to complaints to the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa. The incident was seen as symptomatic of a public broadcaster voluntarily transforming itself into a state propaganda apparatus.

...
Wikipedia