If you’ve been paying attention over the past few years, you’ll be aware of how Independent Media owner Iqbal Survé has destroyed the integrity of many of his journalists by making them write puff pieces about how, like, super-amazing he is. A while ago, he ran out of real journalists who were willing to compromise their ethics and tell his lies for him. He resorted to using two made-up journalists, as detailed in an investigation by Daily Maverick. This is hugely unethical and a crime against journalism.
But at least the ragged puppet masters over at Independent Media pretended that their made-up Survé puppets, Jamie Roz and Edmond Phiri, were journalists. When News24 suggested that Phiri was “a ‘fictitious opinion writer’ curated by Survé to polish his image”, Phiri wrote: “This is an outright lie, and they back it up with no credible evidence. The claim by News24 is an attempt to reduce my opinion pieces to some PR-controlled efforts.”
Well, yes. And it’s not just a claim, it’s a truth. Roz, another alleged writer, was described by Daily Maverick as “most likely a pseudonym, possibly for one of the writers at falcons.org [Survé’s hilarious parody of an “investigative” unit] or Dr Iqbal Survé himself”. I’ve written about this before for the FM; in fact, that might be one of the stories Survé is suing me for. I think I’m on the third one now. These are SLAPP actions — strategic lawsuits against public participation — which try to bully journalists into going away. And yet, here we are.
But now Survé appears to have stopped bothering to pretend that his propaganda is written by journalists. Credibility doesn’t seem to matter to him, even as a token gesture. Two recent stories on IOL, the news platform that brought you the 10 Imaginary Babies of Thembisa, are such bootlicking nonsense that you almost believe they’ve been written as satire by an enemy of Survé’s. But no. They’re the usual crass hagiographies, characterised by an utter lack of shame.
One is headlined “Davos Power Lunch 2025: The Power Gathering That Moves the World”. It’s one of the many stories that try to portray Survé as an influential player on the world stage. Or, as one of his headlines put it a few weeks ago, “Dr Iqbal Survé: South Africa’s Visionary Billionaire and Global Leader at the World Economic Forum [WEF]”. If you search, you’ll see these “I am the god of Davos” stories popping up every year at the same time, all with the same themes.
Here are some choice bits from the power lunch story, and I’m afraid I’m going to have to quote at some length to give you the full flavour of its sickening sycophancy. This is not journalism. It’s a press release of a deluded, would-be “corporate titan” who is actually a posturing popinjay.
“Davos is not merely an event; it is an altar of power, where the world’s true presidents, ministers, billionaires and corporate titans converge to carve out the future of economies and nations. More than 3,000 delegates descend upon this Swiss stronghold, yet mere attendance is meaningless. Influence is not measured by credentials but by access, by the silent nods exchanged in the corridors of the Congress Centre, where only 500 of the chosen few are permitted entry. This is where the 0.1% of global decisionmakers shape the future.”
Oh dear. I can imagine Survé frantically nodding away at the poor saps he happens to encounter while wandering around the “exclusive” Congress Centre trying to find friends.
To be invited is to be confirmed as part of the global order, to be among the handful who do not just react to world events but shape them
— IOL report
But it gets worse. “There is one lunch, an event so exclusive it is barely spoken about even in the highest circles. To be invited is to be confirmed as part of the global order, to be among the handful who do not just react to world events but shape them. The names that filled the seats at this table were those who command entire industries, whose nods dictate market shifts.”
There is one lunch! An event so exclusive it is barely spoken about even in the highest circles! But not so exclusive that we can’t read about it on IOL, apparently. And what’s with this obsession with nodding? Can’t these people text each other like the rest of us?
“This was not a casual luncheon; it was a statement of belonging, a declaration of who truly directs global affairs. It was an unspoken understanding that decisions made here would filter into the financial arteries of the world, defining policies, investments and international relations long before they become public knowledge.”
My word. I wonder if the other people at the lunch knew they were in the presence of a god. Well, not just a god. A god and his son. Yes, Survé took his son along to this lunch. Now that really screams exclusive.
“Yet, what many fail to realise is that among these global kingmakers sat a South African father and son: Rayhaan Survé and Dr Iqbal Survé … This was not a symbolic presence. Their attendance was a tectonic shift — subtle to the untrained eye, but seismic for those who grasp the undercurrents of influence. South Africa’s official delegation did not occupy this space. Cyril Ramaphosa was absent. The state’s representatives engaged in the outer layers of Davos, but when it came to the ultimate seat of power, it was Dr Survé and his son Rayhaan who had secured their place.”
So we are to believe that Survé is now in charge of our country? Oh, and his son Rayhaan of course. That must make the Chinese owners of Independent Media very happy. Though I doubt they’re stupid enough to be convinced of that by a few puff pieces written by shills.
“For those who understand power, the optics were staggering. The official South African delegation, bound by protocol and political correctness, remained on the periphery, while a South African billionaire and his son occupied a seat at the most consequential table in Davos. This was not just an invitation — it was a recalibration of South Africa’s representation in global affairs. It was a statement that true power does not require political office. It is about being present where decisions are made, where the world’s future is whispered into existence.”
Where the world’s future is whispered into existence! How terribly exciting! But the picture of a gurning, incessantly nodding Survé, whispering Gollum-like, “My babies, my 10 precious babies, where are my 10 babies?” does, I admit, produce “staggering optics”.
“Eighteen years of active participation in the WEF have positioned Dr Survé as a figure of extraordinary influence and credibility.”
Unlike the cases of Jamie Roz and Edmond Phiri, though, Nonhlanhla Shezi, the person who wrote this excruciating drivel, appears to be real. On IOL, she is described as “an independent writer, analyst and commentator”. Why do they even bother to lie like this? A cursory search reveals that she is an employee of Survé’s at Sekunjalo. Here are her credentials, according to her LinkedIn profile: “Accomplished Events Manager with a proven track record of orchestrating and executing successful events in the vibrant realms of hospitality and corporate settings … I am committed to transforming visions into extraordinary realities.”
This is now the sort of proxy-propagandist Survé is reduced to. An events manager “adept at managing multifaceted logistics [and] fostering key vendor relationships”. These are worthy traits for someone putting together an event, but hardly the qualities one wants in “an independent writer, analyst and commentator”. Either Survé has no idea what the word “independent” means, or his non-existent subeditors just forgot to capitalise Independent.
Though the bit about “transforming visions into extraordinary realities” is probably appropriate, given that the job of IOL writers nowadays seems to be to try to make us believe that Survé’s self-delusions are anchored in some sort of reality.
Why does Survé commission this Davos propaganda? That’s answered in another story. “Eighteen years of active participation in the WEF have positioned Dr Survé as a figure of extraordinary influence and credibility.” He’s using it to try to craft a narrative of himself as someone who matters, rather than someone who has run a once proud media company into the ground.
We care about this because it’s an example of how bad actors use media to craft narratives that are counter to reality. The fact that Survé does it so, so ineptly shouldn’t fool us into thinking that his attempts at manipulating our reality have no effect. Every lie introduced into the world damages the integrity of the information ecosystem, and is ultimately helping those invested in making us think that there are no truths left. We’ve seen this happen in the rest of the world, and it’s sickening to see it happen here. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want Survé’s 10 Imaginary Babies to have to grow up in a world where disinformation is running wild, and where facts are just currency for corrupt business leaders and politicians.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.