Exclusive Books CEO Benjamin Trisk has taken the State Security Agency to task for demanding veteran investigative journalist Jacques Pauw's new book The President's Keepers be removed from bookstores nationwide.
"Part of our task is to sell books that demonstrate and put forward different arguments about matters of importance to the South African public. "Benjamin trisk, EB CEO
The contents of the book is not hateful or harmful, Trisk told EWN, and he said that if the government has a problem, they should take the matter to court.
"I will censor a book that is blatantly racist, has hatred of Jews, hatred of black people or any other people. But a book like this, why should we refuse to sell it?" he asked.
"Why should we refuse to sell it?"
This comes after it emerged on Friday that the SSA had issued NB Publishers a cease-and-desist letter demanding that the book be withdrawn and parts of it be retracted. The SSA is also threatening criminal charges.
"Part of our task is to sell books that demonstrate and put forward different arguments about matters of importance to the South African public," Trisk added.
Reports that Exclusive Books has agreed to withdraw its copies of The President's Keepers are untrue, Trisk confirmed. The book seller stands firmly behind Pauw.
Police Minister Fikile Mbalula has come out in support of the SSA, saying that journalists can't undermine the authority of the state.