In a letter written to FW de Klerk on 17 August 1989 , then Naspers Managing Director Ton Vosloo reaffirmed the company 's support of the NP . Vosloo reminded De Klerk of a donation of R150 ,000 ( approximately R1-million today ) made to the NP before the 1987 elections . He also pledged a further R220 ,000 in support of the NP ahead of South Africa 's last race-based general elections in September 1989 . Vosloo ended his letter , promising funding to the NP in Transvaal by adding that “ our newspaper Beeld in the Transvaal is your ally and we trust that this formidable combination will wipe out the competition ” In 1997 the Truth and Reconciliation Commission requested that Naspers make a submission about the years between 1960 and 1994 ( thus broadly between the Sharpeville tragedy in March 1960 and the first democratic elections in April 1994 ) , and specifically the media 's role in this period . Naspers refused to comply , which led to 127 Naspers employees each making an individual submission to the TRC apologising for their role in the apartheid years . They said Naspers newspapers had formed an integral part of the power structure which implemented and maintained apartheid through , for instance , supporting the NP in elections and referendums
Sharpeville tragedy
Sharpeville massacre
Naspers