Top investigative journalist leaves no stone unturned while investigating claim by Castle Lite

With the same dogged determination to uncover the truth that characterised his investigations in the mining industry and current affairs, Ilan Godfrey has been checking the claim made by the Castle Lite marketing team that their draught beer is abandoned less often than any other in the market, simply because it’s served extra cold. This week, Godfrey expanded his exhaustive photographic investigation into abandoned beers to the Northern Suburbs of Johannesburg, seeking to establish which were being abandoned and documenting how many were Castle Lite Draught. “It’s tiring work,” the fearless investigative reporter told us.

“It involves being constantly available late at night to track down any leads, wherever they may be.” Late last Saturday night, he received a tip-off that there were five draughts abandoned half-finished in a bar in outer Rivonia. “I drove there immediately, because the evidence needs to be left uncontaminated if I am going to conduct a proper examination of it.” On arriving there, he thankfully found that the draughts were unhindered. “I set up my camera quickly, because I need provable evidence to add to my database.

This kind of investigation needs hard evidence; nothing else will do.” Shooting in the low light of late-night venues is a technical challenge for this investigative journalist. “You need to use a tripod because you are shooting in sub-optimal lighting conditions, and the choice of the ISO is crucial. You are racing against time because the bar staff could arrive at any second to clear the scene.

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When this happens, I need to abandon the scene and move to another. I have on several occasions been forced to leave my home halfway through an episode of Bridgerton, a show I really enjoy. I’ve also once had to abandon a delicious home-made sandwich with my favourite cold meat.

But it is this kind of extreme sacrifice that needs to be made if one is to uncover the truth.” The toll that investigations like this take is considerable. Godfrey confesses, “Frequently I have had to stay up well after 9pm. Normally, I prefer to be in bed before that time.” On another occasion, Godfrey arrived seconds too late to document the identity of an abandoned draught beer in an East Rand sports bar.

“Sports bars can be the trickiest environment to investigate. They get so busy during a big game that one needs eagle eyes to track which beers are being abandoned.” The news hound has also braved real physical danger while conducting this investigation. “One time in a nightclub, someone spilled some of their drink over my left shoe. The shoe was suede, and there are now slight marks on it.’’ Missed episodes of Bridgerton, being unable to finish a sandwich, and a slightly stained shoe – these are the kind of sacrifices that Godfrey is braving to bring us the truth about the claim that Castle Lite Draught draughts are abandoned less often than other draught beers.

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