This only began to change after 1985, when then editor Piet Cillié, a staunch supporter of the government under B. J. Vorster and P. W. Botha, retired. In 1990, the National Party was officially informed by editor Ebbe Dommisse that it no longer served as a political mouthpiece.
This shift only began after 1985, when Piet Cillié's departure as editor marked a turning point, having been a strong ally of the government under Vorster and Botha. Two years later, in 1990, Ebbe Dommisse informed the National Party that it was no longer being used to promote political agendas.