Soundbite by Toby Chance MP.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) notes the independent investigation launched by Arena Holdings into the deeply troubling Lottery fund fraud scandal relating to Sunday Times editor Makhudu Sefara, revealed by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) today.
Whilst a step in the right direction, the investigation must be thorough and done transparently to keep the public informed. This must be done to in a bid to redeem public confidence in media freedom and integrity.In the interim, Sefara must step down from his duties as chairperson of the SA National Editors Forum (SANEF).
Facing similar matters of misusing Lottery Fund monies, the Chairperson of Jozi FM recently resigned in disgrace.
The SIU has recovered R1.5 million in misappropriated National Lotteries Commission (NLC) funds from Todi Media NPC, which received a grant in 2018 for a media project. Of this, R550 000 was instead diverted to Unscripted Communication, a company directed by Sefara, with the funds remaining unaccounted for.
The SIU is also in the process of referring aspects of the matter to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
Further concerns relate to Sefara’s tenure as editor of the Sunday World, which received R24.7 million in NLC funding between 2020 and 2022 at a time when the entity was plagued by corruption and mismanagement. This funding is under investigation amid allegations it was used to secure favourable coverage and counter reporting on corruption within the NLC. If true, this strikes at the heart of press freedom and journalistic integrity.
Public trust in the media requires the highest ethical standards. The editor of the Sunday Times and the Chairperson of the SANEF are both pivotal roles in the South African press landscape.
The DA maintains that the seriousness of these allegations warrants urgent and transparent scrutiny, stressing that public confidence in the media depends on accountability and adherence to the highest ethical standards.
The independent investigation launched by Arena Holdings must be done with absolute transparency, so that all of the findings are publicly disclosed for the integrity of the free press.