SANEF appoints independent auditor to probe Bosasa claims
The South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) will appoint an independent auditor to investigations allegations that the so-called SABC8 journalists received a donation of R100 000 from Bosasa.
The SABC 8 were suspended in 2016 for speaking out against censorship at the public broadcaster.
Sanef’s Mary Papayya said the auditors firm will conduct a full review of the crowdfunding campaign, which was set up to assist the eight with their living expenses while they were suspended from the SABC.
"As such we have now called upon an independent auditing firm, the name will be released in due course, we are still finalising the paperwork.
"The firm will conduct a full introspection of the account for purpose of transparency and we will publish the findings in full when completed.”
Papayya add that Sanef's own investigation found no evidence that any money was received.
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"The emergence of an alleged email, purportedly from within Bosasa, suggesting that they may have contributed to the SABC 8 has caused some members of the public to question the ethical commitments of Sanef.
"We want to state categorically that we never solicited funds from Bosasa."
Former Bosasa executive Angelo Agrizzi also told the state capture commission on Wednesday told the commission that three journalists were bribed to provide the company with information
Papayya says the organisation is concerned about the revelations made by Agrizzi.
"Brown envelope journalism and any action that undermines the role of journalists, that undermines our ethics must not be welcomed, it must be condemned.
"Everything possible must be done to make sure that reinstitute the public's trust in the media."