Apology to Lakela Kaunda for breaches of Press Code

In relation to an article published in The Citizen on April 1 2019, headlined Zuma loyalist Lakela Kaunda ‘unlikely to become unemployed’, a number of journalistic shortfalls resulted in an adverse finding against this publication from the Press Ombudsman after Ms Kaunda lodged a complaint.

The Citizen has been directed to make amends, and herewith apologises to Ms Kaunda and retracts the statement that she was a “fixer” who “arranged meetings between cabinet ministers and the Guptas. Minister Pravin Gordhan did not say this before the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture, neither did Ms Mentor.

We also apologise to Ms Kaunda and our readers for not including in the article the fact that she had denied Ms Vytjie Mentor’s evidence before the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture that Ms Kaunda had phoned Ms Mentor. It was also not reported that Ms Kaunda had been allowed to cross-examined Ms Mentor on this. Ms Kaunda had produced her cell-phone records in support of her position, which was not reported.

We further apologise to Ms Kaunda for not giving her the right of reply on allegations about her reported in Vusi Mavimbela’s book, in so far as The Citizen reported them.

Finally, we apologise to our readers for misleading them in creating an impression that former president Kgalema Motlanthe had criticised Ms Kaunda in an interview with another newspaper, when in fact this was not the case.

Visit presscouncil.org.za for the full finding.

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