SANEF dismisses SABC8 Bosasa allegations

The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) has hit back against claims that Bosasa donated to the SABC8.

The SABC8 refers to past and present emp0loyees of the SABC such as Suna Venter, Foeta Krige, Krivani Pillay, Thandeka Gqubule, Busisiwe Ntuli, Lukhanyo Calata, Vuyo Mvoko, and Jacques Steenkamp who had an employment dispute with the public broadcaster after they had defied their then COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng’s instruction to not show violent service delivery protests on any of the platforms of the public broadcaster.

A recent Times Live report claimed that a senior Bosasa official instructed his colleagues to donate R100,000 to the crowdfunding effort to help the group of journalists in 2016.

BOSASA DID NOT DONATE TO SABC8

In response to an allegation published by TimesLive that Bosasa "appears" to have donated R100 000 to a crowdfunding campaign for the SABC8 journalists, SANEF would like to clarify the following:

— SANEF (@SAEditorsForum) January 23, 2019

The publication further claimed to have seen a leaked email in which the donation is described as “the best return on investment ever” but added they were not able to trace the funds back to Bosasa despite consulting to sources close to the story.

Only one donation of over R100 000 was made and that was not from Bosasa or a person connected to the company.

Sanef has asked TimesLive for proof of the alleged payment.

— SANEF (@SAEditorsForum) January 23, 2019

The SABC8 have collectively denied these claims, stating: “We do not know who the donors were in the crowdfunding initiative, some identified themselves and some remained anonymous.”

They went on to add that “it is interesting to note that the same Bosasa that apparently funded us is the same one that paid the legal costs for Hlaudi Motsoeneng, against whom we fought to save a public asset from further capture”.

“We remain steadfast and committed and we will not be swayed by the purveyors of fake news and lies,” concluded the SABC8.

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