The South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) strongly condemns the decision by Sekunjalo Investments to lay criminal charges against the Sunday Times, its editor and journalist Bobby Jordan.
The South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) strongly condemns the decision by Sekunjalo Investments to lay criminal charges against the Sunday Times, its editor and journalist Bobby Jordan.
This comes after Jordan wrote a story reporting on the Public Protector’s provisional report involving a tender in the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
In a statement released yesterday, Sanef said the report reflects negatively on Sekunjalo.
Sekunjalo Investments is an associate company of Sekunjalo Holdings, a private company leading the consortium that recently bought Independent Newspapers.
Sanef urged Sekunjalo and its executive chairperson, Dr Iqbal Survé, to reconsider its decision to lay charges.
The forum said this could send the wrong message to Independent Group journalists who are just doing their jobs.
"Sekunjalo has other complaint mechanisms available to them, including lodging a complaint… with the Press Ombudsman," the statement read.
"Criminalising leaks must never be tolerated in an open, democratic society," Sanef said, "especially when whistle-blowing is the only or alternative way of exposing maladministration and corruption."
