Editor’s forum asks for evidence after claims about reporters colluding with apartheid state
The South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) has urged the public to exercise caution when dealing with allegations that journalists colluded with the apartheid government. "Sanef fully acknowledges the brutality of the apartheid regime and its misinformation campaigns. Given this context of lies and propaganda‚ we believe it is critical that concrete evidence is brought forward to substantiate claims that specific journalists supported the apartheid state’s security establishment‚" the forum said in a statement. "In the absence of any such evidence‚ the circulation of unsubstantiated rumours is irresponsible‚ dangerous and extremely damaging to media freedom and the media environment as a whole. Further‚ we believe it puts journalists at serious risk of physical harm and having their credibility unnecessarily questioned." The allegations emerged in a documentary on the life of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela‚ which contained claims that 40 journalists had collaborated with apartheid...
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