The South African National Editors' Forum (Sanef) has issued a warning regarding the publishing of claims that specific journalists supported the apartheid state's security establishment. Sanef notes that in light of the death of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, some journalists have been accused of being spies or rogue operators that tried to tarnish her name by publishing stories planted by the apartheid government.
While Sanef fully acknowledges the brutality of the apartheid regime and its misinformation campaigns, it has asked that concrete evidence be brought forward to substantiate these claims as the circulation of unsubstantiated rumours is irresponsible, dangerous, and extremely damaging to media freedom and the media environment as a whole.
