Daily Maverick investigative journalist Pieter-Louis Myburgh reported he was allegedly offered a bribe to quash an investigation into the Independent Development Trust, an organisation with a budget of billions of rands of government money.
The SA National Editors Forum (SANEF) released a media statement to condemn an alleged attempt to bribe Myburgh by suspended Independent Development Trust (IDT) CEO Tebogo Malaka and her spokesperson Phasha Makgolane.
The forum was shocked by Malaka who was prepared to pay R60 000 upfront for Myburgh to cease his investigation into an IDT contract and one of Malaka’s upmarket properties.
It is reported that Makgolane suggested to Myburgh that he could put forward his preferred suppliers for lucrative contracts and arrange a cut for himself.
“The lengths to which a public official went to cover up their wrongdoing were staggering.
“The apparent comfort and ease with which Makgolane arranged the meetings with Myburgh to brazenly discuss a bribe – a criminal act – suggests perhaps that this was not the first time this was done,” it said.
SANEF said any attempt to bribe any journalist is a threat to the credibility of the news media in the country.
“This is a grave threat to the credibility of the news media in South Africa and cannot be tolerated. SANEF takes strong exception to any attempt to bribe journalists or cause them to halt their work.
“SANEF urges members of the public, as well as officials, who have knowledge or evidence of attempts or bribery incidents involving journalists, to come forward and report it by opening a case with the SAPS and reporting it to SANEF as well.”
Malaka is still suspended by the IDT board as the CEO, following damning findings of an independent investigation into tender fraud pertaining to an R800 million oxygen plant programme for around 55 hospitals.
It was first reported by Daily Maverick that “a ghost company” obtained the oxygen tender in October last year.
