By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) condemned misrepresentation of facts in the South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) statement that its former chairperson Makhudu Sefara was cleared in connection with misused National Lotteries Commission (NLC) funds.
On 28 April 2026, SIU revealed that a company directed by Sefara was linked to a lottery-funded project under its investigation.
According to the SIU, it had recovered R1.5-million that was “misappropriated” by a company called the Todi Media Development Foundation – one of two cases that the SIU said highlighted a “coordinated scheme in which public funds meant for community upliftment were diverted into private pockets and toward property purchases.”
The unit said the R1.5-million grant from NLC to Todi Media in 2018 was intended for a media project that “included covering journalists’ accommodation, car hire, catering, equipment rental, guest speakers, marketing, security, etc”.
However, SIU found the money was instead diverted to two companies: Unscripted Communication and Black Dungaree. Sefara is the sole director of Unscripted Communication, which received R550,000.
Black Dungaree received R900,000, which the SIU said was used to purchase a property. (Sefara is not linked to this Black Dungaree.)
Sefara has denied wrongdoing, saying the funds were used for a community media training event held at Birchwood Hotel, Boksburg, in December 2018.
He said he was approached by the head of Todi Media to organise a community media event in 2018, while he was operating Unscripted Communication and “not attached to any other institution, private or public”.
Following the SIU’s findings, Arena Holdings has placed Sefara on special leave pending conclusion of an independent investigative process into the matter.
The findings of this process, the company said, would guide its decisions going forward.
Sanef also announced that Sefara had stepped down pending an investigation at an urgent management committee (Mancom) meeting and it has appointed an independent legal firm to probe the allegations.
Which has since cleared Sefara of any wrongdoing.
SANEF had stated Sefara was cleared of wrongdoing and did not breach its code of conduct. The SIU calls that “disingenuous”, saying there was never an investigation against the news editor.
It said that Sefara will not return as chairperson nor stand for re-election at this weekend’s AGM.
SANEF is scheduled to hold its elective annual general meeting on Saturday, 4 July 2026, during which new leadership will be elected.
SANEF said the findings were supported by correspondence from acting SIU head Leonard Lekgetho, who wrote to Sefara’s lawyers on 21 May 2026 confirming that neither Sefara nor his company, Unscripted Communication, had been subjects of the SIU investigation.
According to the SIU, the SANEF’s statement created an impression that Sefara has been cleared as a beneficiary of the funds. The SIU said this was not reflected in its correspondence with his lawyers.
It said SANEF’s statement ignored these distinctions, misled the public about the SIU’s position and undermined the integrity of its investigation.
The SIU reiterated its commitment to recovering misused state funds and protecting the public interest.
Sefara, the editor of the Sunday Times and former chairperson of Sanef, positions he has held since 2024 and February 2025 respectively. He edited Sunday World in 2019 and 2020. Before that, Sefara was editor of The Star and Sunday Independent.