Sanef appoints Makhudu Sefara as new chairperson

Makhudu Sefara has been appointed as the new chairperson of Sanef. Source: Supplied.

Sefara is the editor of the Sunday Times and previously chaired Sanef’s Media Freedom sub-committee.

He replaces Nwabisa Makunga who relinquished the position following her promotion to an executive role at Arena.

Sefara thanked his predecessor for her leadership and challenged the organisation to follow in her footsteps in defending media freedom and
strengthening the industry that is facing strong economic headwinds.

“I take this opportunity seriously and note that it comes at a time when the industry is facing a myriad of challenges. Many newsrooms are asking the question of how they are going to turn the corner without losing faith and hoping for better solutions as they go through retrenchments and having critical positions frozen, which has an impact on the quality of the work and therefore an impact on the quality of the contribution journalism makes to our much-cherished democracy,” Sefara said.

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He thanked all newsroom leaders for continuing to do a sterling job of telling the South African story and “doing this not for themselves but for the country even with limited capacity”.

Slindile Khanyile, publishing editor of Umbele, an isiZulu financial publication, is the new chairperson of the Sanef Media Freedom sub-committee.

Sanef also congratulated Phathiswa Magopeni on her appointment as the new executive director of the Press Council of South Africa. Thivhudzi Lukoto, executive producer at SAFM: News and Current Affairs, is Sanef’s new representative at the PCSA.