US EditionSunday Times editor put on special leave after SIU uncovers lottery foul play
Arena Holdings placed Sefara on special leave and named an acting editor after the SIU linked his company to R550,000 in diverted grant funds.
- On Tuesday, Sunday Times editor and South African National Editors Forum chairperson Makhudu Sefara was placed on 'special leave' by Arena Holdings after the Special Investigating Unit linked his company to a lottery-funded project probe.
- The SIU alleges R550,000 of a R1.5-million grant was 'misappropriated' by Todi Media Development Foundation, with funds allegedly flowing to Unscripted Communication, a company directed by Sefara between November and December 2018.
- Denying wrongdoing, Sefara claimed the funds supported a legitimate training workshop for 50 journalists at the Birchwood Hotel, accusing the SIU of 'grandstanding' and using his name to 'generate undue publicity.'
- Arena Holdings is appointing an independent investigator to conduct a 'comprehensive review of all relevant facts,' while Deputy Editor Mike Siluma has assumed the role of acting editor with immediate effect.
- The SIU probe also involves a separate R1.7-million grant paid to Zibsiflo for 'the facilitation of women's soccer clinics,' where directors repaid funds after admitting to 'regrettable mistakes and missteps.
11 Articles
11 Articles
Sunday Times editor Makhudu Sefara linked to misused public funds as SIU recovers R3.2 million
Th editor of the Sunday Times, Makhudu Sefara has been placed on special leave after the SIU revealed that a company of which he was the sole director was linked to misappropriated public funds from the National Lotteries Commission.
Sunday Times editor put on special leave after SIU uncovers lottery foul play
Sunday Times editor and SANEF chairperson Makhudu Sefara has denied wrongdoing after being named in an SIU lottery probe over R550 000 in “diverted” grant money that flowed to his company, Unscripted Communication, in 2018.
SANEF chair Makhudu Sefara steps aside over lottery fund allegations
The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) says its chairperson, Makhudu Sefara, has stepped aside following allegations linked to the alleged misappropriation of lottery funds. In a statement issued on 28 April 2026, SANEF confirmed that its management committee held an urgent meeting where Sefara agreed to step aside while the matter is investigated. The move follows an earlier statement by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), which ra…
Sunday Times Editor Placed On “Special Leave” Following SIU Investigation
[Image: Makhudu Sefara / Facebook] The editor of the Sunday Times and chair of the SA National Editors’ Forum (SANEF), Makhudu Sefara, has been placed on “special leave” after his name surfaced in a lottery-funded project now under investigation by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU). According to the SIU, Sefara’s company, Unscripted Communication, received four payments totalling R550 000 from Todi Media Foundation between November and Decemb…
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