Text of the letter from SANEF to Mr Cedric Frolick, Chairman Parliamentary,Ad Hoc Committee Dealing with Nkandla Issue, July 21 2015
Dear Sir
The SA National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) has been advised that your committee has refused access to the media when the committee carries out its planned visit to the residence of the State President at Nkandla this week. Sanef has been told that the committee claims that it does not have the "legal authority to allow the media to enter the President’s private residence". However, it is also apparent that the committee and its chairman have not taken any action to facilitate access of the media to the residence during the committee’s visit.
The media represented by Sanef are deeply shocked at the refusal and what appears to be the total lack of action by the committee to overcome the perceived obstacles to it facilitating access to the media on this occasion.
Sanef believes strongly that the committee has a duty to ensure that the media gains access to the residence to enable it observe all the committee’s activities and any formal or informal and impromptu discussions conducted by the committee and its members during the visit.
Sanef draws the attention of the committee to the following Constitutional provisions, obligations and demands which bolster its view that the committee has a duty to exercise its utmost efforts to enable the media to be present: