Sunday Independent editor defends paper's probe into Jacques Pauw's sources
Johannesburg – Sunday Independent editor Steve Motale has defended a planned story to reveal details about alleged high-profile sources that investigative reporter Jacques Pauw apparently used in his book The President’s Keepers.
Emails from the publication to those alleged sources - which include former finance minister Pravin Gordhan, former intelligence head, Moe Shaik and former SARS officials Ivan Pillay and Johann van Loggerenberg - detail questions around their relationship with Pauw, and what information they apparently gave him.
"Listen here, those questions were sent to specific people. They were not meant for you. That is my comment," Motale told News24 in a telephonic interview on Friday morning.
He refused to answer questions on whether revealing sources would backfire on him and what he would do if he was forced to reveal his own sources.
He persistently said: "I am doing my job."