The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) would like to invite journalists struggling as a result of the Covid crisis to apply for the third round of the Media Relief Fund. We encourage all freelancers, contract journalists, reporters, photographers and production staff in multimedia, print and broadcast who have lost their jobs and income to submit their applications with all relevant and supporting documentation.
This third round is open to those who also received funding in the first and second round but still find themselves jobless.
Please see a link to the application form here
Working in conjunction with the Social Justice Initiative (SJI), we wish to report that in our first and 2nd rounds we received 700 applications and approved 249 journalists for payments. Journalists received a small donation of R5000 each to purchase necessities like food, clothing and airtime. So far SANEF has paid a total of R1,245,000.
SANEF is calling on everyone to spread the word, especially to journalists who lost their jobs in the hard-hit community media sector including print and broadcasting.
SANEF wants to warmly thank all those who donated including its corporates, donors and individual partners. Collectively we have raised a total of R4 870 067. We received our first donation to kick-start the fund from MTN South Africa. This was followed by funds from FNB Accounts (First Rand), Yellowwoods NPC, Allan Gray (Pty) Ltd, Arch Thabo Makgoba Development Trust, OSF – SA, Standard Bank, and Old Mutual. We have also received donations from concerned individuals, including several journalists and ex-journalists who have been very worried about the plight of their colleagues.
Further, we would like to thank our team of industry stalwarts who have made up our independent panel of adjudicators – including Mathatha Tsedu, Joe Thloloe, Wandile Fana and Melody Emmett as well as Anlo Financial Services. The panel has played a critical role in adjudicating all applications.
Please note the deadline is 8 January 2021.
Note to Editors: The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) is a non-profit organisation whose members are editors, senior journalists and journalism trainers from all areas of the South African media. We are committed to championing South Africa’s hard-won freedom of expression and promoting quality, ethics and diversity in the South African media. We promote excellence in journalism through fighting for media freedom, writing policy submissions, research and education and training programmes. SANEF is not a union.
For more information please contact:
Sbu Ngalwa – SANEF Chairperson (073) 404-1415
Adriaan Basson – SANEF Deputy Chairperson (082) 562-2113
Mahlatse Mahlase – Secretary General (083) 399-2852
Nwabisa Makunga – Treasurer (082) 555-1972
Mary Papayya – SANEF Media Freedom Chair (082) 379-4957
Asanda Ngoasheng – Western Cape Convenor – 082 610 9374
Judy Sandison – SANEF KZN Convenor (082) 571-3334
Katy Katopodis – SANEF Gauteng Convenor (082) 805-7022
Chiara Carter – SANEF Eastern Cape Convenor (082) 659-9162
Kate Skinner – SANEF Executive Director – (082) 926-6404
Twitter: @SAEditorsForum
Email: [email protected] Website: www.sanef.org.za
