You may have read some misleading things about the legal case against amaBhungane, so it’s time for a reality check. Stealing is stealing, no matter who you are.
To put the case against them in simple terms, let’s say someone steals your car. They then lend it to a friend, who knows that the car is stolen property but chooses to drive it anyway. This third party then tries to claim that you have no right to get the car back, or to even see the car in their possession because they’re a journalist.
This is what’s happening with the Moti Group’s files – and what makes it worse is that amaBhungane’s journalists have been reporting on the files while knowing that they may have altered.
I have the greatest respect for the journalism profession, but we’re all equal beneath the law and amaBhungane needs to be held to account for their actions.