Sunday World Says The Bonang ‘Tax Fraud’ Story Is Not Fake News! The publication did a cover story on the 26th of August 26 claiming that Bonang was being investigated for failing to submit her full tax returns.
The report stated that the matter was allegedly adjourned, pending the outcome of further investigations. When the story broke, Bonang took to social media calling the whole thing fake news. She later through her management company confirmed to TshisaLIVE that they served the publication with a letter of demand and that they were suing for R10-million for defamation.
In response, Sunday World is standing by their article rejecting that it is fake.
Read the publication’s full statement below.
Sunday World rejects assertions that have been circulated that our story is fake.
We stand by the report and the comment by the National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson, Phindi Louw-Mjonondwane, who firmly confirmed the matter to us.
A fraud docket with a case number Sunday World has seen has been registered at the Johannesburg Central Station against Bonang Dorothy Matheba.
Sunday World relied on our triple sourcing method to test these allegations and two court officials quoted in our article confirmed the case to us.
Another source, a police officer from the intelligence unit, collaborated that a case of fraud is being investigated by the Commercial Crime Investigations Unit and was indeed registered at the Johannesburg Central Station.
Sunday World has evidence of these details as confirmation.
Further to our facts being questioned Mjonondwane clarified the statement from the NPA.
“In our file we have a case that was registered against Bonang Matheba at the Johannesburg Central Station. The docket was brought to us and we have not yet decided on it at this stage, pending further investigations,” she said.
Mjonondwane indicates clearly in our article that the matter exists.
Whilst we respect Matheba’s right to seek any recourse available to her, any matter of her intended lawsuit will be ventilated in the appropriate forum. She is also free to challenge any other issue she has regarding our reportage through correct channels.
