Memorial held for journalist Suna Venter
AUCKLAND PARK – Press freedom fighter, Suna Venter remembered at SABC memorial.
Journalist, senior producer, SABC 8 member, daughter and sister, Suna Venter was remembered in a way she would have wanted – as an advocate for freedom in the newsroom.
A memorial was recently held at the SABC building in Auckland Park for the brave face who exposed censorship and sparked change within the SABC at the very place she was once suspended and later fired from.
READ: SABC producer found dead in her flat
Venter’s body was found in her Windsor West flat on 29 June at 1pm. According to her father, Phillip she was diagnosed with stress cardiomyopathy, commonly known as broken heart syndrome.
The Venter family did not suspect foul play given the condition which causes rapid and severe heart-muscle weakness.
Although being diagnosed with the condition, Venter was a modern-day Braveheart and told stories in countries such as Turkey, Syria and Egypt.
This was before she encountered intimidation, death threats, injuries and was found alive after being kidnapped during her fight against disgraced former SABC chief operating officer, Hlaudi Motsoeneng’s news reporting policies.
During that time, Venter, along with the other members of the SABC 8 were awarded the Nat Nakasa Award for courageous brave journalism.
Venter’s life may have ended too soon but as short as it was, it had purpose and she did well to serve that purpose and serve the voiceless of South Africa.
While many were saddened by her death, Foeta Kriger, an SABC 8 member and close friend of Venter, said he was angered by every SABC employee who was part of Moetsoeneng’s policy for convincing Venter to believe in the system. In one of Kriger’s first statements about Venter’s death, he wrote, “And because we believed in the system, we were waiting patiently for the law to take its course. We’re still waiting! You deserved more. I’m still waiting. I’m still angry.”
Her death is not only a loss for her parents, Phillip and Christa and her siblings, Wilhelm and Tessa, it is a great loss in the journalistic world.
ALSO READ: “Suna will be missed” – SABC spokesperson
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