Johannesburg - The Campaign to Save our SABC on Wednesday released a statement calling the successful interdict by the Helen Suzman Foundation, against the South African Broadcasting Corporation, a “watershed day for independence and credibility of the SABC since July 2nd 2016”.
“Today, in a gold-star watershed for the integrity of the single largest mass communication medium in the country, the SABC, and the integrity of our constitutional democracy with it, the Helen Suzman Foundation successfully interdicted the SABC from proceeding with enforcing editorial directives including those which gave rise to the banning of visuals of the destruction of property where it occurs in local government protests, as well as the banning of coverage that is critical of the ANC and the President of the Republic of South Africa,” the statement read.
The statement continues that these directives by the SABC were unlawful when they were issued.
The SABC is reported to have submitted a letter to the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), confirming that it would abide by the ruling and recommendations of the regulator's Complaints and Compliance Committee.
The statement continued that it was “regrettable that the SABC's COO, Hlaudi Motsoeneng, and Board Chairperson, Obert Maguvhe, took this long to come to this rational and principled conclusion after much huffing and puffing and blowing of hot steam”.
The statement by Save our SABC included a list of six demands which they had handed to the SABC.
The campaign states that although they view the interdict as a victory, that the SABC had only addressed two of the six demands.
“We are mindful of the fact that the SABC 8 have been summarily dismissed by Motsoeneng, with the support of his delinquent Board, a power-hungry Minister of Communications and an equally delinquent Portfolio Committee on Communications in Parliament, have not yet been reinstated with immediate effect.
“Indeed, we are concerned about the continued climate of fear and terror, and culture of self-censorship that has gripped rank-and-file SABC workers by their throats.
“A climate and culture that was established by, and continues to be enforced by Hlaudi Motsoeneng,” the statement reads.
The Save our SABC statement ends by saying that the campaign was emboldened by the “powerful developments” [within the SABC] and that they were still committed to turning the SABC around.
IOL, adapted from a press release