Johannesburg - Former SABC acting chief executive Jimi Matthews has said the public broadcaster would be better off without chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng.
Matthews was speaking in his first televised interview since his public resignation last week to political commentator Eusebius McKaiser in his new show Meet the Media With Eusebius McKaiser on eNCA on Sunday.
McKaiser questioned Matthews on how truthful he was in the sworn statement in which he praised Motsoeneng. Refusing to comment, Matthews said the matter was with the courts.
The host again questioned Matthews on whether the SABC would be better off without Motsoeneng, to which Matthews said “yes”.
Speaking on his resignation, Matthews said he had been fielding a lot of questions from people who were concerned about how the broadcaster was operating.
“I have been aware over a period of concerns many people have expressed about what was going on at the SABC. The noise and the real concern coming from families, friends and colleagues became difficult. What finally did it I was in hospital last week and I got back to the news that Thandeka (Gqubule) and two others had been suspended.
“For me that was the tipping point. It became clear that I needed to do something; I thought by resigning maybe those who made the decision would reflect on the reasoning of those suspensions,” said Matthews.
On Friday, journalists from across the country gathered, in what has been described as “Black Friday”, to picket outside the SABC head offices in Cape Town and Joburg, standing against the censorship policy at the broadcaster. The day before, three more SABC journalists were slapped with charges pertaining to unlawful conduct after raising their concerns over censorship in a letter to Motsoeneng. Motsoeneng’s alleged iron-fist rule at the SABC has caught the attention of unions, civil-society movements and political parties.
Cape Town Press Club chairman Brent Meersman said the canning of current affairs shows such as The Editors; the reading of newspaper headlines on radio; summary suspensions of journalists; and the non-airing of violent protests on TV “is all reminiscent of a past we simply cannot afford to, nor could possibly wish to, return to”.
Right2Know Campaign media freedom organiser Micah Reddy said the deterioration of the public broadcaster started a long time ago.
Special Assignment executive producer Busisiwe Ntuli, SAfm current affairs executive producer Krivani Pillay and senior investigative journalist Jacques Steenkamp were told to appear before a disciplinary hearing last Friday regarding their letter to Motsoeneng.
They described in their letter how the draconian censorship policy had turned the newsroom into a hub of “derision and despair”.
Their sanction followed the suspension of another three editorial staff including economics editor Gqubule, Radio Sonder Grense executive editor Foeta Krige and senior journalist Suna Venter.
They were placed on suspension after defying Motsoeneng’s orders not to cover an anti-censorship protest outside the SABC’s Auckland Park, Joburg, headquarters.
All these journalists, including parliamentary reporter Lukhanyo Calata, were expected to appear before the disciplinary hearing on Friday.
The Star