Johannesburg - Recent SABC management decisions amounted to censorship and victimisation of those who dared to challenge the powers that be.
These were just some of the issues senior employees raised in a letter sent to chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng in which they expressed concern about the entity’s policy choices.
Special Assignment executive producer Busisiwe Ntuli, SAfm Current Affairs executive producer Krivani Pillay and senior investigative reporter Jacques Steenkamp wrote: “Our newsroom has become a source of derision, despair and criticism from the people who we are fundamentally accountable to, the public at large.
BRAVO @JacqueSteenkamp, @krivpillay& Busisiwe Ntuli. ✊🏾 #HlaudiMustGo pic.twitter.com/Vdr99j31bz
— Phumzile Van Damme (@zilevandamme) June 27, 2016
“ln addition, we are of the view that the recent decisions to remove the newspaper slots and The Editors on SAfm’s AM Live amounts to what we consider censorship, unless reasonable and professional explanations can be advanced within the framework of our editorial policy and our obligation to serve the public.”
The Star has seen the letter.
It goes on to say: “Furthermore, we wish to register our deep concern for our colleagues who have been suspended for expressing their right to freedom of expression by simply debating and assessing the newsworthiness of events, as expected, during editorial meetings.
“As such, we view the suspensions of Thandeka Gqubule, Foeta Krige and Suna Venter as acts of victimisation.”
They also felt they were no longer able to “debate, deliberate, argue and find consensus on news stories” during their editorial meetings.
They believed the situation ought to be challenged.
“We are shocked by the latest pronouncements that fundamentally erode the right of the public to know the whole story about the developments in their communities and to display such stories in a responsible manner, as has been done as per the Icasa (Independent Communications Authority of South Africa) and BCCSA (Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa) requirements.
“These pronouncements effectively render our newsrooms incapable of providing compelling audiovisual content that educates and informs the public and to disseminate balanced and accurate information.”
They requested an urgent meeting with Motsoeneng.
Also challenging the SABC was Crime Line head Yusuf Abramjee, who laid a complaint at the BCCSA on Monday, suggesting that the public broadcaster's decision to ban protest reporting went against its code of conduct.
“I humbly submit that the SABC, as a signatory to the code of conduct, is in clear violation and breach of the requirements,” he wrote.
“I call for urgent and immediate action to be taken to reprimand the SABC and to rule that its censorship policy is also a clear violation of not only your code, but also the constitution.
“Free speech is a cornerstone of our democracy.”
Time to hit panic button?
Media Monitoring Africa director William Bird welcomed SABC acting chief executive Jimi Matthews’s resignation, saying it sent out a powerful statement.
Bird said the public broadcaster had denied or defended many of its controversial policy decisions recently, and that the resignation was confirmation that it was “time to hit the panic button at the SABC”.
He said Matthews had taken the first steps in restoring his credibility and that his resignation would probably force the SABC board of directors, the parliamentary portfolio committee and the minister of communications to address the issues at the company.
However, Bird said that that would also send a message to the public that the public broadcaster was potentially untrustworthy, which would certainly affect the local government elections in August.
The Star