The South African Broadcasting Corporation's lack of neutrality does not lie with journalists alone, but at management level, the Democratic Alliance said on Thursday.
SABC head of news Snuki Zikalala's frank admission at a World Press Freedom Day seminar in Stellenbosch that the public broadcaster was "not neutral" only underscored what the public could see for themselves, DA spokesperson Dene Smuts said in a statement.
"The SABC cannot continue on its present path," she said.
Current affairs programmes like Special Assignment were producing real journalism while the news had turned into a "presidential diary".
The SABC board had soon to appoint a chief executive officer (CEO) to replace Peter Matlare, who had resigned. The CEO at SABC was also editor in chief, and would have to call Zikalala to account, she said.
"We welcome Zikalala's protestations that he 'wants to offer a plurality of voices' if by that he means a diversity of views. That is the SABC's statutory duty.
"But it is no good blaming the 'juniorisation of the newsroom'. The SABC should, like e.tv in the words of former editor Joe Thloloe, 'drop propaganda if a journalist is incapable of writing a fair and in-depth political story, and feature something else'.
"We regret we don't believe the problem lies with the journalists alone, however. The problem lies at the top. The country is watching the SABC board's choice of CEO with interest," Smuts said. - Sapa