Cape Town - Scores of journalists and social activists gathered outside the South African Broadcasting Corporation’s studios in Sea Point and Durban and at its headquarters in Auckland Park on Friday morning to heed the #BlackFriday rallying call to protest against the censorship of news content.
There was a buzz of conversation as protesters, some dressed in black to mark “Black Friday”, stood in Beach Road in Sea Point and discussed the controversial situation at SABC. Some members in the crowd held up posters which read “# Free Journalists” or “Black Friday”.
SABC and fellow journalists protesting in Sea point following recent censorship saga #SABCcensorship pic.twitter.com/MUOqUMFuIy
— IG: MojoIOL (@mojoIOL) July 1, 2016
The pickets in Joburg, Cape Town and Durban were organised by the SA National Editors Forum (Sanef). Many Independent Media management staffers, editors and journalists attended the pickets on Friday morning.
Sanef is concerned about the impact that the “corrosive atmosphere” at the SABC is having on the public’s right to know.
“Recent editorial policy directives are a direct assault not only on the journalism profession but on media freedom as a whole,” it said in a statement.
“Sanef warns against the SABC being turned - once again - into a state broadcaster that only serves the interests of the ruling party. The SABC is accountable to the South African public, so what is going on at the public broadcaster is of concern to everyone.”
In Joburg journalists chanted “journalism is not a crime”, “no to censorship”, “the SABC is a public broadcaster” and “reinstate them”. Some of the placards read “Hlaudi with no chance of news” and “Censorship is as violent as protest”.
The picketers were planning on marching to the Constitution Hill, where SABC employees and civil society partners were to address them.
The National Union of Metalworkers, the Organisation Opposing Tax Abuse, the Right2Know Campaign and the Save Our SABC Coalition also participated.
On Friday, SABC editorial staff suspended by the public broadcaster for speaking out against censorship were expected to appear before a disciplinary hearing.
Special Assignment executive producer Busisiwe Ntuli, SAfm current affairs executive producer Krivani Pillay and senior investigative journalist Jacques Steenkamp were on Thursday slapped with charges pertaining to illegal conduct after raising their concerns about censorship in a letter to chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng, who is widely viewed as President Jacob Zuma’s ally.
In their letter they described how the draconian censorship policy had turned the newsroom into a hub of “derision and despair” and how it had solicited negative sentiments from the public.
Their sanction followed the suspension of another three editorial staff: economics editor Thandeka Gqubule, Radio Sonder Grense executive editor Foeta Krige and senior journalist Suna Venter. The three were suspended after defying Motsoeneng’s orders not to cover a recent anti-censorship protest outside the SABC’s Auckland Park headquarters.
The journalists, including parliamentary reporter Lukhanyo Calata, were expected to appear at a disciplinary hearing on Friday.
Calata had publicly rebuked Motsoeneng’s leadership, saying decisions by his bosses bordered on censorship.
Acting CEO Jimi Mathews also resigned in protest over developments at the SABC, which he said were wrong.
Motsoeneng is on record as saying detractors should leave the SABC alone and that he would not bow to pressure to allow journalists to report on violent protests or stories that would reflect negatively on Zuma.
The Right2Know campaign’s media freedom organiser, Micah Reddy, was quoted earlier this week as saying the SABC had started deteriorating a long time ago.
Reddy said Motsoeneng’s interference in the editorial policy was one of the issues that had plunged the SABC into a downward spiral.
Cape Argus and The Star