Johannesburg - Julius Malema has launched a scathing attack on the SABC, e.tv and the Gupta-owned newspaper The New Age, saying their news was either manipulated for political purposes, or they forced out talented black journalists for race reasons.
On Thursday, Malema said the public broadcaster’s newsrooms were being run from the ANC’s Luthuli House headquarters.
He accused eNCA news, which is privately owned, of perpetuating racism against black reporters as part of a plan to “manipulate” the majority.
Malema dismissed The New Age as a “newsletter” for one of the ANC’s factions rather than a newspaper.
While the three media organisations were equally criticised, Malema targeted the SABC, which he sarcastically “congratulated” for having unexpectedly made it to his media briefing.
He implied that he had been banned from the SABC’s TV and radio news programmes, following an incident in which former SABC news head Phil Molefe was accused of giving him too much airtime after his expulsion from the ANC in 2011.
“We want to thank Hlaudi (Motsoeneng) for having allowed you to come. We know you are operating under difficult conditions and we know that you come, and you are going to package and after packaging, only pictures can be shown and not what you have packaged,” Malema said.
“They (the SABC) will be called to Luthuli House and told which story to cover and which story not to cover,” he added.
SABC spokesman Kaizer Kganyago dismissed the accusations. “Our focus is prioritising public services and we reject any insinuation to the contrary,” he said.
Malema also accused e.tv of racism.
eNCA group head of news Patrick Conroy said he was not sure if it was worth it to respond.
The New Age spokesman Gary Naidoo couldn’t be reached for comment.
The Star