Durban - eNCA news anchor Shahan Ramkissoon has said he will not apologise for doing his job.
Ramkissoon came under fire recently after KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala accused him of disrespecting and belittling him during a live interview that was aired earlier this month.
In the interview, Ramkissoon, who trended during the earlier lockdown levels for sporting a clean-shaven face and 'fade' haircut when barbers were not allowed to work, quizzed Zikalala over allegations that a KZN man had died in a makeshift tent at a Pietermaritzburg hospital.
He also questioned the premier about the state of affairs in the province and the scandal around Covid-19 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) procurement.
During a recent virtual meeting, organised by the South African National Editor's Forum, Zikalala said Ramkissoon "disrespected" and "belittled" him.
Durban author and public servant in the provincial government of KZN, Kiru Naidoo, then wrote an opinion piece, apologising to Zikalala.
In the editorial, titled 'Premier Zikalala, I am sorry for your pain', Naidoo said: "I am sorry for your pain. The time for an honest dialogue about race is overdue."
In a short clip on eNCA on Wednesday night, Ramkissoon said: "I will not apologise for simply doing my job and holding politicians accountable. The time of being nice or accepting about unnecessary deaths and looting is over."
I will not apologise for simply doing my job and holding politicians accountable. The time of being nice or accepting about unnecessary deaths and looting is over.
Posted by Shahan Ramkissoon on Wednesday, August 26, 2020
The Mercury