Johannesburg - As suspended SABC chief executive Frans Matlala’s disciplinary hearing was set to begin on Tuesday, Eyewitness News reported on Tuesday morning that he had reached an agreement with the public broadcaster.
At the time of publication, Matlala’s lawyer Joe Mothibi and SABC spokesman Kaizer Kganyago were unavailable for comment.
The chief executive was suspended in November, four months into his five-year contract.
Jimi Matthews, who took over from Matlala, also resigned last month.
Meanwhile, the South African National Editor’s Forum (Sanef) on Tuesday said it was "shocked" that the SABC has rejected outright the regulator’s findings that it was wrong to ban visuals of violent protests in which government property is destroyed.
On Monday the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) directed the SABC to withdraw its controversial resolution to stop broadcasting footage of destruction of public property during protests.
However, the SABC rejected the Icasa ruling saying it would appeal. The public broadcaster said its ban on visuals of violent protests did not amount to censorship.
“We are not going to change anything, people should forget. Newspapers can come together, Right 2 Know, and everybody – we invite you to do that, we are equal to task,” said SABC chief operations officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng.
Sanef which welcomed the Icasa directive, said it was "shocked" by the SABC’s response.
"The South African National Editor’s Forum (Sanef) welcomes the ruling by Icasa directing the SABC to withdraw its resolution that it will no longer broadcast footage of destruction of public property during protests. The decision affirms media freedoms and sends a strong message that censorship has no place in a democracy censorship," Sanef said in a statement.
Sanef said it was, however, "shocked and dismayed" by the SABC decision to keep the ban in place and instead take the matter on review.
"We believe the SABC as a public institution that derives its mandate from the constitution would best lead by abiding by a Chapter 9 institution’s decision," said Sanef.
"The editorial policy of the SABC has always been guided by public input. For the SABC to ban footage, without consulting the public flies in the face of the spirit of the constitution.
"This is a decision that risks returning the SABC to the dark old days of apartheid where the institution that is supposed to be a public broadcaster was used as a mouthpiece of the then government.
“The SABC said broadcasting such visuals encouraged others to do the same. However, during the Icasa hearing the SABC failed to show evidence of this.
“Sanef also questions the comparison made by the SABC board chairperson to publishing pictures and footage of dead bodies. The two are not the same.
“Editors across the country continue to take decisions on graphic pictures every single day guided by the spirit of public interest.
“The SABC should be guided by the Broadcast Complaints Commission of South Africa on publishing or broadcasting pictures and footage that could fall under ‘gratuitous violence’.
"The decision to completely ban footage amounts to sanitising the news, as Icasa has effectively found," said Sanef.
The Star and African News Agency