South Africa’s ruling ANC condemns public broadcaster for censorship

Mtehmbu also blasted the lack of leadership at the public broadcaster.

The South African Broadcasting Corporation has been hit by protests by its staff after it banned footage of violent demonstrations and suspended some journalists. “When you don’t show, that is censorship”.

“When property is burnt, people of South Africa need to be shown those images, that is the ANC view”.

“We are blank as many South Africans are”, he said. This is worrying as it amounts to a change in the policy position of the governing party…

“It is the ANC’s considered view that the various crises engulfing the SABC are a effect of a lack of leadership at the institution”, he said.

SABC chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng, who has pushed through a number of policy changes at the broadcaster, is seen as close to President Jacob Zuma, whose popularity has been sagging against the backdrop of record unemployment and looming recession.

“No one, sitting in a cozy office, has a right to decide for South Africans what they can or cannot see”.

“We’re not saying, because we were not consulted, that is the only issues”. There will not be another view from the ANC regarding what is happening at the SABC except this one. It was our hope that by now these issues would have been attended to and resolved. A court ruling found Motsoeneng’s appointment flouted those steps.

SOS coordinator Sekoetlane Phamodi said on Monday that parliament’s communications committee failed the people of South Africa. Mthembu on Tuesday said protesters were standing up for what was right and he supported the demonstrations. The DA got more than 20% of the vote in last year’s elections, which is more than a third of what the ANC got.

ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe claims his party has also been a victim of censorship at the SABC.

“You need to ensure that we have people who know how to run an institution as big as the SABC. The ANC has the best policies”, Mthembu said.”We are also a recipient of this awful corporate culture at the SABC and it is this culture that all of us need to end”, he continued, citing a delay in airing an ANC advertisement on SABC channels.

“Editorial decisions by the SABC, that in anyway limit these freedoms, can never be sanctioned by the ANC”. “We are able to represent ourselves”. The latest controversy surrounding editorial practices at the SABC, unfortunately being made by an individual who has fallen out of favor with his employer, have also regretfully once again drawn the ANC into the fray.

The question is, what now? That decision can be taken by the people of South Africa.

“If we did not have any control over the minister what would be the objective of calling her?” asked Mthembu. She was encouraged to bring the SABC board and other decision makers.

Muthambi is a keen backer of Motsoeneng.