SABC crisis deepens

The crisis at the SABC seems to literally deepen by the hour as it haemorrhages money like a crazed gambler at the slot machines, drives out its most talented performers and continues to bolster its reputation as a crude propaganda organ of the ruling party.

In the space of a few days:

cautionary note

Barry Aaron

Broadcasting Complaints Commission

There is of course nothing new in this as may be seen from these items which appeared on the Polity and APF websites. Of course this makes you wonder about the involvement and part played by our old friend Snuki Zikalala and the support he has received from the SABC board, which may have contributed to this decline.

Numerous reports over a period of years clearly indicate that Zikalala rules by fear. As he pointed out to the commission of inquiry into the blacklisting scandal, “What I say, goes”.

In essence this means that the SABC’s coverage of the Middle East crisis for example will definitely be slanted one way which is something that cannot be reconciled with the Broadcasting Act which places a legal onus on the SABC to provide neutral and objective news coverage for its 27 million radio listeners and television watchers.

An obvious consequence of this is that many ethical people have left the corporation since Zikalala assumed a position of influence in the news room and joined opposition stations. In addition there have been suggestions that Zikalala and board members such as Christine Qunta, Thami Mazwai and Eddie Funde have been using
SABC news bulletins to push a slavish pro-Mbeki line. An example being where Mbeki had ambitions to project South Africa’s image with Nepad , so Zikalala and the board were prepared to spend hundreds of millions of taxpayers’ rands to set up news offices all over the world.

There has been little tangible benefit for the South African viewers or viewership figures which seems to indicate that more people prefer to watch e-tv’s 7pm news bulletin than the SABC equivalent. Not being able to rely on regular injections of government-provided funds like the SABC, e-tv relies on international news agencies like Reuters to provide a far better service that does not cost the taxpayer a cent.

However, a leaked SABC internal memo indicates that, financially speaking, these lavish international bureaux in the capitals of the world are falling prey to the same mismanagement and highly paid incompetence that seems to characterise most of the SABC’s endeavours.

In November last year, SABC group company secretary Thelma Melk, visited the London office of the SABC and found it to be in a shambles with its personnel having to live like fugitives because the rent and telephone bills have not been paid for months. This means that reporters have to rely on their cellphones and internet cafes to write and file stories. Whatever the faults of the SABC under the previous regime, its London office was at least functional — one remembers Conrad Burke’s reportage after Lady Diana Spencer was killed in a car crash, for example.

It would be interesting to hear from Kaizer Kganyago, SABC spokesperson, just what the annual running costs of this international operation are, given that the average South African television viewer derives almost no benefit whatsoever. Hopefully questions will be asked in Parliament — sooner rather than later.

But it is not just the SABC’s international news offices that seem to be dysfunctional. With the election race in the Western Cape heating up as the DA’s Helen Zille goes head to head for the position of provincial premier with Cope’s Allan Boesak, the ID’s Patricia de Lille and whoever the ANC eventually gets round to nominating, neutral and objective news coverage of the Western Cape is imperative if we are to have free and fair elections.

Zille has, however, already expressed reservations about Jeffrey Mzukisi Twala, the SABC’s head of news in Cape Town. These concerns were shared by the Sisulu/Marcus Commission of Inquiry into the blacklisting scandal.
Concerns which may well be justified if numerous newspaper reports about Twala in particular and the management of the regional office in general, are correct.

These include articles from Business Day,News24 and IOL among others.

The rot seems to permeate throughout and cleaning the Augean stables is going to be no easy task.

South Africans will accordingly be looking to Icasa on March 11 and 12 when it hears representations by a range of civil organisations such as the Freedom of Expression Institute, the Media Monitoring Project and the Broadcasting, Electronic and Allied Workers Union about the failure of the SABC and its board to take action against Zikalala over the grave abuses by him which were revealed in the Sisulu/Marcus Commission of Inquiry into the blacklisting scandal to start turning the tide.

If democracy is to thrive and prosper in this country — and access to balanced news coverage is a constitutional right — they dare not falter.