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Thread: How to suppress the truth.

  1. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dave A View Post
    I think I'm reading this right. A leak has said that the head of SABC news is guilty of bias, but the CEO says the report has found no bias.
    Maybe it's just a play on words, but to my simple mind, something smells of coverup.
    I have to agree with your views Dave - Coverup.
    Sounds similar to the banks years ago that had "hot list" areas where you struggled to get a bond - the banks also denied that.

  2. #12
    Site Caretaker Dave A's Avatar
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    Well. Snuki's still there. But the dust hasn't settled.

    The Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI) on Tuesday laid a complaint with the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) about the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), related to the public broadcaster's alleged blacklisting of commentators.

    The 20-page complaint argues that the SABC violated the Broadcasting Act 11 times, its licence conditions five times and the Constitution three times.

    It alleges that SABC head of news Snuki Zikalala's actions in excluding certain commentators violated the Act's requirement for providing fair and unbiased news and current-affairs programming, and that the SABC violated its licence conditions by limiting the diversity of opinion offered to the public.

    An allegation that Zikalala showed a Special Assignment programme to the Presidency prior to broadcast is especially grave, as it opens the SABC up to editorial influence in violation of the Act and its own code of editorial practice.

    The FXI further argues in its complaint that the denial of the existence of a blacklist in June last year had misled the public -- a violation of the Act, the SABC code of practice and Icasa's code of conduct for broadcasters.

    The complaint also points to possible violations of the freedom-of-expression clause found in the Constitution. These include an attempt to force the Mail & Guardian Online to remove a copy of the blacklisting report, and the alleged screening of the Special Assignment show to the Presidency.

    In a statement, FXI operations director Na'eem Jeenah said the organisation laid the complaint because it was "increasingly concerned" by the SABC's lack of response to the findings by a commission of inquiry into the blacklisting of certain commentators and related issues.
    full story from M&G here

  3. #13
    Site Caretaker Dave A's Avatar
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    John Perlman speaks up.

    I've got to say I admire John Perlman for standing up and being counted. Here are some snippets from an IOL article here:

    Speaking for the first time about his controversial resignation from SAfm, Perlman on Tuesday said his decision to challenge SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago was made after discussions among concerned SABC staff members.

    "It flowed out of a process of engagement internally that had been going on for three months and it was grounded in intensive discussions with colleagues about what was the right thing to do.

    Perlman said he had no regrets about revealing that the blacklisting practices - denied by Kganyago - were in fact taking place.

    "It was scary," he said. "There were times when I woke up in the middle of the night with my eyes as big as gingerbread biscuits.

    "Did I take on the people I work for? Yes, I suppose in some sense I did. But they are not the only people I work for…

    "I measured what I did against the editorial charter of the SABC.

    "It's absolutely clear, to me, on what my responsibilities were to all of our stakeholders and that includes the public … so your bosses in an institution like that are major stakeholders but they're not the only ones. That's why it's called the public broadcaster.

    "You as a citizen have a right to be concerned about public broadcasting," he said.

    "I think the SABC's critics should be asking questions about the role of the board in setting parameters for editorial decision-making.

    "They should be asking questions about the SABC's involvement in the training and skilling of journalists … and think they should be asking questions about the role of news on the one hand and the role of debate on the other."

  4. #14
    Site Caretaker Dave A's Avatar
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    The SABC has managed to postpone its date with destiny ICASA today. Of course, ICASA is not famous for exerting strong discipline on state connections, so I guess this could drag on for a while despite what seems to be a tacit admission by the SABC representatives that they have not as yet carried out all the recommendations of their internal investigative process. Read and weep.

    The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has not yet introduced all the recommendations arising from a probe into its commentator blacklist, the broadcaster said on Wednesday.

    "Some of the issues that need attention, we have now addressed them," said SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago.

    However, others took longer to put into effect, he said.

    "It's a process."

    Kganyago would not say which or how many of the recommendations made by a commission tasked to investigate the matter had been introduced.

    Earlier in the day, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa's (Icasa) Complaints Compliance Committee (CCC) postponed its hearing on the blacklist issue at the SABC's request.

    The hearing came after a complaint to Icasa by the Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI) about the SABC's handling of the blacklist commission's recommendations.

    SABC advocate Azhar Bham asked the CCC to postpone the matter because the legal team had only been briefed about it this week.

    The FXI's complaint was submitted to Icasa in February this year.

    Bham said the SABC would be withdrawing its earlier contention that the complaint was invalid because it came too late.

    Instead, the corporation needed time because it now wanted to file what he described as a "substantive reply".

    The FXI opposed the SABC's request, saying a postponement it would make the process "absurd".

    FXI advocate Muzi Sikhakhane said the SABC could not explain why it had not sought legal advice on the complaint until this week.

    Kganyago said he could not comment on why the corporation had only sought legal counsel for the matter at the last minute.

    This happened because of "internal issues" that could not be revealed to the media, he said.

    "I don't want to go there and these are not the issues I want to deal with."
    full story from M&G here

  5. #15
    Site Caretaker Dave A's Avatar
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    Mafika Sihlali may have delayed the M&G in publishing a damning report, but the story is now out.

    Two weeks ago, the Mail & Guardian newspaper was interdicted in the early hours of Friday July 20 by the head of the South African Broadcasting Corporation's (SABC) legal services, Mafika Sihlali, from publishing a story on an explosive draft internal SABC audit report.

    The report, which is in the possession of the M&G, alleges corruption, abuse of power and intimidation at the SABC.

    Even though other newspapers, including the Sunday Times and Business Day, had since carried reports on the matter and named Sihlali, the M&G could not report on it as the interdict was still standing. A threatened interdict against the Sunday Times on July 22 never materialised.

    On Wednesday, the interdict order against the M&G was dismissed with costs in the Pretoria High Court by Judge Ferdi Preller.

    Among the factors that persuaded him to dismiss the order was the fact that the SABC audit report relates to how taxpayers' money was invested, Preller said. As the public have a right to know, newspapers have a duty to disseminate news relating to allegations of corruption in public entities.

    We can now publish the full original report below, as it was meant to appear in the M&G of July 20. Instead, copies of the newspaper on that day had most of the paragraphs blacked out.

    AUDIT FINGERS SABC'S LEGAL CHIEF
    Vicki Robinson and Lloyd Gedye

    The head of the SABC's legal services, Mafika Sihlali, has defrauded the public broadcaster of up to R2-million and is linked to CEO Dali Mpofu through nine dual company directorships, alleges an explosive internal audit report leaked to the Mail & Guardian.

    Despite legal opinion which accompanies the audit report recommending that the SABC suspend and lay criminal charges against Sihlali, he is still at work. Said SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago: "He is working as we speak, and we do not discuss internal disciplinary issues with the media."

    Sihlali has been employed by the SABC for less than a year.
    full story from M&G here

  6. #16
    Site Caretaker Dave A's Avatar
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    Goodbye Snuki

    The wheel turns...
    The SABC announced on Tuesday that Zikalala, its head of news and current affairs, would leave the broadcaster at the end of the
    month.

    Board chairperson Kanyi Mkonza said Zikalala had "surfed through difficult water". She said the board wanted someone with "fresh ideas".

    Journalist Phil Molefe would take over from Zikalala in an acting capacity from May 1 while a replacement was sought.

    Zikalala has been embroiled in controversy during his term, including reports that he had blacklisted political commentators critical of the government then led by Thabo Mbeki, that he had leaked confidential SABC information to newspapers, and allegations that he had undermined axed CEO Dali Mpofu.
    full story from M&G here

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