ANC complicit in breakdown at SABC, says DA

19 July 2016

Cape Town - Around 200 people protested outside Parliament on Tuesday to deliver a list of demands to ANC Chief Whip Jackson Mthembhu over the recent happenings at the SABC.

DA communications spokesperson Phumzile van Damme lead the picket in the wet Cape Town weather, saying Parliament needed to intervene in order to resolve the crisis engulfing the public broadcaster.

Four senior journalists were fired by the SABC on Monday, while another two journalists have since been fired on Tuesday.

"We are here today to picket in support of the four of the SABC 8 fired by Hlaudi Motsoeneng - Jacques Steenkamp, Krivani Pillay, Foeta Krige and Suna Venter," Van Damme told the crowd.

"These were hard-working, committed, journalists who committed the 'sin' of standing up for the integrity of the SABC.

"We must continue mass rolling action until the integrity of the SABC is restored.

"We are also here today to demand action from Parliament."

'Mthembu has failed'

Van Damme also said had Mthembu failed in his duty to act as a function of oversight, by turning down the DA's request for a special meeting of the Communications Committee to discuss the crisis.

"In doing so, Mthembu has failed to give effect to his constitutional obligation as a Member of Parliament to hold government accountable.

"He and the ANC are complicit in the complete breakdown of good governance at the SABC.

"He has made the institution of Parliament an accessory to this crime.

Van Damme said the DA would hand over a memorandum with 17 demands to Communications Minister Faith Muthambi and Mthembu’s parliamentary offices.

The demands include reinstating the fired SABC journalists, dropping the charges against the remaining journalists, implementing Icasa’s decision to reverse the ban on the airing of footage of violent protests, and to suspend SABC COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

The protest ended around 11:15.

People protest outside Parliament over the SABC, led by the DA. (Paul Herman, News24)

DA members protesting outside Parliament over "#SABC capture". @News24 pic.twitter.com/uyGNKzcDwI— Paul Herman (@PaulTHerman) July 19, 2016

Around 200 people protesting outside Parliament against alleged "#SABC capture," led by the #DA. @News24 pic.twitter.com/z3W690nZzl— Paul Herman (@PaulTHerman) July 19, 2016

This article first appeared on News24, see here.