DA requests ICASA to investigate political interference at eTV
26 October 2014
Marcel Golding's allegations that Minister Ebrahim Patel and other individuals linked to President Zuma have attempted to influence editorial decisions at e.tv require further investigation (see BizNews report).
The DA is therefore requesting the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) to launch an Inquiry, as provided for in section 4 of the ICASA Act.
Golding - the Chairperson of Hosken Consolidated Investments, the company that controls e.tv's holding company, Sabido - has made a number of explosive allegations that point to repeated attempts to influence e.tv's news coverage. These include that:
Yunus Shaik (brother of Schabir) has exerted growing power and influence at HCI since his firm was contracted to advise on "business strategy in relation to government" in 2013;
On 24 March 2014, Shaik sent an email to the COO of Sabido stating that the Minister of Economic Development, Ebrahim Patel, wanted footage of President Zuma opening a dam to be broadcast on the e.tv evening news;
On 29 April 2014, Minister Patel requested footage of a Reserve Bank meeting to be aired during a live debate he was scheduled to have with a member of an opposition party, in the belief it would bolster his argument;
On 19 May 2014, Shaik sent a message to Golding requesting that Golding watch an e.tv story on gambling addiction before it was aired to ensure it portrayed Tsogo Sun - an affiliate of HCI - in a positive light; and
On 14 August 2014 Andre Kriel of the Union SACTWU instructed Golding by SMS to ensure live coverage of Minister Patel's delivery of the Violet Seboni Memorial Lecture.
These allegations paint a picture of growing pressure on e.tv to skew its coverage in favour of a cabal with close links to the President. This kind of political pressure on a broadcaster is in contravention of section 192 of the Constitution, which stipulates that broadcasting must be regulated "in the public interest, and to ensure fairness and a diversity of views broadly representing South African society."
The DA will be requesting ICASA to investigate whether:
Pressure was exerted on e.tv to skew its coverage in the instances documented by Marcel Golding; and
e.tv caved in to pressure in any of these instances.
Section 4 of the ICASA Act obliges the regulator to investigate complaints of this nature, stating that it "must investigate and adjudicate complaints submitted to the Authority in terms of this Act, the underlying statutes, and licence conditions." We trust, therefore, that ICASA will act on the DA's request to investigate.
Statement issued by Gavin Davis MP, DA Shadow Minister of Communications, October 26 2014
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