NUM calls on SABC Executives and board to step down

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), the biggest collective bargaining agent in Africa has today noted with sadness the continued political masturbation and demagogy of the executives and in particular the news executives and the bored board of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC). For almost three years, the National Union of Mineworkers has noted how the SABC particularly its television component has continuously skewed news in favour of certain factions in the country.

From its three year observation including with the march to Eskom this morning, the NUM has concluded that the skewed coverage in favour of certain individuals and to the detriment of thousands of its toiling members is politically motivated. The NUM has further reliably learnt from inside the SABC of a protracted plan to sideline the NUM ‘s leadership in its coverage. The union strongly believes these sources as for a number of occasions we have raised our objections on a number of objectionable stories and the NUM ‘s marches have been sidelined in favour of cake-cutting ceremonies and personal birthdays and promotions.

The NUM calls for heads to roll at the public broadcaster which has now turned itself into a personal private broadcaster of selected individuals.

The revolution will not be televised! That we know. We however feel strongly that unless the SABC corrects itself which it has dismally failed to, it needs to be corrected as we are now seeing a repetition of the pre-Polokwane era at the corporation.

The NUM will in the coming weeks notify the public of rolling mass actions aimed at the public broadcaster calling for both the executives involved and their handlers to go and for a boycott of television licences. It cannot be correct to have masturbating individuals at the broadcaster when the revolution on due to political expediency.

The NUM will do everything in its power to correct the madness at the broadcaster which is funded mostly by its members.

Statement issued by Lesiba Seshoka, NUM national spokesman, September 18 2011

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