The SACP says:“Reinstate Vuyo Mvoko, the Last Man standing and kept outside of the SABC!”
28 July 2016
One of the SABC 8 is not yet reinstated. The South African Communist Party campaign continues.
We, the SACP, have stuck to our vow to continue campaigning until all the SABC 8 are reinstated. We have staged protests and pickets regularly at the SABC’s headquarters and at most of its regional offices, and we have voiced our support and backing for the eight and their colleagues at the SABC, urging the workers to resist Hlaudi Motsoeneng’s illegal and anti-democratic attempts to deny the South African people accurate information in news reporting because of his censorship decree.
Legal action has compelled Motsoeneng, who illegally occupies the SABC post of Chief Operations Officer – and being vastly overpaid for so doing, to reinstate seven of the SABC 8.
The SABC 8 had the courage to stand up to Motsoeneng when he illegally sought to censor SABC TV news reports on violent protests. They fought their suspensions and dismissals and, in an unprecedented move, won the support last Friday of hundreds of SABC journalists, who wore black to demonstrate their opposition to Motsoeneng’s illegal, apartheid-style censorship.
The SACP salutes the workers and journalists of the SABC for fighting back against illegal, unconstitutional and anti-democratic actions by despotic regime that has established its control at the SABC, and for having the courage to do so under extremely oppressive conditions.
Now only one of the SABC 8, journalist and veteran news and current affairs anchor Vuyo Mvoko, awaits reinstatement.
When he took his case to the Johannesburg High Court today, members of the Gauteng SACP’s Red Brigades picketed in support. The case has been postponed to Tuesday – a day before South Africa’s local government elections.
Mvoko’s case is complicated by the fact that he works for the SABC on a contract, rather than as a full-time employee. The dictatorial regime at the SABC is attempting to use this technicality to keep Mvoko off air.
But Mvoko is the most senior of the SABC 8 editorially, and has been the most public in exposing the rampant censorship the unlawfully appointed Motsoeneng and his gang of self-promoting loyalists have imposed on the SABC. His principled opposition has included writing a front-page lead inThe Star newspaper, headlined “My Hell at the SABC” and detailing how Motsoeneng and his collaborators sought to control and direct the news.
And, as contributing editor, his editorial influence at the SABC was potentially significant, holding the line against the censorship Motsoeneng’s censorship edict.
And his On the record current affairs show has been a key political analysis platform for all South Africans.
For Mvoko, Tuesday is D-Day.
The SACP also urges all workers and their organisations at the SABC to take action to compel Motsoeneng, the corporation’s executive directors and the entire board, to be declared legally personally liable for the millions of rands of public funds thrown into the gutter in the SABC’s vain courtroom attempts to defend Motsoeneng’s illegal actions, and his illegal occupation of the COO position. They must be forced to repay those millions to the SABC.
Time has come for Motsoeneng to be removed as SABC COO and for the paralysed SABC to do the right thing, resign!
The struggle continues!
Forward to a genuine public broadcaster, forward!
Forward to an end to parasitic and private monopoly influence or control of the SABC, forward!
Issued by Alex Mohubetswane Mashilo, National Spokesperson, SACP, 28 July 2016
