Zuma should establish Commission of Inquiry into SABC crisis

20 July 2016

Today I have called on President Jacob Zuma to establish a Commission of Inquiry into the ongoing collapse at the South Africa Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), which has now reached boiling point following the firing of several senior journalists and reporters within the last 48 hours.

President Zuma should appoint of a Commission of Inquiry into the governance at the SABC – in particular: the inability of the SABC Board to perform its duties as contemplated under section 15(1) of the Broadcasting Act, the unconstitutional editorial policies being enforced by the leadership of the SABC, the failure of the SABC to act as a public broadcaster, the allegation by now-former SABC executives that opposition political parties were deliberately cut out of news coverage, the political capture of the SABC by the ANC and the deployment of Hlaudi Motsoengeng to the position of Chief Operations Officer (COO).

This request comes in the wake of a series of scandals, legal findings and public outrage against the SABC. A chronological summary of these occurrences is attached here.

Public outcry has ensued as the SABC’s management has, under the direction of Hlaudi Motsoeneng:

- poorly managed a series of scandals in a manner that seems to condone unlawfulness, including the resignation of Acting Group CEO, Jimi Mattthews, the firing of senior journalists, and the implementation of a new “Editorial Policy”;

- opposed unwinnable legal cases against the SABC and its office bearers, such as the protracted court battle to keep Hlaudi Motsoeneng at the helm in the face of a scathing Public Protector report;

- ignored binding legal findings made against the SABC and its office bearers, or appeal these findings despite having no prospects of success, or simply feigning compliance with these findings; and

- rewarded those office bearers most responsible for these scandals with unjustifiable salary increases, such as Hlaudi Motsoeneng’s almost R1 million salary increase – from R2.8 million to R3.7 million.

The latest in the series of these scandals is a legally indefensible and unconstitutional Apartheid-like editorial policy of censorship, as well as selective, biased and partial reporting, particularly relating to party politics.

This is clearly a matter of utmost public concern. Public outrage about the state of the public broadcaster has come from every sector of South African society: from the public at large; a broad array of civil society organisations including the Albert Luthuli, Helen Suzman, Thabo Mbeki, and Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundations among others; the SABC’s own journalists; and even the African National Congress.

This has led to at least 8 SABC journalists being fired for disagreeing with the Hlaudi Motsoeneng sponsored editorial policy.

While freedom of the media is enshrined in section 16(1)(a) of our Constitution, the SABC has begun to remove journalists who report on anything that isn’t government friendly – or ANC friendly – reducing editors and journalists to Orwellian cogs in the ANC’s “good story” machinery.

What is unfolding at the SABC is nothing short of full state capture of the public broadcaster under the ANC. It was the Apartheid government that used these tactics in order to paint a “good story” of South Africa - hiding the true state of affairs in the country from both the domestic and international audience. The DA will not stand back while our freedoms are being eroded by the State.

An integral player in the degradation of the SABC is its Chief Operations Officer (COO), Hlaudi Motsoeneng - a man who blatantly lied about his qualifications, and who the Public Protector found to not be a fit and proper person to hold this position of COO. A man who earns R3.7 million of the people’s money to protect Jacob Zuma.

The DA has long held that Hlaudi Motsoeneng is unfit to hold his current position. The Commission of Inquiry must thus include in its terms of reference the appointment and governance track record of Mr. Motsoeneng and come to a finding in this regard. 

Just a mere 48 hours ago we celebrated Mandela Day, a day in which we celebrate the hard-won freedoms which all South Africans today enjoy. It was Madiba himself who, when addressing the international press institute in 22 April 1991, declared that:

“Freedom of the media and the press is among the oldest and most valued freedoms for which people the world over have fought.  The ANC has extended its solidarity and shall continue to support journalists, editors, writers and other media people who face persecution because they seek to exercise this right. We (the ANC) regard a press that has the courage to speak its mind, without fear of favour, as essential in keeping the public vigilant and alert to any temptation on the part of government to abuse its powers. We would say also that a democratic government that either feared or sought to constrain media scrutiny of its policies and actions is embarked on a course that must inevitably result in the evasion of accountability to the people.”

Madiba fought for freedom, which includes freedom of the media. That freedom is being eroded at a rapid pace. If President Zuma truly wants to honour Madiba’s legacy and uphold the Constitution, he must intervene in the SABC crisis. The President cannot remain silent any longer.

The people gave power to the government, therefore we have the right to be told what the government is doing with the power, whether good or bad. It is for this reason that the South Africa people deserve to know what is happening at the SABC.

Issued by Mabine Seabe, Spokesperson to the DA Leader, 20 July 2016