The South African Broadcasting Commission is currently South Africa’s state-owned broadcaster.
They provide the country with eighteen radio stations (AM & FM) and three television broadcasts (SABC 1, 2 & 3). Providing South Africa’s majority with news, sport and entertainment, the commission has had a history intertwined with South African politics, along with numerous criticisms and accusations of favouritism with the each of the changing political parties.
During its earlier years of broadcasting in the Apartheid era, the SABC was the mouthpiece for the National Party. The political party used the radio and television channels to keep forced segregation in motion and to suit the white minority. Most of the SABC’s managers at that time, belonged to the secret Afrikaans society, the Broederbond, who pushed for Afrikaner interests. Christian religion was pushed vigorously with church programs airing on a constant basis and censorship was monitored heavily. Music stations were banned (particularly in the 1960’s) from playing famous pop music, such as the Rolling Stones and The Beetles.
After the unbanning of the ANC and the release of Nelson Mandela in 1994, the National Party released its hold of the SABC, providing the ANC with the stage to take over. Senior members of the ANC created many policies on how the broadcaster should be managed. This led to a debate – Should the SABC broadcast the interests of South Africa or should the SABC be used as a tool for the South African government?
Cyril Rhamaphosa, the ANC Secretary General gave the following speech in November 1992, regarding the ANC’s unhappiness with the way the SABC was used by the National Party, during apartheid (regarding political gain): “The ANC believes that unquestioning loyalty by a public broadcaster to a ruling party is incompatible with democracy…The ANC is committed to public broadcasting which is independent of the government of the day, and which owes its loyalty not to any party, but to the population as a whole.” (Cyril Rhamaphosa, 1992:1)
Nineteen years later, the tables have turned and many politicians from opposition parties of the ANC believe that the SABC is the main media representative for the ANC, especially in the commission’s area of news broadcasting in Johannesburg.
In relevance to this criticism, the SABC fell into the hot seat in August 2005, when it failed to broadcast the controversy regarding Deputy President, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka being publicly humiliated offstage by members of the ANC Youth League, who were passionately showing their support for the then ex-Deputy President, Jacob Zuma. The broadcaster’s rival, Etv, publicly accused the commission for their failure to broadcast the footage to South Africa’s viewership. The Head of news and ex-ANC spokesperson, Snuki Zikalala, returned with the defence that the station’s cameraman was not present at the meeting. This claim led to Etv later releasing footage of the cameraman in fact being present at the public meeting. (In an earlier instance regarding Snuki Zikalala, he interviewed Zimbabwean president, Robert Mugabe. After the interview was aired, vast comments and accusations were made against him and the commission for sidestepping critical issues and controversial questions, regarding the human right’s violations and the radical land-reform policies, faced by Mugabe. The SABC’s government connections were under a continuous examination and investigation after this occurrence.)
In May 2006, accusations of self-censorship were made against the SABC, regarding a documentary based on Thabo Mbeki. (They had formerly decided not to air the documentary and requested the production company to keep quiet on the matter.) This action led to a chain effect. The public and media groups recognised an apparent trend of self-censorship within the commission and became vocal about it. The International Freedom of Expression Exchange released an alert concerning the SABC’s inclination to ‘self-censorship’(IOL News 2006, FXI Press Release 2006:2)and later in June of that year, journalists from the International Federation of Journalists, made the decision to denounce the cancellation of the Thabo Mbeki documentary, claiming self-censorshipas a prominent motive.
Along with the above opinions, the SABC has been accused by critics of favouritism towards certain ethnic groups, through their choice of entertainment offered by the SABC stations.
Throughout its history, the SABC has faced numerous accusations of biased reporting and favouritism to whichever political party has been and is currently in power. It comes to show just how strong the media’s role has been in a country which still endures racial division and how politics can rule these mediums.
(Written by Gemma-Louise Wright)
References:
- 1. The Nudge of Nation Building by Steven Lang, RJR Magazine, September 2008 and Not the Sisulu Report(or how the ANC extended control over the SABC) by James Myburgh(27.03.2006) – ever-fasternews.com
- 2. IOL News Article – World Journo Body Slams SABC FOR Documentary – Staff Writer, June 19, 2006
- FXI Press Release: FXI Concerned About “Growing Trend Of Self-Censorship” In The South African Broadcasting Commission – 26 May, 2006
Research:
- www.ifex.org/South_Africa/2006/05/26fxi_concerned_abour_growing_trend/
- www.ever-fasternews.com/index.php?php_action=read_article&article_id=214
- www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/world-journo-body-slams-sabc-for-documentary-1.282165
- Mg.co.za/article/2009-03-10-sabc-cash-problems-under-spotlight
- Mg.co.za/article/2009-03-10-sabc-to-go-before-complaints-commission
- En.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_African_Broadcasting_Corporation
No comments:
Post a Comment