Justin Pearce and Jonathan Ancer
Nico van Burick, acting editor of TV1’s Agenda, has=20 resigned with effect from next week — but seems likely=20 to stay on at the SABC for a further month.
His resignation comes five months after the revelation=20 that he had been a commanding officer in the citizen=20 force propaganda unit Saltie (Suid Afrikaanse Leer=20 Troepe Informasie Eenheid).
It coincided with an incident in which Agenda producer=20 Jacques Pauw’s notes on the “red mercury” saga were=20 leaked to the police. The news of Van Burick’s Saltie=20 links caused suspicion to fall on him, although he was=20 never positively linked to the spying scandal.
An internal investigation into his Salti links is still=20
Newsline head Lesley Mashokwe has been tipped as editor=20 of a combined Newsline-Agenda programme.
Meanwhile, the SABC’s TV News Production (TNP)=20 department receives fresh blood next week with the=20 arrival of Jill Chisholm, the former Rand Daily Mail=20 journalist and Independent Television News producer who=20 is to take over as head of department.
Chisholm will fill a gap left by Christo Kritzinger,=20 who resigned earlier this year owing to illness, and=20 who died this week.