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SEBELITSO MOKONE-MATABANE, the co-chair of the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA), tried to persuade the SABC to feature her in a television programme instead of her colleague John Matisonn, whom she said represented a “small white constituency”.
The Mail & Guardian learned this week of Mokone-Matabane’s efforts to meddle with the public broadcaster over last Thursday night’s Focus programme on the IBA. Her remarks about co-councillor Matisonn, who had been selected for the programme because of his wide experience in journalism and broadcasting, followed the SABC’s initial reluctance to obey her and revamp its programme hours before going on air.
An internal report for SABC chief executive Zwelakhe Sisulu has been written on the episode, which was also discussed on Radio Metro’s Bush Telegraph. Executive producer Vincent Mfundisi and Sarah Crowe, the head of SABC TV current affairs, wrote the report
Mokone-Matabane asked the programme’s producers to feature her and said that if they failed to do so she would ask them to scrap prepared inserts in which she featured. She said in one heated conversation that Matisonn represented “a small white constituency”, according to the internal report.
Critics have pointed out that IBA councillors are not elected, but were nominated by media and civil society interest groups. Mokone-Matabane hit out at some of the show’s black producers, expressing disbelief that they, as blacks, could want Matisonn instead.
As deadline approached SABC staffers contacted Matisonn to ask whether he would mind the switch. Matisonn offered to withdraw and later said he was willing to appear in the programme at short notice when it emerged Mokone-Matabane would back down anyway.
The SABC contacted Matisonn who arrived at the studio about 10 minutes before the programme went on air. Matisonn in May let the parliamentary committee on broadcasting, post and telecommunications know that he will not be available for reappointment when his term of office expires in March 1998.
It is understood that Sisulu congratulated the programme’s producers for sticking to their guns. SABC public relations general manager Enoch Sithole and SABCtelevision head Joe Thloloe refused to comment.
Mokone-Matabane did not dispute the account except to reject the interpretation she had asked for Matisonn to be ditched. She said she had merely told the SABCshe failed to understand how they chose who should be on the programme. She was concerned about the tendency to interview her white male colleagues. She noted the SABChad interviewed co chair Peter de Klerk over the Radio Highveld hearings, although she had chaired them. “My sense was that the SABCwas marginalising not only black councillors, but also black people.”