Sechaba ka’Nkosi The SABC is to axe its controversial acting head of news, Snuki Zikalala, next month. It announced this week the appointment of veteran journalist Barney Mthombothi. Senior editors have handed to SABC board chair Vincent Maphai a list of grievances against Zikalala. The board meets on Wednesday, when his fate is expected to be decided.
Zikalala has been offered two options by the board: to move out of news and accept a position in another department – a demotion – or resign. Mthombothi said in his interview for the position that he would find it difficult to work with Zikalala. The broadcaster would not give further details on the restructuring of its news division, including Zikalala’s pending dismissal.
Representative Maj Murray said: “I think there are going to be a lot of rumours and allegations about people here since somebody [Mthombothi] has been appointed. But so far they are just rumours and nothing else.” Zikalala was in Lusaka this week and could not be reached for comment. His future has been hanging in the balance for some months, following complaints to the board from some of the corporation’s senior editors about his operational and management style. Among the complaints was Zikalala’s promotion of inexperienced journalists to senior positions and his lack of consultation with his counterparts. Maphai has also publicly raised reservations regarding some of the corporation’s senior managers, particularly in the news division. Mthombothi’s appointment is seen as a remedy and it is hoped his leadership will build a respected news division that will be independent of political interference. An experienced journalist, Nieman fellow and currently the Financial Mail’s editor- at-large, Mthombothi is respected at the SABC for the independent views he held during his five-year tenure as SABC radio news editor-in-chief. Senior SABC editors welcomed his appointment, arguing that it will bring credibility to their beleaguered news division. Said a journalist: “Mthombothi is highly respected in the industry. And what we need for the SABC is not only someone who cannot bow to political pressure but a person who will make the public broadcaster a melting point of different views in our country.” The board has accepted the contents of a report by Gemini Consulting that proposes the flattening of the news hierarchy. The consultants recommend that the position of head of output (bi-media news) – a post allegedly created by Zikalala and former news chief executive Enoch Sithole without consultation last year – be scrapped. Mthombothi’s brief includes the implementation of the recommendations, which suggest a large-scale restructuring of the news division. Zikalala’s pending sacking brings to three the number of high-profile SABC executives to leave unceremoniously this year, after Sithole and disgraced group CEO Hawu Mbatha.
Zikalala and Mthombothi held different views which led to open clashes in the SABC newsroom in the past. In 1998, when Zikalala was appointed radio news deputy-editor-in chief, Mthombothi, former head of current affairs Franz Kruger and former radio news managing editor Alwyn Kloppers were accused of trying to sabotage him by mobilising opposition from news and regional editors, senior journalists and producers throughout the country.