The print media are treating the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) in a hostile manner, chief executive of the SABC Dali Mpofu said on Thursday.
”There is this hostility that I don’t understand. The SABC either gets no coverage, hostility or cartoons. Why, I don’t understand,” he told the Johannesburg Press Club.
”The SABC winning the rights of 2010 is big for the country. I only saw a small article about it in one newspaper.”
Mpofu expressed concern over what he labelled the refusal of other media to give the SABC credit for anything.
He said it was something he would want to discuss, to discover why the public broadcaster received such ”hostile treatment”.
Mpofu also accused newspapers of having printed ”half truths” about the SABC’s decision not to air a documentary on President Thabo Mbeki.
”The documentary on the president was not aired … not because of the perception that some bully from Pretoria told us not to,” he said.
”We had to remain true to our principles. If we had to bend them to appear independent from the ruling party then it would catch up with us eventually. We pulled the documentary because we did not get what we asked [the producers] for,” said Mpofu.
Mpofu said when he explained the content of the documentary to other editors, they told him they would have done the same.
On the SABC’s reported blacklisting of some commentators, he sought to assure the public that an inquiry into the matter will be transparent.
The outcome will be made public.
Mpofu said last month an independent internal inquiry will be conducted into allegations that the corporation had banned certain political commentators. No further details will be given at this stage on the inquiry or related issues, he said.
It is also not possible to say when the inquiry would be completed.
Mpofu said his reaction to criticism on the broadcaster did not mean he wanted no debate on SABC decisions.
”I would be worried if nobody speaks about the SABC’s decisions.” — Sapa