The commission of inquiry into allegations that the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) is blacklisting political commentators announced on Thursday that it had finished hearing evidence and hoped to present a report next month.
Former SABC boss Zwelakhe Sisulu and advocate Gilbert Marcus said in a statement that they heard ”a final round of submissions” this week.
A total of 37 witnesses appeared before them, of whom 32 were from the SABC. They also considered written submissions.
”Although the majority of submissions were made voluntarily, we also called on a number of people to present evidence to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the situation,” they said.
”We would thank all those who have been part of the process as they have made a valuable contribution to public discourse around the use of independent political analysts, as well as helping to define understanding of the role of the public broadcaster.”
They said they were finalising ”the drafting process” and would try to present a final report to the SABC group chief executive Dali Mpofu before mid-October.
Mpofu appointed the commission in June after opposition parties called for an independent investigation into claims that the SABC had blacklisted analysts critical of President Thabo Mbeki.
Sisulu and Marcus enlisted Rhodes journalism professor Guy Berger as an ”expert resource” to aid their work, and appointed attorney Eric Mabuza to receive and process submissions. — Sapa