The probe into whether or not the SABC news and current affairs department had a blacklist of commentators who were banned from its airwaves is finally complete.
The board received the report from CEO Dali Mpofu this week, though spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago could not say when it would be publicly released.
In June, media reports alleged that news and current affairs MD Snuki Zikalala managed an informal blacklist which banned certain analysts. The commentators included political analyst Sipho Seepe; William Mervin Gumede, author of Thabo Mbeki and the Battle for the Soul of the ANC; political analyst Aubrey Matshiqi; and Business Day political correspondents Vukani Mde and Karima Brown.
All of the commentators are considered to be outspoken and generally critical of President Thabo Mbeki.
The SABC’s board has stated that the broadcaster’s mission is to act as a conduit of “development” information to the public. Kganyago, at the time, denied that a blacklist existed, but was contradicted on-air by SAfm presenter John Perlman. The matter caused a storm with other SABC journalists confirming the existence of the blacklist.
Zikalala also denied that such a list existed, but said that he was drawing up regulations to guide the use of analysts.
The two-person commission of inquiry into the matter was headed by the broadcaster’s former CEO Zwelakhe Sisulu, who was assisted by advocate Gilbert Marcus. Rhodes University professor of journalism Guy Berger provided expert advice.
The commission sat for almost three months and received 39 verbal submissions as well as one written submission. Kganyago told the Mail & Guardian that it was up to the SABC board to study the contents of the report and decide when to release it. He promised that Mpofu will meet his promise to “come back to the public” once the investigation was concluded.
When the matter first became public, Mpofu said “heads would roll” if the probe confirmed the existence of a blacklist.