The SABC on Wednesday refuted allegations that its group head of news, Snuki Zikalala, manipulated content for political purposes.
The Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI) had accused the public broadcaster and Zikalala of this at a hearing by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa’s (Icasa) Complaints Compliance Committee in Sandton earlier.
SABC counsel Ishmael Semenya said Zikalala was entitled to ask that certain commentators not be used in terms of his editorial independence.
Zikalala had supplied reasons for his decisions so that they were not irrational, he continued.
These varied between concerns about research capacity (Aubrey Matshiqi), accuracy (journalist Karima Brown) and bias (Middle Eastern freelancer Paula Slier).
The SABC gave KwaZulu-Natal Premier S’bu Ndebele screen time to comment on being pelted at a stadium in the interest of editorial balance.
Semenya said that contrary to the FXI submission, the SABC did in fact show Ndebele being pelted and running for cover under a table that was carried over his head.
The SABC never threatened disciplinary action against journalist Mandla Zembe, and senior news staffer Pippa Green for reporting on the stadium incident, as alleged.
In fact, Zembe never stated this as a reason for leaving the public broadcaster, and had said he wanted to return to cover the April elections.
On accusations that its coverage of the 2005 Zimbabwe elections was biased towards Robert Mugabe, he said Green had actually congratulated the team for their good reports.
Earlier, the commission heard from the FXI’s counsel Wim Trengove, of a complaint over the matter by Green.
But, said Semenya: ”She is making the case for the SABC that the reports on Zimbabwe were fair and balanced and done in an independent way.”
He said neither the complaints commission nor Icasa could tell the SABC how it should cover stories because these were the SABC’s own independent editorial decisions.
Icasa could also not order them to remedy anything, or take disciplinary action against Zikalala because that was the job of the SABC’s own internal mechanism.
He denied that the SABC lied in a statement that there was no blanket ban on certain political commentators.
Excluding some commentators could not be considered a blanket ban.
Trying to get a court interdict to prevent the Mail & Guardian from publishing the findings of its own commission of enquiry on the allegations was not improper. The SABC had a right to protect its own proprietary material.
Former SAfm host John Perlman was not denied freedom of expression when he discussed the matter on air. He was allowed to talk when he interviewed SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago on the ”blacklist” and contradicted him on air.
The commission adjourned on Wednesday to find on its findings.
The SABC is accused of violating its own licences, the Broadcasting Act, the Icasa code of conduct for broadcasters and the SABC’s own editorial code. — Sapa