R2K Statement: SABC stop self-censorship!
The Right2Know Campaign is highly dismayed by the SABC’s decision not to show footage of people burning public institutions in any of its news bulletins. This is a form of self-censorship and it’s unjustifiable.
As a national broadcaster, the SABC is mandated to broadcast the realities of everyday South Africans. Protests, violent or otherwise are our everyday reality. If they are newsworthy then they must be broadcasted regardless of the implications.
Airbrushing our community struggles will not make them disappear but will remove liability from those who should be held accountable for poor service delivery. Keeping the public in the dark will not stop communities from protesting because for most communities protest is the only tool available to them to get their voices heard.
The SABC is reverting back to being a propaganda machine for the government and failing its mandate of being unbiased. We demand accurate and objective news that reflects what is happening across the country. The SABC must promote freedom of expression by broadcasting all community news without being biased to the ruling party especially around the upcoming local government elections.
Statement by the SABC’s Chief Operations Officer, Hlaudi Motsoeneng that this is done “to educate the citizens” is flawed. Filtering the news will leave people on the ground less informed and oblivious to the failures of the state.
Motsoeneng must not treat the SABC as a private entity to please those who are in power but a public broadcaster that serves the people. This decision is a camouflage to protect the failing state in order to paint it in a good light. What happens when the violence is perpetrated by the police against civilians like they did in Marikana?
We call on the SABC board, the SABC editors and the Media Workers’ Union to put pressure on management to reverse this unconstitutional decision. As it contravenes the objectives of the Broadcasting Act. We also call on SABC reporters to take courage and resist these acts of censorship and interference in your right to tell South Africans the whole truth. South African citizens must protest against this decision at SABC offices across the country.
