Release SABC report - editors
2006-10-15 22:48
Johannesburg - The South African National Editors' Forum (Sanef) on Sunday welcomed the Johannesburg High Court's dismissal of SABC's application to have its "blacklisting" report removed from the Mail&Guardian newspaper's website.
"Sanef is astounded at the SABC's refusal to publish the full report in the light of the recommendation by the commissioners, former SABC boss Zwelakhe Sisulu and advocate Gilbert Marcus," said Sanef deputy chair Thabo Leshilo in a statement that called for the SABC to release the report.
Early on Sunday morning, Judge Zukiswa Tshiqi dismissed the SABC's urgent application to have the report on the alleged blacklisting of political commentators removed from the newspaper's website.
"The commissioners recommended that the report was manifestly in the public interest and should be made available to the entire public while the judge said it 'was crucial that the commissioners had made that recommendation'," said Leshilo.
Sanef said the major finding of the commission - that several commentators were blacklisted for "impermissible reasons" - reflected "unacceptable journalistic practice".
"It was all the more objectionable because their exclusion was by the public broadcaster which has a duty to encourage the widest range of comment on current affairs".
- SAPA