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FORMER head of radio news at the SABC, Snuki Zikalala, returns to the corporation as managing director for both radio and TV news. He immediately vowed to turn the public broadcaster into a fearless watchdog against, among other things, corruption and unfair labour practices.

Zikalala responded to fears by opposition political parties that the public broadcaster might be turned into an ANC mouth-piece. Zikalala is a staunch ANC member and former UMkhonto weSizwe commander.

He said he didn't understand why certain people were concerned about his party allegiance. "No one is independent in the whole world but when journalists report they don't show their political allegiances."

He said under his leadership there was no chance the SABC would turn the broadcaster into a party (ANC) broadcaster. He said there were broadcasting laws which he, as a journalist, would follow.

"As a journalist I am going to expose all forms of corruption in government and the private sector. Seventy percent of the population of this country have voted the ANC. I lost my youth fighting for this country. Why would I allow this organisation to disappoint so many people who voted for it".

City Press reported in February that the new board was trying to lure back Zikalala and two former staffers, Miranda Strydom and Makhosini Nkosi, to the public broadcaster. Zikalala is currently spokesperson for the national labour department and Strydom and Nkosi hold similar positions at the public enterprise ministry and national prosecution authorities respectively. At the time of the report in February, the chief executive of the SABC went on air denying the report and demanded an apology from City Press. On Friday the SABC released a statement to certain news agencies announcing the appointment of Zikalala.

Zikalala said he was sad to be leaving behind Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana, a man he worked "very well with".

The main challenges he hopes to tackle immediately when he begins work on May 1 are to strengthen and build capacity in the newsroom, he said.

With his knowledge on how sectoral education training authorities (SETAs) work, he said he plans to concentrate on skills development - to counter the prevalent juniorisation in the newsroom. Tightening the accuracy of reporting was also top in the list of his priorities, he said.

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