SABC comes under fire

2007-03-02 17:18

Johannesburg - South Africa's public broadcaster SABC came under fire on Friday from media rights groups as a veteran anchor hung up his microphone following a run-in with management.

Freedom of Expression Institute activists staged a demonstration at the SAfm studios in Johannesburg as John Perlman bowed out after a decade presenting the country's main breakfast and talk show on the radio.

Perlman himself remained tight-lipped about the reasons for his departure but his decision has been widely interpreted as being prompted by a row about the blacklisting of guests who the presenter exposed on air.

Adverts were placed in newspapers on Friday alleging that Perlman had been "hounded off the air".

SABC brought itself into disrepute

The advert said: "Perlman is the latest in a long list of high-quality journalists who have been sidelined or hounded out of the organisation.

"The SABC has accused Perlman of bringing the organisation into disrepute. In fact the organisation has brought itself into disrepute.

"The current leadership has undermined our trust in the SABC, and in its ability to fulfil its constitutional mandate."

Perlman's contradiction

The advert was signed by a raft of public figures and organisations, including former president Nelson Mandela's lawyer George Bizoz and the Media Institute of Southern Africa.

Perlman fell foul of management last year when he directly contradicted an SABC spokesperson live on air who had denied claims that certain anti-government commentators were being gagged.

Although a subsequent inquiry cleared Perlman, SABC chief executive Dali Mpofu then accused him of bringing the corporation into disrepute.

After leaving the studios for the last time, Perlman refused to comment on the blacklist controversy but said that it was essential that the SABC could continue to be a forum for debate.

Perlman said: "People want to be heard, people want to ask questions on important issues. But I have a feeling they may not be having enough platform on which to express themselves."

'We wish him well'

SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago denied the presenter had been hounded out.

Kganyago said: "He (Perlman) said he wanted to pursue his personal goals when he tendered his resignation.

"We regret his departure and wish him well."

- AFP