Zikalala got off lightly - MPs

2008-02-26 21:05

Cape Town - The SABC should have imposed a heavy punishment on its head of news Snuki Zikalala for his role in the SABC's black-list saga, MPs said on Tuesday.

Speaking during the SABC's briefing to the national assembly's communication committee, ANC MP Kgotso Khumalo said it was unacceptable that the SABC management had not taken stern action against Zikalala for blacklisting certain commentators.

"No action seem to have been taken. It is unacceptable that Zikalala blacklisted people because they did not agree with his views," he said.

Despite the SABC's chief executive Dali Mpofu having promised to take action, nothing had been done.

However, Mpofu disagreed, saying disciplinary measures were taken against Zikalala.

"There was a verbal warning, surely, that does not amount to no action," he said.

Zikalala cleared

He said the Sisulu Commission, which was set up to investigate whether Zikalala had blacklisted certain individuals, had cleared Zikalala on the main allegation of political bias.

"There was no evidence to support allegation of political bias by Zikalala," he said.

Democratic Alliance MP Dene Smuts concurred with Khumalo, saying the SABC management had failed to punish Zikalala appropriately despite evidence showing that he indeed blacklisted certain people.

"He received a slap on the wrist," she said.

On Zikalala's orders, Aubrey Matshiqi, an independent political analyst, William Gumede, author of a book on President Thabo Mbeki, and Business Day staff members Vukani Mde and Karima Brown were blacklisted by the SABC in 2006.

- SAPA