SABC news head 'disciplined'

2007-03-08 10:00

Johannesburg - SABC head of news Snuki Zikalala was warned that should blacklisting of political commentators by the public broadcaster occur again stronger action will be taken against him, SABC news reported on Wednesday.

Deputy minister of communications Radhakrishna Padayachie told parliament that Zikalala was given a verbal warning by the board after the findings of the Sisulu commission were made available.

"The board had decided that he should be given a verbal warning jointly by the group's CEO and the chairperson of the board. In respect of some of the issues raised in the Sisulu commission report which were indeed serious and certainly unacceptable to the board, that he be instructed to co-operate in the remedial steps that were recommended by the commission and that he be warned that should the conduct in question be found to occur in future, stronger action will be taken," said Padayachie.

Perlman knew of blacklist

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 last year.

SA FM presenter John Perlman confronted the SABC's spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago on the air, and said that he, Perlman, knew there was a blacklist, something Kganyago had denied.

SABC management set up a commission - under former SABC head Zwelakhe Sisulu and advocate Gilbert Marcus SC.

The commission found that an SABC media statement that there were no blanket bans on the use of individual commentators "avoided the issue" and was "misleading by omission".

The commission recommended that the SABC Board "take close cognisance" of concerns about Zikalala's management style, particularly regarding problems of communication and the "inappropriately narrow" interpretation of the SABC's mandate.

It nonetheless expressed confidence in Zikalala and his staff.

Perlman resigned in January 2007 after nine years of presenting the morning current affairs programme.

Media reports alleged that Perlman's resignation was linked to the blacklisting of commentators.

- SAPA