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SABC 'blacklisted commentators'
13/10/2006 09:47 - (SA)
Johannesburg - The SABC has blacklisted certain commentators and analysts, albeit not officially, an inquiry into claims made earlier this year has found.
It determined that AM Live anchor John Perlman was right when he stated that blacklisting of commentators and analysts was happening in practice "by instruction".
Where instructions were given not to use particular analysts on specific topics, "these instructions were not always (objectively) justifiable," the SABC disclosed on Thursday.
SABC group executive Dali Mpofu has now been tasked by the SABC board with taking "whatever steps he deems necessary".
Commission
SABC management set up a commission - under former SABC head Zwelakhe Sisulu and advocate Gilbert Marcus SC - after complaints about a ruling, allegedly by news head Snuki Zikalala, that certain commentators and analysts not be used because they were critical of President Thabo Mbeki.
They apparently included independent political analyst Aubrey Matshiqi; the author of a book on Mbeki, William Gumede; and Business Day staff members Vukani Mde and Karima Brown.
The move, in June, came shortly after the SABC "canned" an independently made documentary about Mbeki, and was criticised for this by the Congress of SA Trade Unions, and the Democratic Alliance and other opposition parties.
SABC statement 'misleading'
Mpofu, who received the commission's report last week, released its key findings and recommendations on Thursday, explaining that the full report was based on untested evidence obtained in an internal process.
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".
"Mr Perlman's position was in conformity with the factual situation," the report read.
The exclusion as an analyst of Brown over questions around her credibility was not accepted by the commission.
No 'blanket ban'
Although there was no "blanket ban" on the use of Matshiqi, the commission rejected his exclusion over concerns about some of his remarks, that he was used too often and had no research capacity.
It held that concerns voiced by Zikalala about the authenticity of Gumede's book - and therefore his credibility - amounted to an instruction to exclude him.
A direct instruction not to use Paula Slier for news reporting because of alleged bias was found to be improper and against SABC policy.
On the use of Sipho Seepe, the commission determined that Zikalala's questioning of his partiality was tantamount to an instruction not to use him.
It also found that the reasons for the exclusion of Zimbabwe commentators Moeletsi Mbeki, Elinor Sisulu and Trevor Ncube were not objectively justifiable.
No political motive found
The commission could not find any political motive or pattern behind the exclusions and could not conclude that there was an undue pro-government leaning by Zikalala.
It criticised the way in which the exclusions were carried out, particularly the failure to adequately communicate the reasons downwards.
The commission recommended that anyone instructed not to use a particular analyst be entitled to ask and receive written reasons.
Guidelines
It also suggested the development of guidelines on the use of commentators and analysts, regular audits of their use, and the training of reporters on interviewing them.
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.
It noted that they operated "under very difficult circumstances in an environment that is... always challenging the integrity of the public broadcaster for various reasons, some of them political".
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