Zuma upset by SABC snub
2005-12-18 22:11
Johannesburg - Jacob Zuma is angry with the SABC because they cancelled an interview with him as "newsmaker of the year".
Former jounalist Ranjeni Munusamy, now a Zuma aide, said Zuma plans to write to SABC chief Dali Mpufu and board chairman Eddie Funde on Monday to ask why the planned interview was cancelled at the last minute.
"Although the contents of the planned interview - regarding the questions which would have been asked - had not been cleared, the SABC had made it clear that Zuma would have participated as the newsmaker of the year.
The broad concept was clear - Zuma would have talked about the things that happened to him during the past year," said Munusamy.
She said "one of the producers" at the SABC called her about 21:00 on Wednesday to inform her that the interview would not take place.
Acting SABC spokesperson Lesego Mncwango could not be reached for comment on Sunday. He earlier told the Sunday Independent there were two reasons for the decision.
Firstly, Zuma responded to the invitation too late, and secondly, the invitation was sent "before Zuma was charged with rape".
Mncwango said it would have been impossible to discuss certain things without breaking the sub judice rule.
Munusamy said this didn't bother the SABC earlier, when it interviewed Zuma after he was charged with corruption.
The manner in which the interview was scrapped, made her suspect that "somebody higher up" had demanded that the interview be cancelled.