South Africa: SABC says no ban on Mbeki

The SABC board has vowed to investigate allegations that the broadcaster's acting head of news, Phil Molefe, has banned staff at the national broadcaster from interviewing former president Thabo Mbeki. The Sunday Times reported that Molefe ordered news executives to stop interviewing Mbeki on all SABC radio stations and television channels.

Molefe, reportedly on instruction from ANC headquarters,  told senior news executives that Mbeki's appearance on SABC channels ''undermined" his successor, President Jacob Zuma.

SABC board chairman Ben Ngubane said: "I will find out what is happening. It's not editorial policy to do such things. He [Molefe] hasn't told me that."

A senior SABC executive, who spoke on condition of anonymity,  told The Times that there was no truth in reports that Molefe ''banned" Mbeki from being interviewed, adding that the SABC had no reason to gag him.  DA chief whip Ian Davidson said the party will ask Molefe to appear before the parliamentary portfolio committee on communications to explain the "disturbing and scandalous" reports that he had banned Mbeki from SABC television and radio channels, on instruction from Luthuli House.
The SABC denied the allegation made in the Sunday Times article, in a strongly worded statement issued by spokesman Kaizer Kganyago.

- August 09, 2010 by MISA South Africa

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Source: www.misa.org  (received via email alert on 09.08.2010)