South Africa’s ruling ANC condemns public broadcaster for censorship, with refusal to show violent protests
South Africa’s ruling African National Congress on Tuesday blasted the public broadcaster for practising censorship by not broadcasting images of violent anti-state protests, after it was accused by opposition parties of pro-government bias as local elections approach.
The comments by ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu represent a U-turn and may point to schisms in the ANC, which in May welcomed the broadcast ban by the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) as the “best decision.”
“You can’t take that decision, in our view. That decision can be taken by the people of South Africa. Not anybody sitting in some cosy office to decide and be that arrogant and decide what it is that the people can see or not see,” he said.
SABC chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng, who has pushed through a number of policy changes at the broadcaster, is considered close to President Jacob Zuma, whose popularity has been sagging with record-high unemployment, a looming recession and a string of scandals.
Mthembu said the ANC would meet with Communications Minister Faith Muthambi on Monday to discuss the SABC, where the acting chief executive, a journalist, resigned last week, citing a “corrosive atmosphere”.
Outbursts of violence over the lack of services such as water or roads are common in South Africa, and in recent months have included the torching of schools and other property, both public and private.
The protests have taken on political significance before August 3 elections, which are expected to be the ANC’s sternest test at the polls since it came to power in 1994.
The SABC said its decision not to broadcast such incidents was an “editorial decision” and not a “policy issue.”
“It should be noted that the decision is not to censor any violent protests but not to glamorise the act of burning public property,” the SABC said in a statement.
Various civil society and media groups have protested the broadcast ban on civil disturbances by the SABC, which has the widest broadcasting reach in South Africa.
