Helen Suzman Foundation launches court case against SABC censorship

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Helen Suzman Foundation launches court case against SABC censorship --

Wed, 06 Jul 2016 12:11

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On Monday 4 July, News24 reported that the Helen Suzman Foundation (HSF) has launched an urgent court bid to stop the SABC from implementing its decision to censor reporting of protests.

The application is against the SABC, its board, COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng and Communications Minister Faith Muthambi, the HSF said in a statement on Monday.

It would be heard in the High Court in Pretoria. The provisional court date is set for 29 July, but it could be moved forward pending the availability of lawyers.

It is impermissible for the SABC to distort or refuse to cover important news, as a result of political partisanship or otherwise Very worryingly, it appears that this censorship is politically motivated.

The HSF wanted to halt implementation of Motsoeneng s decision, pending the final determination of review proceedings it had launched, or the outcome of the Independent Communications Authority of SA s (Icasa) hearing into the matter. The SOS coalition and Media Monitoring Africa brought a complaint to Icasa.

The HSF seeks wide-ranging relief on an urgent basis, suspending the implementation of the SABCs policy and practice not to cover violent and other protests, as well as relief preventing the SABC from adopting or implementing any censorship policy which would be contrary to the mandate of the public broadcaster, the foundation said.

It said the SABC, as a public broadcaster, was obligated to cover events of national and public importance. These included political protests and news which might portray the presidency or any political party in a negative light.

The HSF said it believed in an open and democratic society, the protection of the rights to freedom of expression, a free press, and the ability to receive information freely.

Censorship, by the public broadcaster no less, strikes at the very heart of these rights, and undermines and erodes our constitutional democracy, it said.

Source: News24

In other related happenings on Monday, News24 reported that former Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi also intends asking the Constitutional Court to reverse the SABC s decision to stop showing footage of violent protests.

If they (SABC) hide some images away, if there is instructions to journalists not to cover some political parties, it only means we can never have a free and fair election, he said on Monday. Vavi was at the SABC s Johannesburg office for a scheduled meeting with its COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

Minutes before the meeting was scheduled to start, Motsoeneng called to cancel. Hlaudi, himself, suggested that we come see him today at 12h00 so that he can respond to our question as to why suspension action against journalists could not be lifted with immediate effect. Vavi said Motsoeneng had claimed he had no involvement with any action against journalists and that he would receive more detail from his management.

Just as we were coming over, he called. I suspected that was going to be the case. He said sorry we can t see you because the management says we shouldn t see you. They insist that they proceed with a disciplinary hearing against the six. He dropped the call, Vavi told journalists.

Vavi said there would be more mass action against the SABC in the weeks to come. There will be more court orders. There will be more presentations to Icasa and more engagement with everyone that matters out there, he said.

Protests were held at the public broadcaster s offices in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban on Friday. A seventh SABC journalist, Lukhanyo Calata, was reportedly also charged on Monday after he joined the Cape Town protest.

Source: News24

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