SABC facing legal action over censorship

The Helen Suzman Foundation (HSF) has threatened legal action against the SABC should it not ‘desist from implementing its statements and policy’ on the coverage of protests. A BDlive report notes the HSF – in a letter from Webber Wentzel – gave the broadcaster until 4pm today to give it a ‘written undertaking that it desist from these actions‚ failing which‚ the HSF may be forced to exercise its rights in law without delay’. ‘We have today written to the board and the chief operating officer stating our view that a list of eight actions by the SABC would be unconstitutional and unlawful‚’ HSF management said. They said they were ‘particularly appalled at two communications within the SABC‚ both of which are in the public realm’. The first‚ the HSF said, ‘is the memorandum from three senior employees to chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng‚ which contains the following passage: ‘…We feel aggrieved that the image of our institution and our journalistic integrity continues to be compromised by unconstitutional pronouncements that erode the credibility of the SABC and the journalistic integrity of all of us who work for it’. The trio have been suspended by the SABC. The second was acting group CEO Jimi Matthews’s letter of resignation: ‘…The prevailing corrosive atmosphere has impacted negatively on my moral judgement and has made me complicit in many decisions which I am not proud of… What is happening at the SABC is wrong and I can no longer be part of it’.