ALLEGATIONS OF POLITICAL INTERFERENCE AT SABC MUST BE LOOKED AT: MEDIA WATCHDOGS

This follows the public broadcaster's decision to fire head of news Phathiswa Magopeni with immediate effect, citing a breakdown of trust.

Veronica Mokhoali |

JOHANNESBURG - South African media watchdog groups are calling for allegations of political interference at the SABC to be taken seriously and be properly investigated.

This follows the public broadcaster's decision to fire head of news Phathiswa Magopeni with immediate effect, citing a breakdown of trust.

Magopeni was found guilty late last year of misconduct after she allowed Special Assignment to air an episode that the SABC had been interdicted from broadcasting.

Magopeni maintained she was sacked because she refused to take instructions from SABC CEO Madoda Mxakwe and Chairperson Bongumusa Makhathini over coverage of the ANC during local government elections last year.

POLITICAL AND EDITORIAL INTERFERENCE

The SABC says the decision was procedurally fair but claims of political and editorial interference continued to plague its newsroom.

Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula blamed the public broadcaster’s election coverage for the ANC’s poor showing at the polls.

Media Monitoring Africa’s Executive Director William Bird said he was concerned that the editorial independence of the SABC may once again be under threat.

“So, what we have to hope is that the SABC Board continues with those processes. Certainly, it’s in the public interest that those allegations are tested, that there’s a process where people can see what’s going on and we can find out, one way or the other, what actually transpired.”

The Right2Know campaign’s Dale McKinley said this was a setback in the efforts to restore the credibility of the SABC.

“This is important for all South Africans defend the public broadcaster as an institution, whatever the political interference. The legal challenge for this would be supported because I think these kinds of procedures and decisions cannot go unchallenged.”

Meanwhile, the South African National Editors Forum said it would support Magopeni in her appeal against her dismissal.