It's the third embarrassing public gaff by Ellen Zandile Tshabala since her appointment as SABC chairperson, making outlandish, outrageous, extreme, and downright wrong claims and statements which afterwards are spinned as "being taken out of context".
- Ellen Zandile Tshabalala's first embarrassing OOPS! Blames Apartheid era tests for SABC's lack of skills.
- Ellen Zandile Tshabalala's second embarrassing OOPS! : Asks voters to vote for the ANC.
Ellen Zandile Tshabalala's ongoing outrageous claims and statements are similar to the SABC's enfant terrible, the famously matricless acting chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng - for whom Ellen Zandile Tshabalala has been covering.
According to a report in the Mail & Guardian newspaper, Ellen Zandile Tshabalala warned SABC journalists and editors that they should stop leaking information and information about the SABC, because the SABC is what is known as a "National Keypoint".
Ellen Zandile Tshabalala reportedly warned SABC editors and journalists that they should stop leaking information about the SABC because they are being spied on and their phones being listened to by the National Intelligence Agency (NIA).
Ellen Zandile Tshabalala reportedly warned SABC editors and journalists to respect the ruling party, meaning the ANC.
Several SABC news staff independently confirmed and corroborated the same version of events and what was said by Ellen Zandile Tshabalala.
TV with Thinus asked the SABC if the broadcaster can confirm that Ellen Zandile Tshabalala told SABC personnel that the SABC is a national keypoint.
The SABC says "no we cannot confirm that".
The SABC was asked if it can confirm that Ellen Zandile Tshabalala told SABc personnel that their phones are being listened to by the National Intelligence Agency. The SABC says "no we cannot confirm that".
