As background: The doccie, about 330 000 South Africans allegedly dying because of HIV/Aids related issues due to a loack of support of the previous president Thabo Mbeki, was allegedly supposed to be broadcast on SABC, but the SABC allegedly decided to can it. E.tv's 3rd Degree will now show it TONIGHT.
In a strong worded rebuttal the SABC just said that the broadcaster - as represented by the head of current affairs - looked at the documentary in question and decided that there were ''issues of balance that needed attention before it was ready for air''.
According to the SABC, these issues were raised with the producers.
The SABC says the doccie was ''flagrantly flouting'' the basic principles of fairness and balance. ''Both former president Mbeki and former health minister dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang were not afforded a chance to counter the allegations against them.''
The public broadcaster says: ''independent producers do not have an automatic platform on [sic] SABC. Their content has to be subjected to the SABC's own internal editorial policies as it was unsolicited material.''
