The eNCA said the graphic visuals shown on 16 August were the fault of a producer.
The error led to viewers being subjected to a sudden scene of a dead or mortally wounded person, the BCCSA ruled in its judgement, following a viewer's complaint.
The complaint stated that the eNCA's graphic scenes of the South African police killing 34 mineworkers at Lonmin's Marikana mine was very graphic and unacceptable, and that the eNCA failed to warn viewers beforehand about the graphic nature of the visuals.
The eNCA said the visuals were a direct feed from its satellite van in Marikana and that no actual dying moment was shown. "No graphic violence was actually shown," the eNCA said in its submission to the BCCSA. "The offending visuals were only five seconds in duration."
The eNCA said that the graphic scenes were immediately taken off the air and were not repeated. According to the eNCA a producer is at fault. The producer decided to show the shooting due to public interest in the story.
The BCCSA said South African broadcasters need to learn from the Marikana mine massacre on how to correctly deal in terms of production and broadcasting in case there's similar future incidents.
