After failing once before and then ordered by the South Gauteng High Court that it definitely not only falls within the South African broadcasting regulator's scope but that it is in fact its responsibility, Icasa is now investigating South Africa's public broadcaster in a whole new case of blacklisting.
Icasa has ordered the SABC to provide full details as to why the beleaguered and scandal-prone broadcaster canned three newspaper journalists moments before the SABC was to have done a current affairs, studio-based roundtable discussion on the SAFM radio station in the run-up to the ANC Manguang conference to be held in a week's time.
Icasa has ordered the SABC to immediately provide the broadcasting regulator with all the facts around the incident so that Icasa can determine whether it constitutes a violation of its licence terms and conditions as well as the SABC's editorial policy.
Icasa has given the SABC a deadline of Tuesday 11 December by which SABC executives have to respond in full to the regulator about the latest shocking developments at the broadcaster which provoked an avalanche of criticm and unanimous and widespread condemnation from all corners of South African civil society.
Just weeks ago the SABC was forced to admit that widespread blacklisting took place at the SABC and that SABC employee and the conduct of the head of news was completely out of line with the Broadcasting Act.
