Following the death of Nelson Mandela, the SABC is simulcasting the SABC News feed across all three of its other TV channels - SABC1, SABC2 and SABC3 - and has been unwilling or unable to give and provide any programming specifics and details of any special programming, schedules and times as the public broadcaster also suspended all commercials.
While other broadcasters and TV channels were quick to inform the media, press and TV critics of exactly what TV specials, documentaries, special programming and coverage they're doing, when it will be shown and what it entails, the SABC remained silent for the entire Friday.
The SABC only issued a basic press statement at 15:00 on Friday about Nelson Mandela - also way past other broadcasters, TV channels and companies within South Africa's television industry who all reacted appropriately and swiftly - and which made the SABC look incompetent, unresponsive and clueless.
In an extremely incompetent manner, the SABC's marketing and publicity departments completely failed in issuing any schedules or highlights details regarding any coverage of Nelson Mandela on Friday, or for Saturday and Sunday by the close of business on Friday.
Despite numerous media enquiries about what the SABC is showing and will be showing none of the publicity and marketing executives at any of the SABC's channels or the SABC responded on Friday with any specific programming details for what the SABC is showing on Friday or will be showing on Saturday and Sunday regarding Nelson Mandela.
The SABC apparently prepared and worked on plans for covering the passing of Nelson Mandela but there appears to be no plan and strategic, concerted publicity and marketing effort or plan to relay that schedule, programming and coverage information to South Africa's press in order to inform viewers when to tune in to see what.
