SABC2's 50/50 slammed by the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa for not being fair and balanced in Rhino Force story.

The SABC and its current affair show 50/50 has been slammed by the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA) which found that SABC2's environmental current affairs programme was not fair and balanced in a story over bracelet manufacturers Rhino Force.

Rhino Force complained to the BCCSA about a story regarding the sale of bracelets to raise funds to save rhinos from poaching.

"The interview was not balanced in spite of the SABC's production team being provided with facts that demonstrated the complainant's honesty, the programme nevertheless projected an image of dishonesty," the BCCSA said in its ruling, which reprimanded the South African public broadcaster.

The BCCSA in its ruling said that errors of fact in SABC2's 50/50, along with the omission of relevant material and facts and a story which is not fair and balanced, amounted to a contravention of the Code of Conduct.

"Omissions from the full interview caused an imbalance in the interview as broadcast," the BBCSA's tribunal found.

"Furthermore, negative comments made by the anchors after the broadcast were likely to have strengthened doubts concerning the integrity of the company," the BCCSA found.