The South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) on Monday warned the ANC's incompetent looking new publicist Pule Mabe to stop threatening the SABC and SABC News reporters from how the SABC, SABC News and the public broadcaster's journalists should or shouldn't be reporting on the #ZumaMustGo campaign against South African president Jacob Zuma.
Sanef told Pule Mabe to stop "infringing on the SABC's right to cover stories it deems important".
Sam Mkokeli, Sanef media freedom sub-committee chairperson, says Pule Mabe has been "critical of the SABC coverage of a dissident group claiming to be ANC and SA Communist Party (SACP) members, calling themselves the #ZumaMustGo campaign".
"Pule Mabe has strongly taken issue with the SABC covering the press conference. He has argued that the people covered have no mandate to talk and are not in formal ANC structures," said Sam Mkokeli.
"Sanef believes that the SABC must be allowed to exercise its editorial independence to cover the stories it deems fit, including of dissident ANC and SACP members."
"The ANC has the right to contest the coverage of the SABC, but it should never infringe on the SABC’s right to cover the stories it deems important. Also, it should never intimidate or threaten SABC journalists."
Sanef says the role of the SABC as South Africa’s public broadcaster "is critical, particularly during these turbulent and uncertain political times".
"Frank, robust relations between the ruling party and the SABC are essential. However, what must be jealously guarded is the SABC’s right to choose the stories it wishes to broadcast and its right to report without fear or favour."
