The South African public broadcaster has apparently fired its political editor, Dumisani Hlophe, after just 5 months, according to reports.
With his axing coming in 2019 as a national election year for the country, the firing of Dumisani Hlophe - irrespective of the reasons - will raise further concerns and questions about the credibility of the SABC's SABC News division.
Dumisani Hlophe was appointed as the SABC's political editor in September 2018 with the SABC and the SABC's head of news and current affairs, Phathiswa Magopeni, who at the time said that "his appointment [is] yet another step taken by the public news service to consolidate its position as an independent and impartial news provider".
"We are therefore confident that with the experience and political expertise he brings, Dumisani Hlophe will add value to our political coverage, especially with general elections coming in 2019."
The Democratic Alliance (DA) political party at the time criticised Dumisani Hlophe's appointment as a "step backwards" for South Africa due to his apparent bias towards the media and political parties.
Sunday World first reported the news about Dumisani Hlophe's apparent firing, with the SABC that has decided to remain silent about a crucial aspect of its editorial SABC News service, unwilling to as of yet confirm or deny Dumisani Hlope's axing.
Dumisani Hlophe, on long leave, was apparently fired over alleged "poor performance", and he was reportedly "managed out" after allegedly "struggling to cope" in the position of political editor.
