by Thinus Ferreira
While South Africa's public broadcaster wants to keep the proceedings and what is being said and revealed in the upcoming disciplinary hearing of its SABC news boss Phathiswa Magopeni secret, lawyers for the South African National Editors' Forum and the Campaign for Free Expression (CFE) are now taking action and demanding that the media be allowed to attend.
Phathiswa Magopeni responded after she was slapped with a disciplinary hearing - set for 17 December that looks like it's a SABC witch-hunt - for allegedly bringing the SABC into disrepute and for alleged negligence.
It comes after an episode about tow trucking was broadcast in November on Special Assignment while a court interdict was in effect against the investigative magazine show.
Gugu Ntuli, SABC spokesperson, initially wouldn't comment on the latest SABC and SABC News scandal about alleged editorial interference.
Last week the SABC finally responded only to say it
won't comment on the case, with the SABC board noting that it takes Phathiswa Magopeni's allegations of editorial interference at SABC News "seriously".
Now the South African National Editors' Forum (Sanef) and the Campaign
for Free Expression (CFE) are demanding that the media is given access to Phathiswa Magopeni's disciplinary hearing, and that the hearing takes place openly and transparently.
"An open and
transparent process will not only assist the public to make up its mind on the
case, but it will also aid the SABC to dispel the perception that the process
is part of a political witch-hunt," says Sbu Ngalwa, Sanef chairperson.
"Sanef reiterates its respect for the SABC's internal
processes and being able to hold staff accountable - hence we are not calling
for the disciplinary action to be abandoned but rather for it to be open to the
public as the issues at hand are a matter of great public interest."
Anton Harber, CFE executive director, says "Too much is at stake for this to happen
behind closed doors".
"Phathiswa Magopeni has said that she is being hounded out because
she has resisted political interference. We need the public to see if this is a
return to the days when factional politics dominated the SABC and buried its
public service mandate."
Lawyers for Sanef and
CFE have written to the chair of the hearing, Advocate Nazeer Cassim, to ask
that the media be allowed to attend the proceedings.
Nazeer Cassim has asked the Sanef and CFE legal team to argue the case for openness when the hearing begins on 17 December.
The SABC has already refused a Sanef request to open the hearings and are therefore expected to oppose the call for openness and transparency.
"The South African public broadcaster is no ordinary employer," Sanef and CFE say in a media statement.
"The
public broadcaster plays a unique role in South Africa’s deliberative
democracy, which it can either foster or undermine. Phathiswa Magopeni's grievance squarely impugns the SABC's impartiality and independence."
"Whether she indeed acted negligently in breaching a court order
is a matter of public interest."
"The SABC has been on the right course to restore its public
service values and to reverse the damage caused by years of political
interference and manipulation. As a society we must be vigilant to prevent
this from happening again.
ALSO READ: Scared SABC News boss Phathiswa Magopeni details shocking allegations of editorial interference by SABC chairperson Bongumusa Makhathini and CEO Madoda Mxakwe who pressured for ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa to do an election interview.
ALSO READ: SABC board says its takes SABC News boss Phathiswa Magopeni's allegations of editorial interference atSABC News of SABC CEO Madoda Mxakwe and SABC chairperson Bongumusa Makhathini 'seriously' but 'won't comment further at this stage'.
