Reporters from eNCA, SABC News and Newzroom Africa embedded with Gift of the Givers and flown to Türkiye to profile organisation's relief work after earthquakes.

by Thinus Ferreira

The disaster relief organisation Gift of the Givers has invited and flown a South African TV news reporter from each of the country's three TV news channels to Türkiye to profile and report on the organisation's humanitarian efforts there following the series of devastating earthquakes in that country this week.

The SABC News (DStv 404) senior reporter Chriselda Lewis, the eNCA (DStv 403) senior reporter Dasen Thathiah, and the Newzroom Afrika (DStv 405) reporter Ahmed Kajee have all been invited by Gift of the Givers and are being flown to Türkiye to witness its support in that country's rescue and recovery efforts.

By Wednesday morning the death toll in Turkey has grown to over 11 000 people after massive earthquakes rocked parts of Southern Turkey and northern Syria on Monday.

The three South African TV reporters are on the same Turkish Airlines plane from Johannesburg as Gift of the Givers staff and their equipment - 50 tons of medical and rescue equipment - all going to Turkey to offer assistance as part of a 30-person team from South Africa, with dr Ahmed Bham leading the urban search and rescue team.

The Johannesburg plane left at 20:00 on Tuesday night for a 9-hour flight, with Gift of the Givers staff from a Cape Town flight also joining them in Turkey.

All three reporters did live reports and interviews on Tuesday evening from OR Tambo airport in Johannesburg or from inside the plane with their respective TV news channels before the flight departed. 

SABC COO claims SABC News newsroom has been ‘unlawfully captured’, says use of eNCA during blackout was just a joke while shocked staffers are speaking out about chillingly cold retrenchment letters telling them they're terminated.

by Thinus Ferreira

The SABC's top management is furious over the broadcast on SABC News of senior reporter Chriselda Lewis who took executives to task during a heated staff meeting inside the SABC's Auckland Park newsroom with Ian Plaatjes, SABC COO, who shockingly told parliament on Wednesday night that SABC news staff have "unlawfully captured" the public broadcaster's newsroom.

Meanwhile SABC staff are speaking out about the "chillingly cold" retrenchment letters they've received, telling them they're terminated.

The SABC is once again embroiled in palace intrigue and internal upheaval after the SABC's senior management went ahead with issuing section 189 letters as part of a retrenchment process to get rid of 400 workers at the financially struggling broadcaster.

The SABC board will now convene for an urgent and special meeting on Thursday to discuss the fractured retrenchment at the beleaguered public broadcaster.

On Tuesday SABC staff threatened a blackout of the broadcaster's SABC News (DStv 404) channel within 48 hours, after which Ian Plaatjes in a private meeting told Phathishwa Magopeni as the SABC News boss, that the SABC should consider using the channel feed of the rival commercial TV news channel eNCA (DStv 403).

With tensions and anxiety high over the retrenchment process, Ian Plaatjes told parliament on Wednesday night that he was just making a joke. "It was in jest. And in fact, the meeting that I had with the SABC News boss was to ensure that we do develop a robust plan to prevent a blackout situation".

"The fact that we've been threatened that within 48 hours we would have a blackout - we are talking about SABC News (DStv 404) that the news people have threatened with a blackout - which is why I had the meeting with Phathiswa Magopeni."

"The incident we saw yesterday [Tuesday] is that the SABC News team unlawfully captured the news platform and we certainly need to have mitigating actions to prevent that," Ian Plaatjes told parliament's portfolio committee on communications."

Mary Papayya, SABC board member asked "Who must be held accountable for what the South African public saw - the SABC making the news headlines when it should be the other way round - keeping the people informed with news and current affairs?", referring to the emotional Chrisela Lewis moment where the veteran journalist spoke truth to power that got airplay on not just the SABC but multiple other channels like eNCA and Newzroom Afrika.

Speaking about the dire situation of the SABC, board member Michael Markovitz said "We are the ones who effectively arrived on the scene of a car crash and are being blamed for the car crash. And I think that's unfair. We've all put up our hands to be public servants and to try and solve these problems".

"The SABC made a loss of R500 million. We are projected to make another loss of R1.2 billion. At what point does a director who's carrying personal liability not put up their hand and say 'If we don't take the tough decisions, are we going to be declared delinquent down the line?"

Chilling cold SABC retrenchment letters

Meanwhile bewildered SABC staff are wondering what exactly is going on or what the future holds for them with retrenchment letters that have been handed out and SABC top management that told staff in an internal memo on Wednesday that the section 189 process is continuing.

Besides the TV division, SABC radio staff were told they're out of jobs by the end of the year. 

At Umhlobo Wenene FM serving the Eastern Cape, 12 out of 14 staff received letters. The exact same scenario happened at the SABC's other 11 radio stations like Channel Africa, the SABC's pan-African radio station where everyone except 4 workers received letters.

At the SABC's RSG Afrikaans radio station where two of the 16 positions are vacant, everybody got retrenchment letters except for 2: RSG station manager Magdaleen Kruger and the secretary.

Magdaleen Kruger on radio said that there's been no consultation between the SABC's top management and the broadcaster's radio stations. "Nobody sat and talked and asked 'Are these the positions that could go and are these the new jobs that are needed?' There are jobs that are not required but which are in the new organogram".

"We are trying as SABC radio stations to get a discussion with the SABC's head of radio and the SABC's top management so that we can talk to them about the problems that we have because they're placing us in a difficult position."

"At RSG the 5 permanent presenters - Martelize Brink, Johan Rademan, Fritz Klaaste, Jacqui January and Haidee Muller - all got letters, chilling, cold letters just saying your service is herewith terminated from 1 December," said Magdaleen Kruger.

"As we sit here, if the situation remains, after 1 January 2021 I don't know what we'll do to keep RSG on air." 

She explained that all of the SABC radio stations were called together, "something was thrown on the screen of this is how the new structure would look, no feedback, you can write to us. But that was the last. There was no discussion, no interaction radio station per radio station."

"Every SABC radio station is different. We're 11 radio stations with 11 cultures and 11 languages. It now looks as if they took a one-fits-all that heavily leans on the commercial station mold. So, the radio stations who gave feedback like RSG did twice, have been ignored. It's as if it was just a motion they went through."

"So that's our big problem: It doesn't help that we go into a new SABC structure and the new structure isn't really workable. It needs a bit of tweaking. We're trying to get management to listen to our radio stations so that we can show them the problem points and the challenges - can't we find solutions?" 

SABC News anchors Peter Ndoro and Francis Herd moved to 9pm on SABC3 as news bulletin is late-shifted; Chriselda Lewis and Aldrin Sampear now anchoring weekends.

With the SABC moving its flagship English language TV news bulletin from 18:00 to 21:00 on SABC3, it has forced the News @ 6 co-anchors Peter Ndoro and Francis Herd to move to the new later timeslot as well.

On weekends the accomplished and proven Chriselda Lewis (pictured) is now being paired with Aldrin Sampear and the two will now co-anchoring the news at 21:00 on SABC3 and SABC News (DStv 404).

It's the latest that the SABC has ever scheduled a full TV news bulletin on the public broadcaster, with ratings that will likely go down further as the late-night appetite from viewers for news shrinks this late during the day.

SABC3 is also starting a new current affairs show, Frankly Speaking on Sundays at 20:30 from 11 February as an interactive show using Skype and social media to hear from participants watching it.

Onkgopotse JJ Tabane is the presenter of Frankly Speaking and will look at news and current affairs issues.

eNCA says it won't show viewers the photographs of the dead Reeva Steenkamp; SABC News shows blurred images; Sky News says 'gruesome' images not nice.

eNCA (DStv 403) on Wednesday says the TV news channel will not show viewers the gruesome and mutilated police photographs of a dead, bullet-wound filled Reeva Steenkamp while SABC News (DStv 404) showed viewers the images blurred with a warning, and Sky News (DStv 402) said the gruesome images are "not nice".

TV channels and media in South Africa who want to, can now show 6 shocking, selected police photographs that form part of the submitted evidence in the sensational Oscar Pistorius trial, previously banned by Judge Thokozile Masipa.

Reeva Steenkamp's parents, June and Barry Steenkamp, had the grim task of going through the sets of photographs and choose the 6 they want to share with the media and the public.

On Wednesday Judge Thokozile Masipa said media that wants to, can show the 6 released images, after Reeva Steenkamp's family like her father Barry Steenkamp on Tuesday asked for people to see the images to understand the excruciating pain her parents and family are experiencing daily.

"These photographs happen to be part of the evidence which is a public record," said Judge Thokozile Masipa.

"Initially not to make the photographs public was to protect the integrity of the family of the deceased. If the family of the deceased now feels that that protection is no longer necessary, it's not for me to interfere with that decision. For that reason I shall grant the request," said Judge Thokozile Masipa.


eNCA on Wednesday evening told viewers that "eNCA has the photographs but has decided not to show them on air. The channel does not believe that it is in the public interest to broadcast the images."


On Wednesday evening Sky News' Jeremy Thompson anchoring from outside the North Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg court this week, told viewers that "these pictures, basically restricted before, are basically close-ups of Reeva Steenkamp, with the bullet wounds. And they're gruesome pictures."

"We've seen them and I wouldn't want most people to see them. They're not nice," Jeremy Thompson said.


SABC News on Wednesday warned viewers that "some of the following visuals may upset sensitive viewers" in an excellent summary story of the day's court proceedings that was filed by Chriselda Lewis.

The warning likely also had to do with showing video of Oscar Pistorius waddling around on his stumps in court - the filed SABC News story showed some of the jaw-dropping scenes inside the court room on Wednesday when Reeve Steenkamp's killer removed his prosthetic legs.

In April 2014 both eNCA and the Oscar Pistorius Trial TV channel - produced by Combined Artistic Productions on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform - showed viewers one of the highly disturbing images of a bloodied Reeva Steenkamp's head wound without any prior warning to viewers.

eNCA blamed the Combined Artistic Productions Oscar Pistorius Trial TV channel which was providing the channel feed it was using.

Sky News, in a filed and edited story included the images on the same day, but blurred it.

In May 2013 Sky News showed viewers some of the blood-smeared rooms inside Oscar Pistorius' home.

Two Zimbabweans, Alfred Ndlovu and Clement Ncube, sentenced to 15 years in prison each for robbing the SABC editor Vuyo Mvoko and crew live on-air.

Two Zimbabweans, Alfred Ndlovu and Clement Ncube have been sentenced for 15 years in prison for the brazen robbery captured and broadcast live on-air on the SABC of the SABC contributor Vuyo Mvoko and the rest of the SABC news crew in March 2015.

The foreigners were sentenced to 15 years behind bars each by the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court today after they pleaded guilty to robbery with aggravated circumstances two months ago.

The Zimbabwean duo robbed four cellphones, a laptop, a wristwatch and R70 as Vuyo Mvoko was reporting from a highway overlooking the Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg.

The other two accused Pascal Manuel Junior and Motin Mortin who bought the stolen goods and who pleaded not guilty in March, will be tried separately.

The National Prosecuting Authority's (NPA) Gauteng spokesperson, Phindi Louw says "I can confirm that both accused were each sentenced to 15 years today at the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court. They will begin their sentences immediately. There was overwhelming evidence against these two and that is why they had pleaded guilty".

The SABC News reporter Chriselda Lewis who was part of the crew who got mugged in the terrifying incident, said she was glad about the sentence and remembered how scared she was.

"Thanks to the South African Police Service for working tirelessly to ensure those thugs are behind bars. 15 years in jail. Do it for other victims too. I almost feel sorry for them but think how I almost threw myself off the bridge to escape. Society doesn't deserve that rot, Chriselda Lewis said on Twitter.

'We gotta get out! We gotta get out!' How eNCA's panicked Iman Rapetti and SABC News' Chriselda Lewis reacted on live TV when #FeesMustFall turned violent.

"We gotta get out! We gotta get out!" said Iman Rappetti, eNCA (DStv 403) anchor and reporter, with the panic very clearly audible in her voice as loud thuds became audible against the side of the vehicle.

Elsewhere on the burning lawns of the Union Buildings, the SABC News' (DStv 404) star reporter Chriselda Lewis fought her own battle trying to rescue an interrupted live interview on the air as a scuffle with angry protesters was shown on live South African television as well.


It was just two of the incidents that were shown live on South African television news on Friday as panicked and stressed TV news reporters and TV news crews tried to cover the #FeesMustFall student protest and march at the Union Buildings on Friday.

Besides TV news, several radio reporters and newspaper journalists also reported that they were threatened with physical violence and at least one SABC cameraman and one BBC cameraman got injured following students throwing rocks and other objects.

Earlier in the day, Patrick Conroy, eNCA managing director, reminded all eNCA staff that safety covering stories and events come first and that they should leave any place immediately when they no longer feel safe where they are.

A heavy-handed police presence - firing tear gas, stun grenades, chasing students and firing a water cannon - at the Union Building only served to escalate tensions and violence on Friday.

It was made worse by the South African president Jacob Zuma's failure to address students protesting over student fees, directly, after government officials over a loudspeaker earlier in the day told them that he would.

The South African National Editors' Forum (Sanef) says it is concerned by intimidation and harassment reports of the media by the police and protesters.

"We're shocked by the fact that journalists were targeted by the police and some of the protesters," says Sanef director Mathatha Tsedu.

"We've called on the police to ensure that they stick to the agreement that we have with them."

"We note with concern that some journalists, including a reporter from the BBC and an eNCA cameraman, were injured after rocks were thrown at police and journalists at the Union Buildings."

"Equipment was damaged and there were also reports of theft. Sanef commends those students who intervened and forced their peers to return the equipment."

Although the day's student fees protest started out peaceful, it descended into chaos and violence.

It looked as if South African TV news crews were not adequately prepared for covering the story on Friday in terms of taking adequate security measures and back-up plans to safeguard their own well-being as well as protecting their equipment and live broadcasts.

It was foreseeable that the lawns of the Union Buildings could erupt and turn into a so-called "hot zone" given the violent events that played out earlier the week at parliament and at universities across South Africa.

Yet South African TV news crews, instead of just covering the story, also became the story.

The question can be asked whether TV news crews took enough precautions or did enough security analysis and pre-planning for the unpredictable event and if they could have made better choices given what they knew could happen (and which then did).

Spots they reported from came under attack from pelting rocks and stones, outside broadcast vans were damaged and warned that it could be set alight, reporters and cameramen were hit with rocks and flying objects, and equipment from satellite vans to cameras were broken, vandalised and couldn't be used anymore.

It not clear how TV news crews planned to make a quick exit and retreat with satellite vans from where they chose to park surrounded by thousands of students.

Was it possible to take some, or more if they did, of their own security protection personnel to help shield reporters and whisk them to safety if they came under attack or if violence broke out (which it did)?

Some different metrics and a different guidebook is used reporting from conflict zones and war zones - something not a lot of South African TV news reporters and anchors have experience in, or experienced.

The lawns of the Union Buildings on Friday afternoon turned into a conflict zone where a different set of news rules work better although the news values of trying to get the news out and reporting it remain unchanged. TV news should have anticipated that.

South African TV news did great work on Friday in extremely unpredictable and difficult circumstances.

Yet I cannot help but wonder if they couldn't have thought longer, have been wiser and more prudent, and have prepared a bit better before beforehand.

A challenging day for South African TV news crews battling violent protesters, rocks, police tear gas as #FeesMustFall movement reaches Union Buildings.

South African TV news crews, as well as newspaper journalist and radio reporters, were confronted by a challenging, difficult and extremely unpredictable day today, trying to cover, and to cover all the angles of the student fees protest which reached the Union Buildings today.

The fast-developing took a violent turn as the #FeesMustFall student protest turned the lawns of the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Friday into a "hot zone", filled with rocks and stones being thrown as well as other objects, journalists threatened by protesters, students burning porta-potties and police firing stun grenades and tear gas.

eNCA suffered damage due to vandalism including cable theft, while eNCA reporter Iman Rappetti and camera crew were pelted with rocks.

At least one SABC reporter got injured and was hurt in the chaos, while both newspaper journalists and radio reporters were threatened with physical assault.

Most South African TV news crews and broadcasters, in hindsight, didn't take adequate precautions entering the area and covering the student protests as an unpredictable, and therefore dangerous, news story.

The SABC's one outside broadcasting (OB) vehicle was warned to pack up and get out since it might be set alight by the thousands of protesters who went on a rampage and started burning tyres, breaking down the wire fence surrounding the Union Buildings, throwing rocks at media and police, and burning porta loos.

eNCA (DStv 403) anchor Iman Rappetti was hit with an object when at one point she suddenly found herself in the middle of rocks, stones and other objects being flung by protesters.

Later, Iman Rappetti, together with the eNCA crew, were subjected to some of the rounds of teargas fired by police on the Union Building grounds, after being pelted with rocks and stones.

An eNCA camera was also damaged by a rock, with a lens shattered. Although the cameraman was hit as well, he was uninjured as heavy-handed riot police once again moved in.

Earlier in the day eNCA cabling was also stolen and the vandalism also put an eNCA satellite van out of action.


"We gotta get out! We gotta get out!" said a panicked Iman Rappetti in a clip from the eNCA broadcast included in one of the stories filed by Sky News (DStv 403) when the eNCA crew suddenly came under attack at the Union Buildings.

"An object did hit Iman Rappetti in the face, but she was not injured and is fine," eNCA told TV with Thinus. "A rock also hit one of the camera lenses, damaging it and putting it out of action".

Reporters Bingiwe Khumalo and Nontobeko Sibisi also covered for eNCA in Pretoria, and Nickolaus Bauer followed events from inside the Union Buildings.

On SABC News (DStv 404), senior reporter Chriselda Lewis who did brilliant coverage on location on Friday, got her one live on-air interview interrupted and abandoned after protesters derailed it.


The SABC News reporters Sipho Stuurman and Tumaole Mohlaoli also covered the scene from Pretoria.

"It was absolute chaos. Absolute chaos," said a hoarse Christelda Lewis on SABC News on Friday evening back in studio at Auckland Park.

"Journalists were not free. Students were not free. Innocent bystanders, professors, lecturers who were there to sympathise with the cause, were absolutely not free".

"One of the SABC journalist's got hurt and at some point we were being thrown - I don't think it was directed at the journalists - but the teargas was all up in our faces," said Chriselda Lewis.

"We were unable to do our jobs. Absolute chaos at the end of the day."

A BBC cameraman was also injured by objects hurled by protesters on Friday.

CNN International's (DStv 401) David McKenzie was at the Union Buildings as well covering the unpredictable protest that escalated as the event progressed.

SABC News' unprofessional and amateurishly done live news coverage of Simba Mhere's memorial service with reporter Stephina Komane.

The SABC and SABC News' (DStv 404) live coverage of Simba Mhere's funeral on Thursday afternoon at the Rhema Bible Church in Randburg was (once again) unprofessional and amateurishly done.

Here's just a little clip of the (sadly) insanity. Why the SABC dispatch a SABC TV news reporter who is clearly incapable of handling and professionally report on something the SABC should know is a big news event is beyond anyone's guess.

Yes. There's a lot of things going on at the same time. That's why you need a professional, experienced and veteran TV news reporter like a Chriselda Lewis to cover these type of events. Not Stephina Komane.

It's okay to make a mistake. It's okay to make two mistakes. It's not okay to be and look out of your depths and to make multiple mistakes constantly.

Bad live coverage TV news coverage like this is an embarrassment to the SABC and SABC News.

SABC News reporter Chriselda Lewis makes a cameo in reset Generations on SABC1; 'covering' Paul Moroka tomb stone unveiling.

Between covering the real news SABC News reporter Chriselda Lewis took time off to make a cameo appearance in the first episode of the reset Generations, now entitled Generations The Legacy on Monday night on SABC1.

Doing a straight-to-camera reporting piece, Chriselda Lewis held a SABC microphone with a SABC outside broadcast van or OB unit parked strategically, with SABC logo visible, in the background.

Of course no other real-life news and media brands were seen in-show at the fictional unveiling of Paul Moroka's tomb stone.

BREAKING. SABC's matricless Hlaudi Motsoeneng warned he will be 'thrown out like a used condom' by president Jacob Zuma.

Julius Malema, leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) political party warned the SABC's famously matricless acting chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng today that he will be "thrown out like a used condom" by South African president Jacob Zuma once he has outlived his usefulness.

The EFF marched to the South African public broadcaster's Auckland Park headquarters today with shouts of "voetsek" and handed over a memorandum of grievances to the matricless Hlaudi Motsoeneng and the SABC's acting chief executive officer (CEO) Tian Olivier.

"I must warn you that he is going to throw you out like a used condom," Julius Malema told Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

"You and the SABC undermine the intelligence of our people," Julius Malema told Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

"I must warn you. I must warn you that Zuma is going to flush you like used toilet paper. You must ask me," Julius Malema told Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

"Ask [Zwelinzima] Vavi and [Fikile] Mbalula. When it was time to dump us he did not think twice".

"If you don't change your conduct, we will come here, put a truck outside and celebrate your dumping," said Julius Malema. "I was once in the same position, supporting and protecting Zuma. I was like you, I used to protect him".

Thousands of EFF supporters held a public protest to the SABC following the banning of an EFF political party TV commercial by the SABC, a decision shockingly upheld on Friday evening by South Africa's broadcasting regulator, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa).

In February the Public Protector Thuli Madonsela - now on the latest list of TIME magazine's 100 most influential people in the world but not yet congratulated by South Africa's ruling ANC government - released a damning report on corruption and maladministration at the SABC.

The Public Protector found that Hlaudi Motsoeneng "should never have been appointed at the SABC", and implicated him in maladministration, abuse of power, and misconduct like being directly involved in the firing of all the people who testified against him in a disciplinary hearing, as well as astronomical salary hikes for himself.

The SABC board under chairperson Ellen Zandile Tshabalala who supports Jacob Zuma, and SABC top management has done nothing since the release of the scathing report in which Hlaudi Motsoeneng in a recorded interview with the Public Protector admitted that he lied about having matric, and admitted that he "made up symbols" for a fake matric certificate he knew he couldn't produce.

________

South African TV news covered today's EFF protest march to the SABC. Everyone's coverage contained mistakes.

■ The eNCA (DStv 403) anchor Jeremy Maggs on Tuesday erroneously kept referring to Hlaudi Motsoeneng as "the SABC's CEO".

The eNCA reporter Lenyaro Sello likewise also erroneously kept referring to Hlaudi Motsoeneng as "SABC CEO Hlaudi Motsoeneng" in the taped piece played several times (at 21:05 it was fixed). The eNCA story included audio and video of Julius Malema's criticism of and warning to Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

By 21:05 eNCA had fixed the autocue link as well as in the taped story, now correctly referring to Hlaudi Motsoeneng as the SABC's "acting COO".


■ The SABC (DStv 404) covered today's EFF protest march to the SABC.

The SABC's reporter Chriselda Lewis covered the story for the SABC and channels like SABC News (DStv 404). The SABC spelled their own acting CEO, Tian Olivier's name wrong in English language bulletins and on SABC News as "Tiaan Olivier" in the on-screen bottom third identifier.

Chriselda Lewis' story contained nothing - no mention, and no audio or video clip - of Julius Malema's warning to and criticism of the SABC itself and Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

In the SABC's Afrikaans news bulletin "Tian Olivier" was spelled correctly. The Afrikaans news bulletin however likewise contained no mention or inclusion - neither audio nor video - of Julius Malema's warning to and criticism of Hlaudi Motsoeneng, although it was slightly more balanced and a better edited story for broadcast.

BREAKING. With duelling, highly sensational court trials - Oscar! Dewani! - eNCA, SABC News, ANN7 struggle to bring all the news.

With breathless live reporting and multiple live crossings, 24-hour TV news channels, from Sky News (DStv 402) and eNCA (DStv 403) to SABC News (DStv 404) and ANN7 (DStv 405) are having a veritable field day and are struggling to keep up with the sensational Oscar Pistorius murder trial in Pretoria and the Shrien Dewani murder trial in Cape Town.

All of the channels are bringing viewers insta-reaction and insta-coverage of both over-the-top, sensational court cases happening simultaneously in Pretoria's North Gauteng High Court and Cape Town's Western Cape High Court, with compelling news and reporting available from both cases.

On Sky News, Jeremy Thompson back in South Africa outside the court room, and Alex Crawford inside the court building is reporting on Oscar Pistorius on his stumps in the sensational court case.

On eNCA the channel ran the Oscar Pistorius court room testimony, as did SABC News and ANN7.

SABC News cut to Chriselda Lewis for commentary and reporting on Oscar Pistorius; eNCA went to Cathy Mohlahlana outside the Pretoria courtroom.

eNCA experiencing broadcasting problems just before 13:00 and threw to Andrew Barnes, Leigh-Ann Jansen and Olly Barratt in Cape Town covering the sensational Shrien Dewani murder trial.

ANN7 has Kevin Brandt in Cape Town reporting on the Shrien Dewani story, and Michael Appel reporting from the Oscar Pistorius murder trial in the North Gauteng High Court.

The SABC reporter Chriselda Lewis shines with a brilliant story, covering all the angles, and amazing footage, of the petrol workers strike.

The SABC's stalwart reporter and the broadcaster's glimmer of professional journalism, Chriselda Lewis, continues to shine as she reports for SABC News, with a brilliant story and visual take-down today showing (and showing up!) striking Numsa members blatantly intimidating people who want to work.

In an excellent camera piece Chriselda Lewis - with just that touch of can't-make-this-up on-screen drama - and reporting today from Randburg on the second day of the strike in South Africa's motor sector, once again seemed to be at just the right places, at just the right times.

It was Chriselda Lewis and her cameraman who vividly captured Numsa workers with sticks intimidating people who wanted to work at petrol stations, and again scored when she was also there when striking workers entered a car dealership and were asked to leave.

The irony and truth facts were elevated as a trashy Numsa spokesperson came across as either uninformed, duplicitous or both as he said in the story that Numsa has "no reports of our own structures that our members are doing that".

The brilliance of Chriselda Lewis' piece was not just including the official union line and the obligatory go-to spokesperson drop-in quote, but showing in a way only television can do, in real TV reporting, what is actually happening.

In eloquent and dramatic on-site language at a petrol station in Randburg Chriselda Lewis excellently reported how workers who want to stay on the job because it ensures money for a loaf of bread, are intimidated.

Chriselda Lewis asked point blank correct questions of bumbling Numsa workers on strike who appeared unable to answer her as to whether people who want to work have a right to do so unhindered.

She also interviewed a petrol attendant - his face in the dark - who wanted to work, as Chriselda Lewis managed as one reporter to cover and include all the angles - and quite dramatically so - for a great TV news story.

The brazen SABC reporter was in the thick of the action today for a great visual story on the strike, much better than anything seen on eNCA (DStv 403) or ANN7 (DStv 405).

BREAKING. SABC2 cuts away, unannounced, for live coverage of SANDF Fallen Soldiers Memorial Service; disrupts schedule.

You're reading it here first. 

SABC2 just dumped its entire scheduled mid-morning programming, unannounced, to cover live the South African National Defence Force Fallen Soldiers Memorial Service.

With no pre-warning from SABC2 or scheduling advisory, the channel is now covering the memorial service of soldiers who've died in the Central African Republic (CAR) with the SABC News' star reporter, Chriselda Lewis anchoring the coverage live from the Swartkop Airforce Base in Pretoria.

SABC2 and SABC News is branding the live coverage as "Remembering our Heroes".

It's not clear until what time the live coverage will continue, most probably until 13:00 when the repeat broadcast of Days of Our Lives will start on SABC2 - although it being a live transmission and these events usually starting late and going over time, the coverage could go past 13:00.

So far there's been no word from SABC2 to the press about the coverage, how it affects the schedule and until when it will continue.

eNCA (DStv 403) cut away and went with live coverage from 11:35 of the memorial service at the airforce base.

Chriselda Lewis: The SABC TV news reporter leading the charge with a new kind of news stories on South Africa's public broadcaster.

Her TV news stories are unashamedly tabloid but Chriselda Lewis, SABC news reporter, is singlehandedly busy shaking up the SABC's staid and dreary daily TV news coverage.

Buying drugs, busting a bogus doctor, confronting shops over old meat and point-blank refusing to leave a school where pupils are being beaten, Chriselda Lewis is turning the SABC's flagship news show News @ 7 into must-watch television, as well as its other news bulletins also running her stories.

Her ongoing gawk-interest stories in prime time TV news bulletins has the South African TV industry taking notice, as Chriselda Lewis churns out eye-popping story after story which viewers of the public broadcaster's 36 years of TV news coverage have never seen in that style - or being done so consistently - before.

With veritable Carte Blanche panache - and not something South Africa's million of viewers dependent on public access television are accustomed to or have ever seen on the SABC before - the hawkish Chriselda Lewis (with shaky cameraman in tow) does story after story of actual real investigation pieces. How long before M-Net and Combined Artists poach the SABC's new news star for Carte Blanche - or eNews and the eNCA steal her away?

Not only are these Chriselda Lewis stories compelling television and groundbreaking - but because they're original investigations in the public interest, they're also unique. Now, wherever Chriselda Lewis goes she breaks news - on and for the SABC of all places and for decades not usually known for its appetite or prowess for real independent and investigative journalism.

Shamelessly (and it's meant in a good way) employing tactics of the best of confrontational television and often ambush news coverage by way of hidden camera, Chriselda Lewis courageously assails her targets with deft skill and microphone thrust in the face for possible comment.

Although tabloid in style (and too much of it would be dangerous) the often overly dramatic Chriselda Lewis pieces are unashamedly populist with consumer appeal. Her stories, and she, now have the industry and viewers buzzing.

Chriselda Lewis' feisty demeanour and "take no prisoners" approach, very much comparable to Devi Sankaree Govender of Carte Blanche on M-Net and before her Ruda Landman, makes for a refreshing change to the SABC's often de rigeur boring and politi-pandering news coverage.

From Somali and other illegal immigrants bitterly complaining about government officials demanding bribes in exchange for documents, to hunting down an illegal doctor promising outlandish cures (and even using cellphone footage!)...

From blatantly bursting through a door looking for a headmaster and confronting a school with grainy cellphone footage of pupils being savagedly beaten ...

To exposing how middle class suburbs are being invaded by druglords by posing herself as someone wanting to buy drugs in Windsor...

It is all suddenly "classic" Chriselda Lewis style - even confronting shop managers like Checkers and Pick n Pay about food products on shelves which have passed their sell by date.

This relentless, ruthless and seemingly fearless firebrand is giving SABC news viewers a brand-new revelation of what TV news and real news reporting in this medium can be.

What makes it even more remarkable is the time construct it's accomplished within - and two types of time are applicable. Firstly there is the time in which to tell these scandal-chasing, investigative stories on air.

Lasting no longer than a few minutes each in a 23 minute News @ 7 bulletin on SABC3 and repurposed for other SABC bulletins as well on SABC2 and SABC1, Chriselda Lewis is very skillfully able to tell and bring across a story by starting with finding the alleged guilty perpetrator and then widening the scope to tell South Africa why an entire country should care. Amazing to get that right in 2 to 3 minutes of precious screen time!

The second time of importance is the sourcing, scoop-digging and actual real journalism practising time coming to bear on unlocking and bringing even one of these stories to television. From experience I can tell you it takes daily, huge amounts of time. And remember: she's not working for a weekly investigative magazine show - this is daily grind stuff done for the evening news bulletin which remains an ever-consuming monster when it comes to news and wanting content.

It's quite remarkable. But keeping up the pace, Chriselda Lewis has definitely over the past few months now clearly shown that the scoops and scandal suddenly airing on SABC TV news are no mere fluke - it's hard and consistent work.

Of course too much of this (oh so enjoyable) expose awesomeness would be overkill - the avenue which America's sensationalist evening broadcasts have long since succumbed to in their chase for ratings. However, the SABC can do with, and deserves an injection of actual news, exclusive news, and investigative, independently-minded news gathering. And Chriselda Lewis' follow-up worthy and agenda setting stories are exactly that.

The interesting thing is that Chriselda Lewis is actually showing how the SABC - even though she's just one person - is actually as a public broadcaster quite capable of doing news stories which are interesting and in the public interest. Yes, it's borderline schadenfreude entertainment and somewhat voyeuristic, but definitely still pass the litmus test of real actual journalism and fair reporting. And she's taking a stand for the little guy.

Where Chriselda Lewis goes, the SABC and SABC Television News would be well-advised in sending even more reporters. This type of television is sure to lure more viewers in time - these types of news stories are far more accessible and relatable to average citizens that politispeak and the unending menagerie of ministers and government press conferences the SABC rolls out night after night.

The danger would be to overdo this more sensationalistic type of stories, or to not do them journalistically fairly and turn it into tawdry tales, but so far, so absolutely very good. Chriselda Lewis is doing a great job doing journalism at the SABC.