Labour court finds Mzwanele Manyi breached labour laws when he abruptly fired Afro Worldview staffers; orders workers to be reinstated at the shuttered TV channel that DStv dumped last month.

The Johannesburg Labour Court on Thursday ruled that Mzwanele Manyi breached the Labour Relations Act when he fired the staffers at the now shuttered and controversial Afro Worldview TV channel and ordered workers to be reinstated.

MultiChoice finally dumped the controversial Afro Worldview at midnight on 20 August with Mzwanele Manyi who abruptly told workers on 19 August not to come to work anymore.

The Communications Workers Union (CWU) took Mzwanele Manyi to labour court that on Thursday ruled that Afro Worldview must reinstate staffers since they were not properly dismissed.

The court ruled that Afro Worldview and Infinity Media Networks "failed to engage in a retrenchment consultation process" and that workers who were fired with immediate effect must be reinstated.

Mzwanele Manyi and Infinity Media Networks breached sections 189 of the Labour Relations Act by failing to conduct retrenchment consultation.

Tasso Anestidis, lawyer for the fired Afro Worldview staffers says "We are elated with the court order and the judgement. It is a great order and we are looking to enforce it. Depending on what he does, we will act accordingly because we have relief. We are happy that all our hard work paid off".

The order does not apply to the second respondent in the case, Afrotone Media Holdings.

More #GuptaLeaks engulfs MultiChoice in growing scandal over its controversial ANN7 contract; says there's nothing wrong paying ANN7 R141 380 000 per year.

More #GuptaLeaks revelations are engulfing MultiChoice in a growing scandal over its controversial ANN7 contract with the Guptas, with MultiChoice saying there's nothing wrong with paying ANN7 an eye-watering R141 380 000 per year for the low-rated, highly criticised and mistake-filled channel.

MultiChoice brand damage continues to increase as MultiChoice is being battered by ongoing new shocking revelations regarding its ANN7 (DStv 405) contract with the controversial Gupta family who are embroiled in State Capture claims.

MultiChoice itself is now being accused of corruption and collusion with the Guptas and tainted politicians like Faith Muthambi, by a growing chorus of the public and political parties.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) political party has given MultiChoice an ultimatum, saying DStv has 48 hours to make its contracts and prior negotiations with the Guptas over ANN7 public, or the DA will request the broadcasting regulator, Icasa, to compel MultiChoice to do so.

The Democratic Alliance and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) political parties are also calling for a public parliamentary inquiry into MultiChoice, its dealings and contracts with the Guptas over ANN7, and the former minister of communications, Faith Muthambi.

In shocking new #GuptaLeaks, News24 on Friday dropped a bombshell email trove, showing how MultiChoice made a dubious R25 million payment to the Guptas for its low-rated, biased and mistake-filled trash channel, in addition to upping the money MultiChoice pays to ANN7 from R50 million to a whopping R141 million per year.

The emails revealed that MultiChoice is paying ANN7 R141.38 million as part of its contract for the channel, a channel that stands accused of fostering racial discord, biased and unbalanced coverage and targeting politicians who are against president Jacob Zuma.

According to a 4th channel amendment agreement signed by Glen Marques in September 2015, MultiChoice upped its payment from R50 million to R100 million to a staggering R141 380 000 per year although ANN7 is the least watched of the three local TV news channels with SABC News and eNCA as rivals.

Ironically MultiChoice is splurging more money on ANN7 - although it only has a fraction of the viewership in the form of a paltry 8.9% news audience share - that what DStv is paying eMedia Investment's eNCA (DStv 403) that is now only getting R140.8 million from MultiChoice although it is the most watched TV news channel on all of DStv's platform with over 50% news audience share.

MultiChoice told News24 that when it decided to add ANN7 from the Gupas' Infinity Media Network, "the only other channel on the DStv platform at that stage was eNCA".

MultiChoice then says "The eNCA contract was up for renewal, and there were signs that it was not going to be renewed".

Also raising eyebrows in the latest #GuptaLeaks regarding ANN7 is how a MultiChoice executive, Clarissa Mack - now gone from DStv - directly sent policy documents - a "Effect of presidential proclamation"document in July 2014 to the then minister of communications Faith Muthambi about government policy.

Faith Muthambi, shockingly, then sent this MultiChoice document to Ashu Chawla of the Guptas, detailing how to give Faith Muthambi control over broadcasting in South Africa.

Clarissa Mack also created another document about signal distributors Sentech and Infraco that she sent from MultiChoice to Faith Muthambi - a document Faith Muthambi shockingly also sent to Ashu Chawla.

"See attached Proclamation that President must sign," Faith Muthambi wrote to Ashu Chawla, who then forwarded it to Tony Gupta.

In another eye-popping revelation, the then MultiChoice CEO Imtiaz Patel suddenly got listed as a director, along with Tony Gupta, and Jacob Zuma's son, Duduzane, in the same company, IslandsiteInvestments 255.

MultiChoice says it was only for a day, happened without Imtiaz Patel's knowledge and that he resigned and removed his name from the company register on the very same day he was appointed.


MultiChoice: Nothing unusual about paying ANN7 R141 380 000 per year
After the News24 story, TVwithThinus asked MultiChoice why Clarissa Mack while she worked for MultiChoice sent documents directly to Faith Muthambi and why MultiChoice increased the ANN7 payment from R50 million, then R100 million, to R141.38 million if ANN7 under-performed and received widespread criticism for its content.

MultiChoice was asked why the then CEO Imtiaz Patel was listed as director of a company with Tony Gupta and Jacob Zuma's son Duduzane Zuma and why MultiChoice made a once-off payment of R25 million to the Guptas for ANN7.

MultiChoice says "the fee structure for the ANN7 contract is in line with the costs of developing and running such a channel, and ANN7 is definitely not the highest-paid local news channel on the DStv platform".

"The R25 million fee is also not unusual. In this case, it was a pro rata payment in terms of an amendment agreement."

 The fee structure for the ANN7 contract is in line with the costs of developing and running such a channel, and ANN7 is definitely not the highest-paid local news channel on the DStv platform."

"Regarding our submission to Faith Muthabi: The Presidential Proclamation creating two new ministries didn't make sense to a number of stakeholders in the broadcasting sector," says MultiChoice.

"Several of these stakeholders made submissions to the minister suggesting it be corrected. MultiChoice was one of these, and many of its proposals were rejected."

MultiChoice says "it is standard practice for companies to interact with the industry regulator and government on policy matters, including making proposals on regulatory or legislative issues. There is nothing wrong with that."

MultiChoice didn't specify what it makes of Faith Muthambi sending MultiChoice's policy documents to the Guptas.

"There is absolutely no relationship between our submission on the proclamation, the channel supply agreement for ANN7, and any fees or increase in feed paid for that channel," says MultiChoice.

MultiChoice says "Imtiaz Patel was NOT involved in any business partnership with the Guptas and Duduzane Zuma in IslandsiteInvestments 255. The CIPC records reflect that he was appointed and resigned as a director on the very same day in 2009 - 8 years ago."

Earlier this week MultiChoice said it is not negotiating with ANN7 for a contract extension when the existing contract ends in June 2018.

Political parties demand parliamentary inquiry into MultiChoice's "corrupt" and "unethical" ANN7 deal with Guptas

Both the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and Democratic Alliance (DA) political parties on Friday called for a parliamentary inquiry into MultiChoice's allegedly "corrupt" dealings with the Guptas and politicians over the ANN7 channel.

The DA's member of parliament Phumzile Van Damme told TVwithThinus that "we believe that this issue be investigated by parliament, as part of the broader State Capture inquiries undertaken by the different committees in Parliament."

"We are in particular seriously concerned about MultiChoice, and what appears to be unethical conduct in this regard relating to the Gupta family. We intend on getting to the bottom of this."

The EFF's member of parliament Mbuyiseni Ndlozi in a statement says "The EFF condemns the corrupt relations of MultiChoice and Faith Muthambi which suppressed competition within the pay-TV industry with disgust".

"The recent revelations in the #GuptaLeaks show how Faith Muthambi as minister of communications worked with the Guptas to solicit bribes in exchange for protection of MultiChoice from the competition".

"Koos Bekker's company, MultiChoice, paid millions to the Guptas, through ANN7, in exchange for Faith Muthambi to adopt the policy of unencryption in the set-top boxes for digital terrestrial television (DTT) migration."

"The Guptas, through their influence on Jacob Zuma and Faith Muthambi, managed to guarantee their stay on the DStv platform whilst being remunerated unreasonable amounts of money despite their low audience numbers," says Mbuyiseni Ndlozi.

"It is clear that MultiChoice was paying them for securing a DTT policy in relation to set-top boxes that would maintain them as the sole players in the pay-TV space."

'The EFF calls on parliament to hold an inquiry into the Gupta influence over Faith Muthambi. In this inquiry, companies like MultiChoice must be held accountable publicly for their criminal activities in the sector, suppressing competition in favour of their domination."

"The EFF will also be reporting MultiChoice to the Competition Commission to investigate how they influenced the policy on set-top boxes in favour of their market domination."

South Africa's COPE and EFF political parties join the Democratic Alliance in calling for a boycott of the controversial and divisive 'Guptanews' ANN7 channel on DStv.

On Tuesday in South Africa the COPE political party called for a ban and thorough investigation of the controversial and divisive "Guptanews" ANN7 (DStv 405) TV channel carried by MultiChoice on its DStv satellite pay-TV platform, joining the EFF and Democratic Alliance political parties that previously called for an ANN7 ban.

The EFF and the Democratic Alliance (DA) political party both called for a boycott and ban of the slanted and blooper-filled ANN7 earlier this year, and the EFF again did so on Tuesday.

These parties have now been joined by COPE - representing the majority of South Africa's opposition parties.

COPE's call for a shutdown of ANN7 and a thorough investigation into the controversial TV channel from Infinity Media Networks owned by Oakbay Investments, comes a day after Oakbay announced that ANN7 and The New Age newspaper are being "sold" through a vendor loan for R450 million to the former ANC spin tsar Mzwanele "Jimmy" Manyi.

Jimmy Manyi is a Gupta acolyte and a frequent on-air "analyst" on the "fake news" channel that stews in biased news through slanted, rhetorical questions put to one-sided panelists and where the Bell-Pottinger PR invented catchphrase of "white monopoly capital" to deflect from South African state capture is employed daily, and often.

COPE wants a thorough investigation of the R450 million deal between the Guptas' Oakbay and Jimmy Manyi's Lodidox pop-up shelf company, and is calling for a recall of ANN7's broadcasting license as a TV channel on MultiChoice's platform.

COPE calls the Oakbay-Manyi transaction to suddenly "buy" ANN7 and The New Age in a debt sale deal just days before the Bank of Baroda closes their bank accounts "extremely suspicious", saying that the "transaction is clouded in secrecy, giving rise to more questions than answers".

COPE wants to know who and how the deal was financed, what process was followed, and if South Africa's broadcasting regulator, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) approved the sudden sale of ANN7.

In June the Democratic Alliance (DA) called for a boycott of ANN7 saying South Africans can't "allow the Guptas' propaganda to bring the credibility of our media into question".

"Hardworking and dedicated journalist and staff at both Gupta media houses are being abused by the corrupted political agendas of the ANC and the Guptas. The DA stands in solidarity with these journalists and staff who report with integrity, but are under enormous political pressure."

"It is time to stop giving The New Age and ANN7 the time of day, and see them for what they are: The Guptas’ own Closed Circuit Television. It is time to stop all funding of ANN7 and The New Age, to put a stop to the Guptas propaganda campaign."

The EFF political party reiterated its call for a boycott of ANN7, in a statement saying "There is nothing 'media transformation' about this deal; to call it this is like thinking the apartheid's creating of Bantustans was a progressive liberation move for black people".

"Like Bantustan leaders, Jimmy Manyi is a stooge representing the entrenchment of Gupta corruption in our country."

"We know that The New Age has been a sole beneficiary of many corrupt deals in state institutions like South African Airways (SAA) and the SABC, as well as in many state departments."

"This means The New Age should be returning all the money it made through illegal and questionable deals like that with the SABC Morning Live Business Breakfast briefings".

"We are not blind to the fact that Jimmy Manyi will continue the business of fake news and reporting that characterises the Gupta media empire. This is because Jimmy Manyi himself has been central to false propaganda and the defence of Zupta corruption that is killing many state institutions."

"He is the cheerleader of kleptocracy and a mascot of the Zupta corruption."

An online petition that was started on 30 March this year and calling for MultiChoice to remove ANN7 from DStv has so far attracted 12 578 signatures from angry DStv subscribers, making it the 3rd most signed online petition at Petitions24.com worldwide for 2017 so far.

MultiChoice has not yet responded to the petition.

Oakbay Investments sells controversial ANN7 on DStv and The New Age Newspaper for R450m to former ANC publicist Mzwanele Manyi in a 'vendor licensing' deal.

The former ANC publicist Mzwanele "Jimmy" Manyi's Lodidox company has brought the controversial "Gupta-news" TV channel ANN7 (DStv 405) on DStv for R300 million and the Gupta-newspaper The New Age for R150 million under a "vendor licensing" deal.

"Vendor licensing" means that the Guptas is lending Jimmy Manyi the money to buy their ANN7 and The New Age.

The Bank of Baroda is closing Oakbay Investments bank accounts - including those of ANN7 and The New Age at the end of August.

The borrow-to-buy ANN7 and The New Age sale means the Oakbay media entities get new bank accounts through Jimmy Manyi.

The controversial Jimmy Manyi with close ties to the Guptas frequently appears as a "political analyst" and as an "analyst" on the controversial ANN7 channel carried on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform that just turned 4 years old where he shills for the Guptas and mentions the Bell-Pottinger created "white monopoly capital" catch-phrase.

The unprofessional and news-skewing ANN7 and The New Age continue to hog headlines as part of the "Gupta-leaks" trove of emails and ongoing revelations regarding South African "state-capture and notorious Jacob Zuma-linked dealings.

The Gupta-owned Oakbay Investments in a statement says the R450 million sale of its two media entities "is part of Oakbay’s commitment to preserve jobs and provide certainty to over 7 500 hard-working employees throughout the group and to safeguard the inherent value of the businesses in which they work."

Offloading the controversial ANN7 TV channel from Infinity Media Networks and The New Age to Lodidox "will also allow the shareholder the time to focus on clearing its name in the face of unfounded media allegations", says Oakbay Investments.

"Under a new majority shareholder, Oakbay believes that both businesses and their employees will have the bright and prosperous future they deserve," says Ronica Ragavan, Oakbay Investments acting CEO in the statement.

"We are delighted to have reached an agreement with Lodidox and the management team; the sale of our shareholdings will secure the future of these businesses and help preserve the jobs of their employees."

"Both businesses are inherently sound and well positioned for growth in their respective market segments. We wish them every success in the future."

Jimmy Manyi says he is "delighted to have reached agreement with Oakbay and look forward to successfully completing the deal."

"These are two strong businesses which are full of potential and, under the right external circumstances, can become an increasingly important and relevant part of the South African media landscape."

"In addition, I am particularly impressed that the shareholders of Oakbay have agreed to do a vendor financing at acceptable terms as part of their commitment to transformation and to expedite the transaction."

As calls grow for removal of Guptas' ANN7 TV channel that DStv subscribers say they don't want to pay for, MultiChoice says it has no editorial control over channels' content.

As calls grow for the removal of the TV channel ANN7 (DStv 405) from DStv by thousands of subscribers saying they don't want to be forced to pay for the "Gupta news" channel, MultiChoice in an open letter says that the pay-TV operator doesn't have editorial control over what the Gupta channel shows.

While an an online petition that was started in April  has now grown to over 12 500 signatures and comments asking for ANN7 to be removed from MultiChoice's satellite pay-TV platform DStv - and keeps growing - several other voices have publicly called for MultiChoice to remove ANN7.

A growing number of South Africans - from ordinary DStv subscribers to high-profile names - feels that ANN7 from Infinity Media Networks is sowing divisiveness in South African society and fueling racial tension through slanted commentary, so-called "expert" panelists and its biased coverage of political events.

In a published open letter - that interestingly has some mistakes - Nolo Letele, MultiChoice South Africa's chairperson, makes the claim that MultiChoice "do not have editorial control over the content third-party providers place on their channels, nor do we endorse any particular points of view".

Nolo Letele references some of the TV news channels carried on MultiChoice, making the mistake of saying "CCTV" that changed to CGTN at the end of last year already, "CNN" that's actually CNN International (CNN is America's domestic feed) and even "Russia Today" - a channel that officially changed its name to RT ages ago.

Let wrong DStv channel names in a corporate open letter that should have been checked better before being sent to the media not be used to cast aspersions.

But lets consider this:

MultiChoice's constantly performs content analyses and performance evaluations on basically all of the channels carried on DStv. Under-performing and non-performing third-party channels on DStv are continually told when their content isn't working and what should be changed.

This can be considered a form of editorial control.

The past year and a half several channels on MultiChoice's DStv from E! Entertainment to TLC Entertainment - even recently kids channels ranging from Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network to Disney XD - have seen content across Africa banned and removed in ramped up censorship in countries ranging from Nigeria to Kenya that has a direct impact on all Africans - even South African DStv subscribers.

Something like this doesn't happen in a vacuum, with complaints from broadcasting regulators that go to MultiChoice in these various African countries.

MultiChoice then quickly contacts third-party channels and tell them to remove the offending content, ranging from I Am Cait to The Loud House.

Last month MultiChoice quickly told African countries when more content were removed that "in tandem with our internal quality control measures, we also ensure all third-party suppliers are adequately briefed on country specific regulatory requirements and provisions".

This can be considered a form of editorial control.

Also consider these examples from the controversial MultiChoice SABC contract for the supply of the SABC News (DStv 404) and SABC Encore (DStv 156) channels by the SABC to DStv.

Keep in mind that MultiChoice's contract with ANN7 very likely carries a similar section:

When a channel under-performs, the contract states that MultiChoice and the SABC: "shall meet and agree on how best to improve the viewership."

"The SABC shall be given the opportunity to implement the changes it deems fit to improve the viewership of of SABC News during a period of 30 days from the date of the meeting referred to above."

Elsewhere the contract states that the SABC "shall ensure that each of the channels retains its current quality and character".

How do you possibly improve viewership if you don't make changes to the content? And doesn't an agreement to adhere to a specific "character" at its very core signify editorial changes?

This can be considered a form of editorial control.

And there's this: When MultiChoice extended the reach of SABC News from just South Africa to the rest of Africa, the SABC dropped all other language TV news bulletins from SABC News and made the channel just English.

SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said it was done because DStv subscribers in countries outside South Africa won't understand South Africa's languages. Keep in mind that SABC News is supposed to be for South African viewers - one of the SABC's envisioned DTT channels to serve the South African public.

Yet the (bigger and expanded) platform - in this case MultiChoice's DStv - literally had a direct influence on the editorial side of a TV news channel carried on it, in this case the 10 languages dropped from it.

This can be considered a form of editorial control.

In the letter Nolo Letele says that MultiChoice has "a legally binding agreement with ANN7, which we are legally obliged to abide by."

"We are a responsible corporate citizen and where legal grounds arise that require us to terminate a content agreement, we will certainly do so."

"Customers who do not agree with the editorial content of any channel have the ability - quite independently of us - to reach out to the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of SA. I hope this information is useful."

Interestingly Nolo Letele doesn't - and can't - say that customers who do not agree with the editorial content of any channel have the ability to not pay for it.

Despite complaining with the BCCSA over ANN7, DStv subscribers will still have to pay for ANN7 while enriching the Guptas as evidence of state capture and shocking Pell Pottinger PR practices continue to emerge.

Nolo Letele's open letter feels as if MultiChoice is doing what in psychology is termed "learned helplessness".

Imagine a shop carries a product or service, a hundred thousand customers complain, but the shop says "sorry there is nothing we can do about it". It's absurd.

More than a hundreds thousand DStv subscribers already voiced their strong opposition to ANN7 but MultiChoice seems to say it doesn't have the ability or willingness to act and that there's nothing the pay-TV operator can do about it.

In Nolo Letele's words, the ability - in fact the responsibility - is shifted away from MultiChoice and to the DStv subscriber - to the paying customer - to go and complain to a broadcasting complaints body.

And that is disappointing.


Below is the open letter from MultiChoice's Nolo Letele, published in full:


Deon Wiggett takes MultiChoice to task for carrying the ANN7 news channel on its satellite platform (Dethroning DStv from our lounges might slay ANN7, July 21).

He wants us to consider summarily removing the channel from the platform. Perhaps it will be useful to consider the following.

DStv is a platform that relays many local and international news channels representing a wide spectrum of views (SABC News, eNCA, ANN7, Parliamentary Service, Business Day TV, CNN, Sky News, Russia Today, CCTV, Al Jazeera and others).

We do not have editorial control over the content third-party providers place on their channels, nor do we endorse any particular points of view.

At present we have a legally binding agreement with ANN7, which we are legally obliged to abide by.

We are a responsible corporate citizen and where legal grounds arise that require us to terminate a content agreement, we will certainly do so.

Customers who do not agree with the editorial content of any channel have the ability - quite independently of us - to reach out to the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa. I hope this information is useful.

Nolo Letele Executive chairman, MultiChoice SA

Financial Services Board bars ANN7 business editor Clive Ramathibela-Smith from giving financial advice after clients' funds were not invested according to instructions.

The business editor of ANN7 (DStv 405) Clive Ramathibela-Smith is off the air and gone from TV screens after the Financial Services Board (FSB) withdrew the licence of Clivera Consulting and barred economist Clive Ramathibela-Smith from providing further financial advice.

The registrar of financial services providers on 26 April 2017 debarred Phelegetso Ramathibela from rendering financial services, according to a FSB statement.

The decision to debar Clive Ramathibela-Smith came after a FSB investigation on Clivera Consulting and Clive Ramathibela-Smith following complaints from Clivera Consulting clients.

The effect of the registrar's decision is that Clivera Consulting and Clive Ramathibela-Smith are prohibited from rendering any financial services or to give financial advice according to the FAIS Act.

According to the FSB two clients - one of who is a pensioner - lost money. Both said that they approached Clive Ramathibela-Smith for investment advice to invest money.

According to the FSB "our investigation into the complaints found that funds sent to Clivera Consulting's bank account were not invested according to their instructions," but ended up being misinvested by Clivera Consulting.

According to reports Clive Ramathibela-Smith will appeal the decision.

ANC slams 'divisive, devoid of truth' ANN7 reporting on DStv for 'sowing division'; says self-serving interests of ANN7 won't weaken the political party.

South Africa's ANC political party on Wednesday slammed the ANN7 (DStv 405) TV news channel for what it called "divisive" coverage, adding its voice to thousands of South Africans unhappy with the perceived slanted news coverage of the Gupta-news TV channel carried on MultiChoice's satellite pay-TV platform.

The ANC, in a strongly-worded statement, said ANN7 is sowing division.

It comes after ANN7 reported that the ANC deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa, secretary general Gwede Mantashe and treasurer general Zweli Mkhize allegedly pushed president Jacob Zuma to attend the Cosatu May Day rally in Bloemfontein where the president was publicly boo-ed and humiliatingly left.

Blasting ANN7 in a scathing statement - the ANC's first public and official criticism of ANN7 since the channel launched on DStv - the ANC said "such reportage is habitual and typical of ANN7, devoid of truth, divisive and designed to create an illusion of some 'ANC insider' status for the channel".

"Members of the media have a responsibility to report the news accurately, factually and objectively," says the ANC.

"ANN7, however, seems determined to manufacture false consensus, sharpening contradictions and deepening fissures in the ANC."

"The station effectively acts as a mouthpiece of the factional divisions that plague the ANC, consistently showing itself as being intent on driving wedges within the organisation and pitting comrade against comrade."

"We will not be distracted in this quest by narrow, self-serving interests whose motivations can only serve to further weaken the ANC."

A public petition calling for MultiChoice to remove ANN7 because DStv subscribers don't want to be forced to pay for it has now reached over 12 000 signatures and comments.

Pressure mounts over the removal of ANN7 as toxic 'brainwashing trash' from DStv, as petition grows to over 11 000 signatures within 5 days.

Pressure is mounting over the removal of the Gupta-news ANN7 TV news channel from DStv, with a petition that was started 5 days ago that has already racked up more than 11 100 signatures and comments from concerned viewers.

DStv subscribers are vocal about not wanting to pay, and having their monthly subscription fees funding, the "toxic" TV news channel from Infinity Media Networks that belongs to the controversial Gupta family and that is accused of broadcasting so-called fake news.

DStv subscribers are specific in that they don't mind a news narrative with a different perspective, but that they are against biased news and propaganda and outright false news reporting devoid of facts.

ANN7, plagued by an ongoing high turnover of staff, constantly makes news for its unprofessional reporting from inexperienced reporters, spelling mistakes, shoddy production values, technical and on-air talent gaffes, and non-factual reporting.

Furious DStv subscribers say ANN7 is fueling division in South Africa with its alleged fake news, not contribution to nation-building and is broadcasting propaganda favouring the Gupta family and the embattled president Jacob Zuma.

Following ANN7's coverage this past Thursday night regarding the shocking cabinet reshuffle that saw Pravin Gordhan axed as finance minister, the petition was started with droves of DStv subscribers saying that they've finally had enough.

Viewers were shocked by what they say is biased, slanted and untrue coverage on ANN7 that used analysts like Kenny Kunene to weight in on the cabinet reshuffle, while anchors like Sindy Made giggled in glee.

The petition on petitions24.com, created by Dan Govender, instantly struck a cord with thousands of people who have signed and who continue to add their signatures and comments by the thounsads by Wednesday afternoon.

So fast did the petition amass signatures and galvanise support, that "DStv Must Remove ANN7" has grown within days to become the 3rd most supported petition for 2017 on the global petition site, just behind a petition calling for stop of the slaughter of Polish horses, and a petition against a change to Romania's penal code.

MultiChoice that carries ANN7 since August 2013, in response to a media enquiry about the fast-growing petition, told TVwithThinus that "we provide a platform for a number of local and international news channels over which we have no editorial control".

"Concerns over content and or facts portrayed by any channel can be lodged at the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA) at bccsa.co.za".

MultiChoice was asked what the pay-TV provider makes of people saying they want to cancel their DStv if ANN7 is not removed and what the value is that MultiChoice sees in carrying ANN7 on DStv, but didn't answer these questions specifically.

ANN7 was also asked for comment. ANN7 didn't respond with a statement to a media request made earlier this week seeking comment about the petition and its growing, thousands-strong signatures.


'ANN7 a total disgrace to the media'
"That channel insults my intelligence and they're one sided and fake news. I can't pay for that nonsense," said Kenneth Sefatsa who signed the petition, echoing thousands of similar remarks.

"I don't want sh*t and fake news on my nearly R1000 DStv package. I expect quality for that monthly fee," said Ray Buchanan of Johannesburg.

Aveen Mahabal from Durban said "I do not want my subscription contributing to ANN7. Please stop this biased propaganda station. I will cancel my DStv if it doesn't happen".

"We look for opposing views on a news subject not blatant misrepresentation of the truth which has become the modus operandi of ANN7," said Richard Mathieson of Cape Town.

"ANN7 is disgustingly biased and ridiculously amateurish. It is like watching a Standard 5 play," said Andrew McGill from Durban.

"I cannot continue paying for fake news, it must be optional to have ANN7 in my package. This is a propaganda news channel coming with apartheid tactics of dividing the people," said Thabo Sopoli from Brits.

Mark Kirkness from Randburg said "Standards of good journalism are non-existant, the presenters act unprofessionally and make no attempts to hide their bias, and the stories are frankly made up. Providing a platform to such an organisation through the DStv network is unacceptable. I object to having my subscriptions contribute to airing this drivel. DStv simply cannot afford to be associated with this disgusting channel. Drop ANN7 from your offering, or we will cancel our DStv subscription."

Asaf Thokwane from Mpumalanga said: "I value media for the role it plays in informing people and ANN7 is a total disgrace to the media".

"So-called 'analysts' and handpicked guests are imbeciles and should not be allowed a platform to spout their venom," said Brian Bryce.

Yusuf Mia from Durban said "I've watched that broadcast. It was so full of biased and unintelligent comments that one worries if the masses watch this idiotic vitriol what negative effect it will have on the country. I will not pay to have such brainwashing trash on my DStv bouquet".

Mfanafuthi Mbuli said: "As a client with DStv I strongly feel that some channels are not educating us or even doing something to uplift our country. The station is surrounded by a lot of scandals and I feel my contribution to the channel is showing support. I therefore request DStv to remove this channel from my package."

Kgathaso Mosalla from Pretoria said: "The last time I checked I was living in SA not Russia. I refuse to pay let alone to be subjected to this nonsense called ANN7!"

"DStv, if you must show ANN7 then please group it with the cartoons and fairy stories where it belongs," said Ross Spearing from Port Elizabeth.

ANN7 abruptly cancels its South African of the Year Awards for 2016 two weeks before the time, suddenly citing unexplained 'unforeseen regulatory circumstances'.

The Gupta-owned TV news channel ANN7 (DStv 405) has abruptly cancelled its South African of the Year Awards 2016 event after viewers already voted and two weeks before it was set to take place on 25 November, suddenly citing vague "unforeseen regulatory circumstances".

It's unclear what "unforeseen regulatory circumstances" could lead to a TV awards show being scuppered, especially the ANN7 one that's taken place and been broadcast on the channel twice before.

ANN7 that didn't issue a press statement to TVwithThinus about the SATY 2016 cancellation for the year, ran an announcement in sister newspaper The New Age and an on-screen notification on the channel on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform that the awards show and concert for 2016 is suddenly off.

"The postponement is due to unforeseen regulatory circumstances that have materially impacted on logistics for the event. Regretfully this has left us with no choice but to seek a new date in the near future. We look forward to confirming a rescheduled date," said ANN7, noting that "a new date will be announced in due course".

The sudden South African of the Year Awards 2016 cancellation is the latest embarrassing turn in the history of the ANN7 awards show where ANN7 already announced that American singers Jennifer Lopez and Robin Thicke would perform this year.

ANN7 also said that the SABC3 Top Billing presenters' trio of Bonang Matheba, Jonathan Boynton-Lee and Jeannie D would have been the main hosts at the Ticketpro Dome event on 25 November for which tickets were sold.

Maps Maponyane and Hulisani Ravele have been presenting a South African of the Year Awards 2016 profile show on ANN7 showcasing the various nominees.

On 4 November ANN7 and The New Age suddenly and quietly removed the name of the controversial Eskom CEO, Brian Molefe and friend of the Guptas, from the voting list in the category for South African of the Year without any explanation.

ANN7 didn't respond to media enquiries about the cancellation for 2016 of the South African of the Year Awards.

ANN7 was asked what the "unforeseen regulatory circumstances" that caused the sudden cancellation and why it would cause an award show to be cancelled that's been held twice before.

ANN7 was asked why Brian Molefe was suddenly removed as a candidate in the flagship categories for the #SATY2016 and what will be happening to the votes and the money that the South African public had already made and spent since SMS voting cost R1.50 each.

ANN7's South African of the Year Awards has been mired in scandal. Last year after announcing Christina Aguilera as the headline act, she suddenly backed out and cancelled, leaving Infinity Media Networks red-faced who replaced her with Jason Derulo.

Last year's SATY Awards was suddenly changed from a concert with ticket sales to an "invitation only" closed event with other media locked out.

Jason Derulo in turn embarrassed ANN7 and the SATY's and caused massive backlash after insulting South Africans during his performance when not enough stood up when he called and he said "Y'all speak English, right?"

Sindy Mabe returns to TV news as the next new sole anchor for ANN7's ANN7 Prime on weeknights from Monday 21 March.

The revolving chair of main anchor at ANN7 (DStv 405) will be filled by Sindy Mabe from this coming Monday evening with the former breakfast show presenter who is the latest news reader to move into the prime time chair at the channel.

Sindy Mabe replaces senior anchor Peter van Onselen who expertly occupied the chair at ANN7 Prime for the past two and a half months at the Gupta owned TV news channel based in Midrand.

At the end of December 2015 Peter van Onselen stepped in to replace Sebenzile Nkambule as prime time anchor who quietly left, who in turn replaced Nzinga Qunta who quit.

In just the past year an ever-changing roster of names including Juliet Newell, Candy Harris, Gladys Sithole, Chante Jantjies, Nzinga Qunta, Sebenzile Nkambule and Peter van Onselen all sat in the ANN7 Prime chair since original anchor Chantal Rutter Dros quit the news channel in December 2014.

Now Sindy Mabe who abruptly disappeared from e.tv's Sunrise in July 2014 is resurfacing on television as the ANN7 Prime presentation that has seen several "relaunches" and changes over the past two years is once again undergoing a change.

She previously did stints at e.tv's Sunrise, SABC2's Morning Live Weekend and e.tv's Morning Edition and will be the latest sole ANN7 Prime anchor from Monday 21 March at 19:00.

"For me, joining the dynamic ANN7 team is a unique and exciting opportunity to expand my skills set, meet new friends and share in our mandate to provide viewers with credible, reliable and balanced quality programming," says Sindy Mabe.

"This is the start of an exciting chapter for ANN7," says Abhinav Sahay, ANN7 news editor about the latest prime time on-screen shuffle at the Infinity Media Networks news channel on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform.

"We feel that it will help build our success as a news channel. We are pleased to see Sindy join the team, we have an incredibly talented group of anchors and she will add value to this tremendous list."

ANN7 remains mired in 3rd place in the ratings race when it comes to local South African TV news channels with a paltry 10.66% of audience share in February on DStv, compared to eNCA (DStv 403) in the lead with 51.54% of total viewers, and the SABC's SABC News (DStv 404) channel at 20.37%.

No new free-to-air commercial TV stations for South Africa as broadcasting regulator rejects all 5 applications over non-compliance.

There will be no new free-to-air commercial TV stations for South Africa to compete with e.tv after the country's broadcasting regulator rejected all 5 applications due to non-compliance but said it will open the application process again in future.

Public hearings were held in November last year.

The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) rejected the TV licence applications of the Gupta family's Infinity Media Networks, Medo Investments, Levoca 565 (trading as Hola Media), Rubicon Investments and Change TV Network.

Icasa rejected the applications since the applicants failed to supply a guarantee of funding, proof of expertise and broadcasting experience.

Icasa also found problems with the applications in terms of foreign ownership, ownership by historically-disadvantaged people, and cross-media ownership exceeding regulatory provisions.

Medo Investments was disqualified from the licensing process after it failed to pay the application fee as required.

Hola Media wanted to offer a mix of free-to-air terrestrial TV along with video-on-demand (VOD) and internet protocol TV (IPTV) services.

Last month a legal memo to Icasa leaked warning the broadcasting regulator that Infinity Media Networks bid should be rejected since the company contravenes the foreign ownership clause in the Electronic Communications Act as it is 37,1% foreign-owned and controlled by Essel Media in India as a major shareholder.

The influential Gupta family and president Jacob Zuma's son, Duduzane Zuma, are shareholders in Infinity Media Networks who has been supplying the ANN7 TV news channel to MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform.

Infinity Media Networks wanted to take ANN7 beyond DStv and make it a nationally available TV news channel to compete with the SABC's SABC News and e.tv's eNews.

e.tv that's run by eMedia Investments, the former Seardel media group owned by Hosken Consolidated Investments Limited that changed its name late last year, pleaded with Icasa not to license further free-to-air commercial broadcasters in South Africa.

The broadcasting regulator however said that more commercial TV stations are needed to increase competition and to improve the quality and variety of television broadcasting services in the country.

Acting Icasa chairman Reuben Mohlaloga said the regulator will issue a new invitation to apply for commercial free-to-air TV licences but will first run a series of workshops to help limit a repeat of the "deficient applications".

For now e.tv remains the sole commercial free-to-air broadcaster since it was licensed in 1998, with the SABC as the public broadcaster.

New commercial free-to-air TV station entrants in the already difficult South African TV market will face an ever increasing battle to just survive, secure content and find viewers.

While MultiChoice's DStv keeps adding channels, there's also On Digital Media (ODM) and StarTimes SA's StarSat, together with Platco Digital's free-to-air satellite OpenView HD service, in conjunction with growing community TV stations, the SABC and M-Net that last month launched a digital terrestrial television (DTT) product, GOtv, for South Africa.

In addition traditional TV viewers are lured away by expanding local VOD services like Naspers' ShowMax, Netflix South Africa and MTN's VU.

South Africa's broadcasting regulator, Icasa, 'warned' over Infinity Media's application to make the Gupta TV channel ANN7 on DStv a free-to-air news channel.

South Africa's broadcasting regulator, Icasa is being "warned" over the application by the Gupta family and president Jacob Zuma's son for a commercial free-to-air TV licence through which it wants to make ANN7 (DStv 405) a freely available, national TV channel.

If approved by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa), the channel - one of 4 possible new commercial free-to-air TV channels that could be licensed - will become the first new freely available commercial TV broadcasters since e.tv was licensed in 1998.

On Sunday City Press reported that a legal opinion sourced by the broadcasting regulator itself, advised that granting a new free-to-air commercial TV licence to Infinity Media Networks would be illegal since the company's foreign ownership is too large.

According to the legal opinion that the Mkhabela Huntley law firm gave to Icasa, Infinity Media Networks bid should be rejected since the company contravenes the foreign ownership clause in the Electronic Communications Act as it is 37,1% foreign-owned and controlled by Essel Media in India as a major shareholder.

The influential Gupta faimly and president Jacob Zuma's son, Duduzane Zuma, are shareholders in Infinity Media Networks who has been supplying the ANN7 TV news channel to MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform.

Infinity Media Networks wants to take ANN7 beyond DStv and make it a nationally available TV news channel to compete with the SABC's SABC News and e.tv's eNews.

The COPE political party in a statement says that "all opposition parties will keep a sharp lookout to see how Icasa is going to process the responses to the tender" for the highly prized free-to-air digital broadcasting licence.

"Infinity Media Networks, we learn, has ambitious plans to turn ANN7 into our country's primary news source. This might possibly have been the goal from the inception of ANN7 setting up operations," says Dennis Bloem, COPE spokesperson.

"Now that South Africa has witnessed how calamitous it is for the state or a state institution to argue lamely that it was an error of the law for failing to act correctly, Icasa must be warned to proceed within the very strictest confines of the law. If it acts in defiance of the law, serious consequences will follow."

"While Icasa is still considering all submissions and no decision has been taken, it should understand that the matter is now made public and all eyes are on Icasa."

"The fact that this licence will allow the licensee to reach as many as 12 million viewers will give it the same reach as the SABC and e.tv. As such, the decision that Icasa takes must be rational and well thought out".