Commission of inquiry into editorial interference at South Africa's public broadcaster finds 'spectre of the ANC hovered over the newsroom', ministerial interference; 'bullying and trauma' and 'work environment crippled with fear, anxiety, resentment and tensions'.

The Commission of inquiry into editorial interference at South Africa's embattled public broadcaster found that the "spectre of the ANC political party hovered over the newsroom", that SABC executives took instructions for half a decade between 2012 and 2017 from "people with no authority in the newsroom" like former SABC board chairperson certificate-faker Ellen Tshabalala and minister of communications Faith Muthambi, and that SABC News was crippled by "bullying and trauma" as a work environment filled with "fear, anxiety, resentment and tensions".

The Commission of inquiry with chairperson Joe Thloloe, the retired executive director of the Press Council of South Africa, that was announced in May 2018, released its 66-page report that it finished on 25 February 2019.

The Commission didn't release the findings of editorial interference at the SABC before South Africa's 2019 general elections because the SABC said the SABC board at the time was inquorate and that the beleaguered broadcaster had to wait for a new full board to be appointed by parliament. 

Joe Thloloe said that the Commission found that the SABC "suffered from the capricious use of authority and power to terrorise staff and to deflect the corporation from its mandate and editorial policies".

"The inquiry found an organisation crippled by pain‚ anger and fear; by frustration‚ anxiety and apathy; and by inattentiveness‚ detachment and helplessness."

The findings of the Commission of inquiry implicate several high-ranking SABC staffers as well as government officials and the broadcaster said that it will take disciplinary action against those who have been implicated.

SABC staffers took editorial instructions from the former communications minister Faith Muthambi and members of the board like Ellen Tshabalala - something which isn't supposed to happen at all.

"The evidence shows that from the year 2012 till 2017, SABC executives took instructions from people with no authority in the newsroom, for example, SABC board chairperson Ellen Tshabalala and the minister of communications, Faith Muthambi. The executives thus failed to execute their duties in terms of editorial policies," Joe Thloloe said in the report.

The Commission also found that specifically Nothando Maseko (SABC head of TV news), Sebolelo Ditlhakanyane (SABC head of radio news) and Nyana Molete were "pivotal to the execution of instructions" from executives like the famously matricless former SABC COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng, Jimi Matthews and Simon Tebele.

The report found that these three "succumbed because of threats of dismissal from their immediate superiors". SABC taff morale was detrimental and the organisation was "crippled by pain, anger and fear".

The Commission recommended that the appointments of Nothando Maseko, Sebolelo Ditlhakanyane and Charles Matlou be audited by the SABC's human resources division.

SABC news boss, Phathiswa Magopeni, said that after visiting 13 SABC News offices across South Africa in mid-2018 "I found a newsroom that had experienced a sustained period of bullying and trauma; a work environment crippled with fear, anxiety, resentment and tensions". 

She said she found "a news operation plagued with instances of grave ethical drifts; a newsroom with journalists and editors frightened to make normal editorial decisions as they were worried about the safety of their jobs" and that "the morale was at rock-bottom".

SABC chairperson Bongumusa Makhathini at the press conference held on Monday morning at the SABC's Auckland Park headquarters about the findings of the Commission of inquiry into editorial interference said "we have to ensure that there is justice. If there are people who contravened our policies we can't fold our arms and do nothing". 

Ntuthuzelo Vanara, the SABC's head of legal, revealed that 34 SABC employees will have to go to court to explain why they should keep their jobs at the SABC as part of irregular appointments from the SABC's "ugly past" that had been exposed.


Recommendations
The Commission's report recommended a review of Hlaudi Motsoeneng's instructions to the SABC's human resources department to institute disciplinary hearings against employees, and dismiss or promote others. The report said that an audit of appointments must be conducted and reviewed and where gaps are found, these appointments must be reversed and re-advertised.

The Commission also advised that a news and current affairs advisory committee be created for the SABC to advise journalists, editors and producers on editorial issues that would serve as the highest point of upward referral by editorial line managers and seek to uphold the editorial policies at the broadcaster.

The Commission further recommended that at least one workshop a year be held on editorial policies and ethics for staff, and that SABC freelancers' work contracts be reviewed "as these workers need to be a healthy window into the corporation".

The Commission also said that because SABC programmes were "arbitrarily canned, shortened or changed", there needs to be improved performance management at the level of individuals and programming.




ALSO READ: After release of Commission of Inquiry's report into SABC editorial meddling the South African National Editor's Forum urges 'new custodians of the SABC newsroom to safeguard' it from future interference.
ALSO READ: 'Be fast or I will fire you, I will really fire you': South Africa's former communications minister, Faith Muthambi, faces criminal charges after release of the report of the SABC's Commission of Inquiry into editorial interference and abuse at the public broadcaster.
ALSO READ: SOS Coalition says Commission of Inquiry's report into SABC editorial meddling doesn't go far enough while former bosses 'Jimmy Matthews and Hlaudi Motsoeneng continue to live as symbols of South Africa's culture of impunity'.

SABC to release findings of Commission of inquiry into alleged political and editorial interference at the South African public broadcaster.

On Monday 5 August 2019 the SABC will release its much-anticipated report into alleged editorial interference.

The Commission of inquiry was announced in June 2018 and started last year, completed before the 2019 general election in South Africa, but was held back and is only being released now.

The Commission, chaired by Joe Thloloe, the executive director of the Press Council, was tasked into looking into alleged political and editorial interference at the embattled SABC and its SABC News division.

Joe Thloloe and the Commission will be presenting the findings of the report at the SABC's Auckland Park headquarters in Johannesburg on Monday at 10:00.

BREAKING. MultiChoice chooses Newzroom Afrika to replace Mzwanele Manyi's dumped Afro Worldview as a new local TV news channel on DStv.

MultiChoice has chosen Newzroom Afrika as the new 24-hour local TV news channel to replace Mzwanele Manyi's dumped Afro Worldview channel on DStv.

Newzroom Afrika will launch in early 2019 on DStv and no channel logo is available yet.

When Newzroom Afrika launched early next year, it will take the channel number of 405 on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform, the one where ANN7 that turned into Afro Worldview, launched and was dumped from earlier this month.

Newzroom Afrika, following after eNCA (DStv 403) and SABC News (DStv 404) will be made available to all DStv subscribers, meaning that it will have a wider reach that eMedia Investment's eNCA.

MultiChoice received 111 expressions of interest for a new TV news channel on DStv.

The two directors heading up Newzroom Afrika are Thokozani Nkosi of the production company Eclipse TV, and Thabile Ngwato of Rapid Innovation, the SABC News anchor who left the SABC last week.

Eclipse TV produced shows for the South African public broadcaster like It's Gospel Time and I want to sing Gospel for SABC2 and The Chatroom and Big Up for SABC1.

"Today marks the birth of an exciting new and independent media voice in South Africa," said Calvo Mawela, MultiChoice South Africa CEO.

"We set out to find a quality, new, black-owned, independent news channel to expand the diversity of South African news and enrich our democracy - we're excited by the outcome.

"The Eclipse TV and Rapid Innovation teams have a track record of entrepreneurial success. They will be supported by an editorial team that will deliver independent views of events unfolding in South Africa and around the world, while the owners concentrate on running the business successfully."

"Their bid stood out for its potential to bring a fresh, creative and diversified approach to news reporting, which included an integrated digital strategy, combined with sound audience analysis and appealing on-screen execution".

MultiChoice in a statement says "this new channel will greatly enhance and enrich the news offering on DStv, while at the same time creating a new black-owned entrant in South African news media. It will promote the diversity of voices in media and give all our customers the chance to find a news channel on DStv that resonates with them."

"We were looking for a news channel that is distinctly different from what is currently available‚ and we certainly found it in Newzroom Afrika. We want to drive sustainable transformation in the television industry and to contribute to the diversity of views in our country and our continent."

Thabile Ngwato in a statement on Tuesday said Newzroom Afrika "is committed to provide independent and dependable reporting, and will deliver that through our strong editorial team".

Thokozani Nkosi said "this is a great opportunity for us to bring a fresh perspective to the South African news agenda by building a news channel from scratch. We're excited and raring to go."

MultiChoice and Newzroom Afrika will start negotiations about the channel carriage agreement soon.

Zanele Mthembu who was previously the group head of e.tv's content production division, will head up Newzroom Afrika's broadcasting operation, with Malebo Phage running the newsroom operations. Malebo Phage also previously worked for e.tv.

Joe Thloloe and Dinesh Balliah will be on Newzroom Afrika's editorialethics oversight board.

Newzroom Afrika won't hire all of the Afro Worldview staffers who got fired last week when Afro Worldview got dumped from DStv, if if some of them apply, they will get "special consideration".

"In terms of employees at Afro Worldview, they will certainly be prioritised when it comes to our recruitment process. Each and every person who applies for various positions will be given an opportunity to go through the recruitment process but they will certainly be prioritised," Thabile Ngwato said at a media briefing on Tuesday.

The latest issue of the Financial Mail in South Africa covers how the famously matricless boss Hlaudi Motsoeneng 'crippled the SABC'.

The latest issue of the Financial Mail covers the SABC's controversial and famously matricless boss Hlaudi Motsoeneng with "How Hlaudi Motsoeneng crippled the SABC".

The new issue of the Financial Mail looks like how it would have been if South Africa had a weekday newspaper or magazine like Variety or The Hollywood Reporter incisively and comprehensively covering the South African TV industry but sadly we have none.

The new Financial Mail is just the latest print media in South Africa piling on the ongoing barrage of justified bad press the SABC is getting for its destructive and bombastic chief operating officer (COO) and his shocking mismanagement and irrational diktats like censorship of SABC TV news visuals.

In a lot of other countries, someone in the position of Hlaudi Motsoeneng would have stepped down long ago already where people who are less egotistical, come to a realisation that their untenable position and the shocking brand damage their presence inflicts on a company, structure or organisation, means that it would be better for the greater whole - and good - to leave.

Of course not the limelight loving Hlaudi Motsoeneng, who the Public Protector's report of February 2014 found that "Hlaudi Motsoeneng should never have been appointed at the SABC".

You can read Sikonathi Mantshantsha's Financial Mail cover story "How Hlaudi Motsoeneng crippled the SABC online here, and also how the loss-making SABC continues to lose money despite the lies from Hlaudi Motsoeneng that the SABC is profitable and making money.

The Financial Mail also has a report on how the SABC's nasty sounding new acting CEO James Aguma who is the chief financial officer allegedly told SABC "if you cross the line, you go" and to "get off the bus if you don't agree with the destination".

There is Hlaudi Motsoeneng's catastrophic course at the SABC, and Joe Thloloe, director of the Press Council and former SABC news editor-in-chief, weighing in that "state of fear under which SABC employees are working is not conducive to good journalism or programming. It has to cease".

SABC boss Hlaudi Motsoeneng wants SABC staff to wear uniforms so that they can understand unity; says staff will be fired 'who run to the newspapers'.

The SABC's controversial boss Hlaudi Motsoeneng is now considering ordering all SABC staff to wear uniforms.

The latest idea from the SABC's controversial chief operating officer (COO) is for all SABC staff to wear uniforms so that they can understand unity, City Press reports.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng spoke on Tuesday evening at a discussion hosted by the National Press Club in Pretoria. The discussion comes after his latest censorship decree, banning visuals of property destruction during public protests being shown on the SABC's TV channels.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng was part of a panel that included veteran journalist and Press Council director Joe Thloloe, the SABC's commercial adviser Anton Heunis, and Alet Pretorius, Beeld newspaper's photo editor.

"I have been thinking maybe our employees should have uniforms so that they can understand unity. The SABC is independent as an organisation, but no one is independent within the organisation."

Hlaudi Motsoeneng said the SABC's latest censorship decision is popular with the masses.

"I can tell you that 90% of South Africans are very excited with the transformation at the SABC and our improved news coverage, and I don't know where this other 10% comes from or who they represent. People are very apologetic where they have to implement equity and transformation, but not us at the SABC".

Hlaudi Motsoeneng threatened that SABC staff who speak out about the public broadcaster will be fired.

"We will get rid of those who run to the newspapers. Actually, SABC employees are very happy but there are a few rotten potatoes; there are very few of them, including those who leak internal information to the media".

Joe Thloloe slammed the SABC's censorship decision, saying its exactly what the National Party did in 1985 during Apartheid.

"When the National Party had a state of an emergency, one of the conditions was that the media should not take pictures where there were riots. Some of us have been in that space before. We didn't like it; we hated it."

Joe Thloloe said the SABC is in breach of the Code of Conduct of the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA), that says news must be presented in the correct context and that facts not be distorted in any way.

Joe Thloloe warned the SABC that the public broadcaster is running the risk of endangering the lives of SABC journalists with its censorship decision.