EFF political leader Julius Malema slams eNCA as 'wanting to impose Cyril Ramaphosa on us'; while eNCA has no comment.

The political leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), Julius Malema, has again slammed eMedia Investments' eNCA (DStv 403) channel, this time saying eNCA is supporting the South African president Cyril Ramaphosa, and with eNCA that decided not to respond to media enquiries seeking comment.

At a political rally this past weekend, Julius Malema once again slammed the South African TV news channel and calling it out for allegedly being "white people owned media" that support Ramaphosa".

This is Julius Malema's second attack on eNCA, following the EFF's March outburst that caused eNCA's managing director and editor-in-chief Mapi Mhlangu clap back and defend eNCA and saying that his "characterisation of eNCA is not supported by the factual record".

At the latest rally Julius Malema claimed that eNCA has made "a decision to support Ramaphosa".

"Every night they put Ramaphosa’s picture at the back of the news anchors. Where have you ever seen such madness? Not even the Gupta TV [ANN7/ Afro Worldview] did what eNCA is doing."

"This white people owned media is worse than the Gupta media," Julius Malema said.

Julius Malema also railed against eNCA's TV playtime for politicians in the As It Happens show where eNCA literally puts politicians in the anchor chair during prime time and give politicians on-air editorial control.

Julius Malema called it "some useless show" and said behind the EFF politician Mbuyiseni Ndlozi who recently was an anchor on eNCA "there was a Cyril Ramaphosa poster".

"Why would an independent media house [show] the face of a politician?  If it was the SABC we would understand, it's a public broadcaster, maybe it's funded by government. Not even SABC put Ramaphosa’s picture".

"eNCA wants to put that picture until the elections. Why? Because white people want to impose Ramaphosa on us. Why are they doing that? Because they know we are not liberated. Once it is said by a white man we are going to buy into it because of the mentality of those who are enslaved. Every time it’s said by a white man it’s the gospel truth," said Julius Malema.

Publicist for eNCA and e.tv were asked several times this week for a response or comment from eNCA but didn't respond.

BREAKING. eNCA slaps back at EFF's Julius Malema after the political leader accuses the TV news channel of 'protecting white privilege'; eNCA says its journalists are now getting threatening messages.

eNCA (DStv 403) is slapping back at the caustic political leader of the Economic Feeedom Fighters, Julius Malema, who on Sunday accused eNCA of protecting white privilege as a channel that allegedly "perpetuate white supremacy", with eNCA's managing director and editor-in-chief, Mapi Mhlangu, saying that eNCA opposes racist domination and that eNCA journalists are now being threatened and targeted with threatening messages.

On Sunday, Julius Malema tweeted that "the changes at SABC are worrisome, someone is busy creating eNCA lite at the SABC. We have to find a way of stopping whiteness from taking over the only platform of black people before is [sic] too late. eNCA is the platform that perpetuate white supremacy and there's no doubt."

"I think EFF should really discuss in depth the role of eNCA in perpetuating and defending white privilege and see if we can't come to the same conclusion we did with the ANN7."

"On Sunday 18 March 2018, the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), Julius Malema, accused eNCA of protecting white privilege and white supremacy on Twitter. This accusation is disturbing given the values at the core of eNCA's journalism over the last decade," says Mapi Mhlangu.

Mapi Mhlangu says Julius Malema's "tweets have consequences, not least because he is the leader of a political party with substantial representation and support across South Africa. The first of these consequences have been threats to individual journalists in the wake of his online messages".

"Despite our relative small size as a news organisation, we have consistently dedicated our limited resources to stories which have put justice, equality and human rights at the centre of our news, in line with our insistence that we offer news without fear or favour."

"Our staff have consistently told stories about what is broken in this country, how it can be fixed and how we can make each other accountable," says Mapi Mhlangu.

"Julius Malema's characterisation of eNCA is not supported by the factual record. The channel's majority stakeholder is a black empowerment company, Hoskins Consolidated Investments (HCI), and of that a significant share of eMedia Investments' is held by the South African Clothing and Textile Workers' Union (Sactwu). The ownership of eNCA through eMedia is therefore not as has often been alleged in public."

"Additionally, the staff members at eNCA are representative of the diversity of people who make up contemporary South Africa, who bring to their work divergent political views and social experiences, which inform our story-telling in ways which South Africans have appreciated to the extent of making us the most-watched channel among news viewers."

Mapi Mhlangu says that "at any other time in our country’s history" Julius Malema's tweets "would have required a response from the editorial team, not least because it is a question of ensuring the safety of journalists in a democratic society".

"In the year ahead of what may be South Africa’s most important general elections since the abolition of legislated apartheid, the role of the news media and the safety of those who work in this crucial sector, cannot be overstated. We must remind ourselves the role that South Africa’s journalists and media organisations played in holding executive power to account and their key role in protecting the democratic order, which eventually saw the reinstitution of corruption charges against a former head of state."

"Furthermore, eNCA operates in a highly regulated space governed by The Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA). If political organisations or their leaders have concerns about news media organisations or their output, there are structures and processes in democratic South Africa available to them to pursue their complaints."

"The BCCSA is one avenue through which any person or organisation may pursue their complaint should direct engagement with that media organisation not be satisfactory. This is the democratic right assured all of us in democratic South Africa," says Mapi Mhlangu.

"Media freedom and the safety of journalists are under increasing threat around the world.  South Africans fought long and hard to guarantee this freedom as a pillar of the constitutional democracy.  Political parties, leaders and citizens have the freedom to criticise the media, but also have the responsibility to do so through the channels available to them in ways which contribute to strengthening democracy and accountability."

"eNCA is an organisation founded by people who opposed racist domination, and every day the hundreds of people who work incredibly hard to make eNCA the most watched news channel on satellite television in South Africa reaffirm that commitment to a democratic country in which we celebrate a plurality of views within the letter and spirit of constitutional democracy."

"We affirm that commitment to a democratic country in which we celebrate a plurality of views within the letter and spirit of constitutional democracy."

SABC's self-censorship continues as SABC News cuts the live feed and screens go black when EFF leader Julius Malema mentions 'no brains' Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

South African and African viewers on Monday saw how the SABC's alleged self-censorship continues in 2017 when the SABC's SABC News division abruptly cut the live feed and screens went black on its SABC News (DStv 404) channel and its You Tube stream when the EFF leader Julius Malema at a press conference unexpectedly mentioned the SABC's controversial boss Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

During the press conference of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) on Monday in Johannesburg, leader Julius Malema decided to lay into the ANC political party through a proxy - the SABC's infamous incompetence icon, Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

Shocked viewers of the SABC News channel carried on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV service, saw their TV screens suddenly flash to black, then green, and then revert to the SABC canned in-house ads. The You Tube live feed also stopped.

eNCA (DStv 403) didn't break the transmission of the press conference.

Viewers murmured: Either SABC self-censorship kicked in, or incompetence is to blame.

Either way, it was another embarrassing public blotch on the SABC News division's less that credible news service and comes after a year in which the SABC and SABC News suffered massive brand and reputational damage for its decision to censor TV news visuals and the unfair firing of SABC news journalists who the broadcaster was eventually forced to reinstate in their jobs.

On Monday during the press conference it wasn't that the SABC lost the signal or had technical problems.

SABC News as a channel remained on the air, as is evident by the overlay of the words "Live" and "SABC News" that remained on the black screen - but SABC executives deliberately appeared to have hastily cut the press conference feed.

"If you want to see how the ANC leadership looks like then just look at Hlaudi and you will know the type of crème de la crème of the ANC," said Julius Malema.

"In KwaZulu-Natal they said he must be part of the National Executive Committee. They are looking for such things. If you have anything that looks like Hlaudi, just give it to the ANC to be led by such things. There are no brains, they are gone. If there are no brains - "

It was at this point that the SABC abruptly killed the news feed on SABC News with viewers wondering why the SABC switched off with viewers who wanted to know why the SABC is censoring the EFF press conference when Hlaudi Motsoeneng was mentioned.

So far there's been no explanation from the SABC as to what happened on SABC News and why - or who decided to cut the feed when the EFF mentioned Hlaudi Motsoeneng and why the feed stopped showing the press conference at the specific moment when Hlaudi Motsoeneng was started to be criticised.

EFF's Juju slams eNCA as 'racist' and claims biased election coverage reporting; eNCA says it does balanced reporting; will meet with the political party next week.

As sure as there's sunshine, there will always be another summer season on Clifton's beaches, another strike season as unions toyi-toyi during wage negotiation season, and then, of course, election season.

During this period - South Africans go to the polls on 3 August - the elections cycle is always filled with grandstanding and posturing from politicians and one weapon from their evergreen arsenal: attacks on the media.

The TV news channel eNCA (DStv 403) has come under fire from the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) political party, with its leader Julius Malema that threatened the eMedia Investments channel on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform with mass action.

Julius Malema slammed eNCA for alleged biased election news coverage, saying on Twitter that "I think we should teach this racist eNCA a lesson by paying them a visit with the masses before elections because of their bias to the Democratic Alliance (DA)".

eNCA says its aware of Julius Malema's utterance, and says the news channel does balanced reporting.

"As an independent news service, eNCA is unequivocally committed to ensure that we treat all political parties fairly and provide our viewers with the balanced reporting they need to make informed voting decisions," says Anton Harber, eNCA's editor-in-chief.

"In addition, our election coverage is being monitored by Media Monitoring Africa (MMA), an organisation that strives to ensure fair, free, quality and ethical journalism on the continent, and we will use their reports to ensure that we meet the highest possible standards of coverage".

"eNCA's management has arranged a meeting with the EFF next week and will present detailed data around the channel's fair coverage of the party," said Anton Harber.

Gupta owners of the ANN7 TV news channel and The New Age newspaper files urgent court interdict against the EFF party against possible violence, media interference.

The Gupta-owned ANN7 (DStv 405) TV news channel and The New Age newspaper have filed an urgent court interdict against the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) political party.

Oakbay Investments - a shareholder in the Gupta-owned media and other companies - as well as Oakbay Investments CEO Nazeem Howa along with other plaintiffs are asking the North Gauteng High Court to order the EFF not to commit violence against ANN7 or the newspaper, its assets like property, and staff.

The Guptas in the interdict application also want the court to order the EFF not to interfere with the activities of ANN7 and The New Age reporters and journalists. The EFF is opposing the application.

The urgent court interdict application comes after the EFF leader Julius Malema last week went on a scathing tirade against ANN7 and The New Age, banning reporters and journalists from ANN7 and The New Age from attending any EFF events or press conferences and using threatening language saying their safety can't be guaranteed.

It saw the abrupt cut of a televised broadcast from the EFF press conference as a ANN7 crew killed the feed, packed up and left.

Julius Malema said the EFF wants the influential Guptas with strong ties to president Jacob Zuma, to leave the Gauteng province and South Africa.

"We don't want to see The New Age and ANN7. It's propaganda machinery," said Julius Malema.

In the affidavit filed in the urgent court interdict application, Nazeem Howa says "Julius Malema lashed out at the Gupta brothers and their commercial interests with a clear and unambiguous threat of violence and xenophobia".

The Communication Workers' Union (CWU) that has members working at ANN7 and The New Age newspaper says "state security agencies", the Guptas and Oakbay Investments must protect the workers and reporters.

"As a union we are up in arms against ANN7 and The New Age with regard to poor working conditions in these companies and we know how exploited these workers are and how they struggle daily to make ends meet," says CWU secretary Aubrey Tshabalala.

"These are our members and we will encourage the EFF to fight its political battles with the Guptas and not focus on easy targets, that is the defenseless workers".

"We call upon state security agencies including the employer to provide sufficient protection for our members at ANN7 and New Age while they are on duty trying to make a living. We further call for an indaba of all stakeholders in the media industry to discuss issues of security and allowances for field journalists".

BREAKING. Julius Malema trashes the SABC on the SABC during a presser, as South Africa's entire media and press corps laughs.

You're reading it here first.

Julius Malema just thoroughly trashed the SABC - on the SABC - to great delight of all in the large media and press corps attending the EFF press conference broadcast live on South African television.

During a political party press conference of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), being carried live at the moment on eNCA (DStv 403) and SABC News (DStv 404) - but not ANN7 (DStv 405) although they also had a reporter there asking a question - EFF leader Julius Malema thoroughly trashed the SABC.

Julius Malema's remarks elicited joy and roaring laughter from the entire South African media and press contingent who heartily burst out in laughter.

After an eNCA reporter asked Julius Malema how the EFF will make meaningful changes in South Africa seeing as the majority ruling party, the ANC, doesn't need the EFF, Julius Malema quickly retorted with: "Don't embarrass the eNCA like that".

"If it was the SABC it's understandable".

The entire press corps with reporters from various TV channels, and journalists from newspapers and news organisations across South Africa and the world, burst out in laughter - so much so that Julius Malema had to stop talking.

Then Julius Malema, who often work in jibes directed towards certain journalists in his answers, continued blasting the SABC as everybody openly kept laughing.

"We know that there is limitation within the SABC. So we don't expect mediocrity from eNCA. But we know the SABC has such potential. So don't embarrass that institution."

The press kept laughing.

With the unified reaction and sniggering from the press corps it's become abundantly clear now that the entire South African media and press are in agreement that the South African public broadcaster has become a joke and openly recognise that the SABC is biased in its news coverage.

It's clear that South African journalists, reporters and editors revel in it when someone like a Julius Malema says publicly, and makes a public statement, about what journalists, reporters and editors are saying in their newsrooms and while they're out covering stories but won't really state publicly themselves.

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.

JUSTICE VS JULIUS. Julius Malema the studio guest Monday on The Justice Factor with Justice Malala on eNCA at 20:30.

Cue the fireworks. The EFF leader Julius Malema will be the in-studio guest of The Justice Factor with Justice Malala this coming Monday, 17 February, at 20:30 on eNCA (DStv 403).

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader was just provisionally sequestrated, which could prevent him from becoming a member of parliament, although Julius Malema keeps saying that he will be the next president of South Africa.

The Justice Factor on Monday night on eNCA is sure to make for interesting television, given that neither Julius Malema, nor Justice Malala ever pull any punches.

The Justice Factor will repeat next week Tuesday at 09:30, 15:30 and 22:30.

BREAKING. NEWS CRISIS AT THE SABC! News staff allegedly ordered to observe total news blackout about anything regarding Julius Malema.

As South Africa's public broadcaster is once again being shaken to its core with tumultuous executive turnover at highest level - the SABC board chairperson dr Ben Ngubane telling parliament the SABC board has "degenerated into serious dysfunctionality" and top-level executives being suspended - SABC news staff have allegedly been ordered not to breath a word of news coverage of the controversial news figure Julius Malema.

SABC News staff and journalists as well as all news editors around the country at the public broadcaster, have allegedly been instructed this morning not to report anything about Julius Malema until SABC top management has instructed otherwise.

The total ban and blackout of news about the former ANC Youth leader, his whereabouts and what he's doing was apparently conveyed this morning to SABC news editors around the country.

It follows Tuesday's muzzling by the SABC of Julius Malema who was invited for an interview on MetroFM, only for the interview to be cancelled. Julius Malema then appeared on CNN International on Tuesday evening, talking to Christiane Amanpour.

"The Broadcasting, Electronic, Media and Allied Workers Union (Bemawu) is extremely concerned with what appears to be the censoring of the SABC"s news reports," says the SABC trade union in a just issued press statement. 

"It has been reported to us by several of our members that they have been instructed to not report on ANY activities of the expelled ANC Youth League leader, Julius Malema. The instruction went as far as to say that even if he is assassinated, or he dies in any other manner, it should not be reported on any SABC platform until Top Management has instructed otherwise."

"News staff have been warned also not to report on his whereabouts or what he is doing. This instruction apparently came from Solly Phetoe and Mike Seluma and was conveyed to all news editors around the country. A special meeting was called in some regions this morning to inform all news editors of this instruction."

"Bemawu regards this as a gross violation of the principles of journalism and also an attack on freedom of the press. As a public broadcaster the SABC is duty bound to report news in a fair, unbiased and accurate manner, and without influence from top or any other management of the SABC."

"We have informed our members to not comply with this unlawful instruction and to report the news of the day without fear or prejudice and to judge what should go on air purely on the news value and principles of the editorial policy of the SABC."

"This reminds Bemawu of the censoring of news by the apartheid government and total control of the public broadcaster by the ruling party. If management dare to touch any of our members ignoring this unlawful instruction, Bemawu will defend our members and take the matter to the highest court."

"We call on an urgent investigation of this sorry state of affairs at the public broadcaster and we demand that the strongest action be taken against those top managers responsible for this instruction."

The SOS Coalition, the massive public pressure group representing a vast number of stakeholders within South Africa's TV industry says the SOS Coalition - which just met last month with the SABC's CEO Lulama Mokhobo - is "indeed very worried about the latest developments. It seems that the crisis always finds a way to recycle itself at the SABC. We are worried that the chief financial officer was suspended and that the accounting officer - the group CEO - is also not held liable for the chaos at the SABC. The board as well seems to be on another level."

The trade union Mwasa says in a statement that "Mwasa fully supports the stated commitment to protecting the independence of professional journalists working for the SABC."

"The SABC Newsroom has been a controversial workplace for many decades. A comprehensive and inclusive purposeful discussion on the concept of journalistic-independence and questions around appreciation of the fundamental rights to freedom of expression,freedom of association and the right to choose and practice a profession including intellectual property rights must be prioritised."

"It is unacceptable that, both historically and even as we live, the SABC newsroom has efficiently stifled and smothered diversity of views and opinion where the dominant and preferred perception is that of an SABC that punts the ruling-party's stance on most matters of national interest and concern."

"Sadly the SABC newsroom has lost qualified and competent personnel and with that as well as the highly-priced credibility and integrity. Any broadcaster with a chequered and dodgy record in terms of credibility and integrity cannot claim support from its audiences."

I've reached out to the SABC for any possible comment on this serious allegation and will report the moment there's any possible response from the SABC on this fast developing story.

ALSO READ: The embattled SABC once again mired in executive management turmoil and high-level suspensions.
ALSO READ: Gugu Duda, the SABC's chief financial officer, gets her letter demanding she give reasons as to why she should NOT be suspended immediately.
ALSO READ: SABC headquarters once again besieged - public protest march by the IFP coming to the SABC's Auckland Park headquarters on Friday; Mwasa trade union to do public picketing on Wednesday next week.
ALSO READ: SABC blasted for "half-cooked" skills audit report and tardiness about implementing the recommendations of the auditor-general's report after widespread SABC corruption.

After the SABC muzzles Julius Malema, the former ANC Youth leader gives an interview to Christiane Amanpour in CNN International.

After the SABC muzzled Julius Malema and cancelled on an interview with the disgraced former ANC Youth leader, Juju as he's popularly referred to, gave a television interview to Christiane Amanpour on Amanpour on CNN International (DStv 401) last night.

After Julius Malema's scheduled SABC interview for Tuesday night on MetroFM was suddenly cancelled by order of SABC management, the controversial Julius Malema who've now inserted himself into the Lonmin and South African mining crisis appeared Tuesday night on Amanpour,.

Julius Malema told Christiane Amanpour that "we want all workers, including the imemployed, to come together and demand what rightfully belongs to them ... we have come to the point where we must say enough is enough."