South African public broadcaster and its divided board embarks on new plan to get rid of SABC News boss Phathiswa Magopeni ordered by ANC politicians - report.

by Thinus Ferreira

The South African public broadcaster -with the SABC board once again divided - has reportedly embarked on a new plan to get rid of its SABC News boss Phathiswa Magopeni, allegedly ordered by ANC politicians after she alleged that SABC CEO Madoda Mxakwe and SABC chairperson Bongumusa Makhathini are guilty of gross political editorial interference at the broadcaster.

Following a disciplinary hearing that found Phathiswa Magopeni guilty of misconduct for the failure to stop the broadcasting of an episode of the current affairs programme Special Assignment, the once-again troubled SABC has started on another process to get rid of her, the City Press newspaper reported on Sunday.

According to the newspaper, the SABC demanded that Phathiswa Magopeni submit a "mitigation argument" for the outcome of her disciplinary hearing and is also going after her over her allegation that SABC CEO Madoda Mxakwe and SABC chairperson Bongumusa Makhathini directly called her to ask her to interview ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa during South Africa's election campaigning period before the municipal elections in 2021.  

According to City Press, the SABC board is divided into two camps, with 5 SABC board members supporting Madoda Mxakwe and Bongumusa Makhathini, and the other 5, including deputy SABC board member Mamodupi Mohlala, opposed against firing and getting rid of Phathiswa Magopeni.

The SABC board agreed that the shocking allegations over Madoda Mxakwe and Bongumusa Makhathini editorial interference should be investigated, but differ and couldn't agree on the approach.

Meanwhile no-one is being held accountable.

City Press reports that, according to sources, SABC CEO Madoda Mxakwe and SABC chairperson Bongumusa Makhathini were ordered by ANC politicians to get rid of Phathiswa Magopeni.

"The fact that she filed a grievance against them about interference in the editorial policy added fuel to the fire," a source told City Press newspaper.

"These are the same charges that got former SABC acting COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng fired, and it was the same interference in editorial policy that got parliament to institute a commission of inquiry led by Joe Thloloe to come up with a clear framework on that editorial policy."

Another insider said that there is "a witch-hunt to get rid of her. It's not because she isn't a capable leader. She's being hunted for defending the editorial policy, the newsroom and their independence."

ALSO READ: SABC News boss Phathiswa Magopeni found guilty of misconduct as disciplinary hearing chairperson recommends a warning as sanction from SABC board.

ALSO READ: Scared SABC News boss Phathiswa Magopeni details shocking allegations of editorial interference by SABC chairperson Bongumusa Makhathini and CEO Madoda Mxakwe who pressured for ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa to do an election interview.

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Part of the compliance notice which the National Consumer Commission served, was the misguided and extremely ill-informed order from the Commission to MultiChoice for so-called "unbundling" of channels. The Commission which doesn't understand pay television economics, wanted MultiChoice to sell TV channels individually to subscribers instead of the current bouquets.

MultiChoice had no comment.

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