Fired Metro FM sportscaster Robert Marawa slams 'crazy, wrong-doing' SABC executives; says truth will come out, that there's lots of unhappy people at the SABC.

The fired veteran sportscaster Robert Marawa who got sacked by the SABC from his Metro FM show in the week without being told directly after he stood up for his suspended producer is calling out the SABC's "crazy" and "wrong-doing" executives.

He told Power FM in a radio interview that the truth will come out and that there's a lot of unhappy people at the SABC.

In the week the SABC's latest head of sport Sully Motsweni and the acting general manager for radio Orapeleng Lethebe fired the veteran sportscaster Robert Marawa who has been doing the hugely popular Sports@6 show on Metro FM, and said in a statement that the SABC "wishes him well".

The beleaguered and cash-strapped SABC that no longer has a head of radio and is awaiting yet another government bail-out, then admitted that it didn't tell Robert Marawa directly that he was fired, with SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago claiming that the SABC couldn't get hold of him.

Three weeks ago Robert Marawa refused to return to his Metro FM show out of solidarity after what he called the unfair suspension of his radio show producer Beverly Maphangwa for including a short comment from a sports commentator in the show - something that presenters are allowed to do.

The SABC then sent Robert Marawa a letter saying he has to give reason why he shouldn't be fired for failing to show up for work.

Robert Marawa who also works as a sportscaster or pay-TV broadcaster MultiChoice and its SuperSport media outfit had to find out from other SABC staffers that he was abruptly fired this week when they got a company-circulated internal email and they in turn told him.

"SABC Sport came through from the beginning of June and took over the running of the show as opposed to Metro FM running the show," Robert Marawa told the Power FM radio station in an interview on Friday, explaining the bizarre circumstances around his firing from the SABC.

"It suddenly became SABC Sport now in charge of all sports on all radio stations, including Metro FM".

"I did say as long as you guys don't interfere with the editorial of the show, I don't have a problem with this new plan that you guys have. But it didn't take long for it to really surface that it was about the editorial that was the key factor," said Robert Marawa.

"So somebody who is coming in, who's new with a set agenda, can't come through and tell me - especially if they don't have a background in broadcasting, they've got a background in telling TV presenters what to wear on weekends, and you've been in marketing and you've been doing all of these things - and then all of a sudden you feel you've got the power to come through and tell us that."

"So they have trumped up charges against Bev, suspended her. But they never ever had a hearing for her. She never went for a disciplinary hearing to say 'charge 1'."

"So they suspended her, never charged her, I took myself off air and then as a result I'm now charged with withdrawing my services. But I withdrew my services, notifying them I'm not coming through."

"Then yesterday they reinstated her, but never mentioned any of the two charges that she had so-called broken within the SABC."


'These guys are crazy'
Robert Marawa told Power FM that "my lawyer actually laughed at the charges and said these guys are crazy, and crazy they are. And that is why with sober minds we will approach it in a manner where South Africans will be able to see what has gone on here. I'm not fighting to get my job back. It's not about that."

"We will be able to present a very clear case of why the public has been duped and why after I had gone to the SABC interim board myself, David Kekana and a whole group of people have gone and approached SABC board deputy chairperson Mathata Tsedu, Krish Naidoo in the presence of acting chief operating officer (COO) Bessie Tugwana".

Robert Marawa said they mentioned to the SABC's interim board the "shenanigans" that Sully Motsweni "is committing as we speak who has been in charge of SABC Sport and it has to do with money, and it has to do with wrong-doing".

Robert Marawa told Power FM that she was in the meeting that was held during the week "recused themselves, said they're going to Sandton, but ultimately came back into the meeting to then say to everybody 'Robert has got to go - immediately', which was her call".

He said "people mustn't read and then fall prey to the lies that these people are bringing forward".


'When people are doing wrong, you shouldn't be scared'
Robert Marawa slammed the SABC for the public broadcaster's apparent lack of support to on-air talent.

"Unfortunately there, the more you succeed, and the more you bring in the numbers, the more people fall in love with your work, the more the people that are running the show - the administrators - and some of the ones who made this decision are in acting positions, imagine taking such a drastic decision from someone who is in an acting position," said Robert Marawa.

"When it comes to support, it's funny how when you get to a level of excellence in what you do, then the people around you tend not to support you," he said.

"The reason why I speak openly about this and I don't really fear anybody about this, is because it's the public broadcaster. It belong to the public. So when they go for bail-outs after they've chowed the money ... it's your money as a public broadcaster".

"When people are doing wrong, you shouldn't be scared," said Robert Marawa. "A lot of people are unhappy there [at the SABC] but they'll keep quiet".

"I stand my ground because you can't fear anybody. Rather starve in dignity than eat in shame."

Memorial for SABC journalist Suna Venter: 'We all giggled waiting for the utterances of the madman, but at least Suna lived to see the back of Hlaudi at the SABC'.

At the memorial service of the SABC journalist Suna Venter, media freedom fighters courageously spoke out about the ongoing tyranny at South Africa's public broadcaster and eloquently called for an ongoing focus and effort against censorship and oppression inside the SABC corridors where they say Hlaudi Motsoeneng enforcers remain.

Heavy caliber and staunch press and freedom of expression fighters in South Africa on Thursday afternoon used the hauntingly emotional memorial service of the SABC journalist Suna Venter who died a week ago from broken heart syndrome, to call for support for the ongoing fight for the soul of the SABC.

Media heavy weights called on the SABC that has done nothing so far about it, to launch an urgent investigation into the threats and attacks on the so-called SABC8 journalists who stood up against the SABC TV news censorship decree of the controversial and now fired former chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

Refusing to go along, they were fired, harassed, threatened, went to court, were reinstated and the SABC's censorship order declared illegal by the broadcaster regulator.

On Thursday afternoon the SABC decided not to broadcast or live stream through its SABC News resources the late Thursday afternoon memorial service of one of its own held inside the SABC at the public broadcaster's M1 Studios at Auckland Park, leaving eNCA (DStv 403) as the only TV news channel providing a streaming TV feed.

While top-ranking SABC executives were notably absent, the broadcaster's acting chief operating officer (COO) Bessie Tugwana, dressed in pink, was spotted stoically sitting and listening among the gathered mourners.

The courageous SABC's economics editor Thandeka Gqubule, one of the SABC8, welcomed the now eNCA prime time anchor Vuyo Mvoko - also one of the SABC8 journalists and who got fired by the SABC - back to the public broadcaster.

"Welcome back to the SABC, Vuyo," she said.

"It looks and feels very weird that I'm back inside the SABC," he said. "It's weird that eNCA, a private broadcaster, is live streaming this event to South Africa, right from within the SABC."


SOS Coalition: SABC must investigate SABC8 threats
Duduetsang Makuse, national coordinator of the SOS Coalition, the large civil society public pressure group dedicated to proper public broadcasting in South Africa, spoke at Suna Venter's memorial and said that "wild scale injustice" continues to flourish at the SABC.

"The SABC has a lot to answer for. At the time that Suna received threats on her life, the SABC was dismissive and callous in its response".

"The SABC statement by spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago at the time noted: 'Our message is very clear that this is a matter for the police. If the police will not do what they must do, then this has nothing to do with the SABC."

"No member of the SABC8 has received a formal apology for the offensive response and the behaviour of the then SABC board and senior management," said Duduetsang Makuse.

"We are also not aware of anyone being held accountable for any of the threats that were made against the group. We know that Hlaudi Motsoeneng and his enforcers - even though he has left, are still in place at the SABC."

"We know that too many others are being threatened. Many other journalists and other members of society are fearful of speaking the truth."

"There must be an investigation into the threats against her and others of the SABC8, so many named and unnamed other media workers as well."

"It's absolutely imperative that one of the actions the new SABC board must take, is to investigate the SABC's complicity in the threats, and to ensure that those behind the harassment and intimidation are identified and held accountable," said Duduetsang Makuse.


'The fight is not over. Oppressors never give up.'
The veteran journalist and highly respected SABC interim board deputy chairperson Mathata Tsedu said "what Suna Venter and the rest of the SABC8 were faced with, is not a new fight. That they were able to come back to work doesn't mean that victory was attained".

"Freedom is never won. It's defended," he said.

"When I heard that Suna had died, I thought to myself: Did I do enough? Did we as a people do enough to defend this freedom that we have?"

"And I said to myself, I didn't. We were all giggling and waiting for the next unimaginable utterances of the madman Hlaudi Motsoeneng. Meanwhile this asset, the SABC, was going down - until Suna and the SABC8 said this far and no further, whatever the price is."

"They were able to come back. Many more were not able to come back here. They were paid off and told to bugger off," said Mathata Tsedu.

"If there is a lesson in all of this and in Suna Venter's life, it is that each one of us must understand that in this wheel of change that must happen in South Africa, in the change that must propel us forward, there is a piece in that wheel where only my shoulders plug in."

"The fight is not over. Oppressors never give up," said Mathata Tsedu. "Hlaudi Motsoeneng was trying to get into Nasrec two days ago, claiming to be an ANN7 (DStv 405) analyst. So they never give up."

"At least Suna Venter lived to see the back of Hlaudi Motsoeneng, here [at the SABC]. Even if we have failed in many other respects, there are things that we have put in place that all of us as a nation need to help propel forward."

"I hope Suna, little one, that wherever you are, in whatever has been said here, you are able to recognise yourself."


Editor's Forum: Too many silent as they giggled at Hlaudi
Mahlatse Gallens, chairperson of the South African National Editors' Forum (Sanef) said that "our hearts are broken that 23 years into democracy, we are fighting against censorship".

"It's exactly a year ago that we stood outside this very building, protesting against the tyranny that has befallen the SABC".

"The SABC is way too big and way too important to our democracy to fail. Suna forced those who decided to sit idly by and be complicit in the tyranny to finally do the right thing. Too many were silent as we struggled and they giggled as Hlaudi Motsoeneng was saying whatever stupid things he was saying," said Mahlatse Gallens.

"While those who thought that they could end independent journalism within the public broadcaster are slowly starting to be held to account, we know that the journey will be long, it will be hard, and it demands all of us to be Suna Venter."

Vuyo Mvoko said "to SABC journalists who have finally found their voices, it's never late. Thank you for doing whatever you could do. Keep standing up. Keep pushing back. It's the only way we can defend our hard-won freedoms."