Moshoeshoe Monare exits as SABC News boss after two and a half years

by Thinus Ferreira

Moshoeshoe Monare will exit as SABC News boss at the end of this month after two and a half years of heading up the South African public broadcaster's news and current affairs division.

It's not clear who is replacing him or will be acting SABC News boss until a new permanent appointment.

Moshoeshoe Monare was appointed in June 2022.

Nomsa Chabeli, SABC CEO, in a statement says "Moshoeshoe Monare has been an invaluable asset to our newsroom".

"His dedication, expertise, and unwavering commitment to journalistic excellence have set a high standard for us all. Under his leadership, our newsroom has consistently delivered ground-breaking stories that have informed, educated and inspired our audiences."

"The SABC acknowledges Moshoeshoe Monare's invaluable contributions and extends its gratitude for his dedicated service. We wish him success in all his future endeavours."

SABC News journalists in disciplinary action after viewers hear their shocking hot mic comments during Pravin Gordhan funeral

Thinus Ferreira

Two SABC News journalists are facing disciplinary action after damaging the South African public broadcaster's credibility and causing massive embarrassment for their crass and shocking comments during the live funeral broadcast of former South African minister Pravin Gordhan while they were unaware that their microphones were on and that viewers could hear everything.

The identities of the two female journalists are not yet known.

Shocked SABC News (DStv 404) viewers got an earful and forced the SABC to apologise to Pravin Gordhan's family for the crass, shocking and extremely insensitive comments SABC News journalists made when they thought they were off the air during his category 2 funeral service.

During the live broadcast of six hours, the two women repeatedly made vulgar and nasty comments while visuals of Pravin Gordhan's coffin were shown, while draped in turn with the ANC flag, and later the South African flag. 

They also made nasty comments while government officials and other dignitaries, his daughters and family members spoke on stage at the Durban International Conference Centre.

With the funeral procession following the funeral service and with the South African flag on the coffin underway to the crematorium, more disgusting comments were made. 

Viewers heard how the journalists laughed and rhetorically asked who Pravin Gordhan thought he was to deserve these flags on his coffin. 

With duration to the length of the funeral proceedings, they said he wouldn't be collected by the ancestors because they got tired and that his soul would just become a ghost. 

They also branded Pravin Gordhan a white capitalist. 

Neither the journalists nor the SABC's technical team realised that their microphones remained switched on while they should have been muted and that they remained on in what the industry calls "hot mics", while viewers heard everything.

So bad was the SABC's coverage flub that the SABC was forced to censor its own recording of its funeral coverage broadcast.

In the SABC's censored recording there are sections where the sound has been completely removed, sections that have been completely cut, as well as sections where the visual and soundtrack are both replaced by a title card showing a photo of Pravin Gordhan. It happens throughout the broadcast. 

On YouTube, the SABC has censored the funeral broadcast's live chat replay function and completely deleted it.

In this chat box, while the funeral was watched live, or watched as a recording, real-time comments from viewers appeared on 20 September where they warned and told the SABC about what it was doing, asked what was going on and why nobody was stopping the fiasco.

Moshoeshoe Monare, SABC News boss, has since been forced to "sincerely apologise" to the family and friends of Pravin Gordhan "after two of our journalists were heard making the most insensitive and unprofessional remarks during the live funeral service coverage".

"Even though the journalists were unaware that their mic was open, their conduct and comments were inexcusable. Their remarks do not represent the values, views and editorial policy of SABC News," Moshoeshoe Monare said.

Mmoni Seapolelo, SABC media manager, said "The SABC is aware of the incident and would like to place it on record that it condemns the actions of the journalists concerned".

"This incident is regrettable as the SABC always encourages all its employees to deliver their work in a diligent and professional manner in line with its values of respect, trust, integrity and quality. This matter is being addressed internally and the SABC has also apologised publicly and to the Gordhan family."

The Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA) told TVwithThinus that by Saturday it hadn't received any complaints from viewers. Viewers however indicated that they have complained directly with the SABC.

South Africa's bloated SABC hunts ghost workers in broadcaster's SABC News division as implicated manager resigns.

by Thinus Ferreira

At least one implicated manager is already gone with others involved in disciplinary processes after the South African public broadcaster started hunting ghost workers in its SABC News division.

The bloated broadcaster that made a R1.1 billion loss in its latest reported financial year, in 2024 will once again be confronted with possible retrenchments to downsize its personnel corps similar to the ailing South African Post Office which will let go of 6 000 workers next year as part of its business rescue process.

Meanwhile, the Communication Workers Union (CWU) which has declared another wage dispute with the SABC, has already threatened that it will jeopardise the broadcaster in 2024 during what is South Africa's next general election year.

Nathen Bowers, CWU national bargaining co-ordinator, threatened that the union will "roll out a programme of action in the second week of January 2024" and "if the SABC doesn't accede to workers' demands, then we are going to put the general election in jeopardy".

The SABC has been busy rooting out ghost workers, with Moshoeshoe Monare, SABC News boss, who had started an investigation into bogus workers bleeding the broadcaster dry.

The SABC in a statement says it can "confirm that the SABC group executive for news and current affairs, Moshoeshoe Monare has launched an extensive investigation into freelance contracts that turned out to be irregular, corrupt and fraudulent".

According to the SABC, "one of the managers under investigation tendered a resignation with immediate effect, while other staff members are facing disciplinary processes".

The broadcaster says "the matter is addressed within the SABC's human resources policies and will also be referred to the other relevant authorities for further investigation".

2023 to kick off with a Nguni TV news war as MultiChoice's DStv takes on the SABC with a Mzansi Wethu bulletin for Zulu and Xhosa viewers in the same timeslot as SABC1.

by Thinus Ferreira

A TV news war for Nguni viewers is coming to South African television at 19:00 with M-Net taking the SABC head-on by launching a daily isiZulu and isiXhosa TV news bulletin from 27 February on DStv at the same time as SABC1's news bulletins in these languages which have surged to record ratings. 

The buzzword for early 2023 in South African television news is a renewed push for an increase in news content in vernacular languages, with Mzansi Wethu (DStv 163) which will add a daily isiZulu/ isiXhosa TV news bulletin from 27 February.

Meanwhile the SABC is forging ahead with plans to launch its second SABC News channel, SABC eKhaya, in April.

With the surging TV ratings of the isiZulu and isiXhosa TV news bulletins on SABC1 rising to record levels in 2022 of over 2.4 million nightly viewers each - now by far the two most-watched TV newscasts in the country - M-Net asked the existing TV news channel Newzroom Afrika carried by MultiChoice on DStv, to produce a dual Nguni language TV news bulletin for its Mzansi Wethu channel.

Newzroom Afrika started advertising and staffing up in November 2022, when it looked for field reporters, bulletins editors and executive producers to do isiZulu and isiXhosa news content from 2023.

Izindaba Zethu/Iindaba Zethu will be carried on Mzansi Wethu from Monday 27 February at 19:00 taking SABC1 head-on in the news ratings race in the same extremely competitive timeslot, hoping to lure some of the highly-prized viewers to DStv with an alternative vernacular news option.

With Mzansi Wethu available for lower-tiered DStv subscribers and upwards, it means that the isiZulu and isiXhosa TV news bulletin will be available to the vast majority of the pay-TV service's customers. 

The Nguni news supply deal is structured similarly to the long-running multiyear deal that M-Net has with eMedia's eNCA TV news channel to supply the daily half-hour eNuus TV news bulletin in Afrikaans for the various kykNET channels on DStv at 19:00. 

The former SABC News TV anchor Thabile Mbhele will be the isiZulu news anchor on Mzansi Wethu, while Dicksy Mdlalose who is also known to SABC viewers, is the weather presenter. Khethukuthula Makoatsane is the sign language interpreter. 

For the isiXhosa bulletin Lisakhanya Pepe who was on the SABC will be the anchor, with the SABC weather presenter Thabile Makapela who will appear on Mzansi Wethu. Pumza Sikumba is the sign language interpreter.

"We're proud to offer the news in IsiZulu and IsiXhosa as we take another step forward on our journey," says Thabile Ngwato, Newzroom Afrika CEO.

Nomsa Philiso, MultiChoice CEO for general entertainment, says the addition of Nguni news to DStv will add a greater diversity of views.

"We are excited to provide a platform for Newzroom Afrika's Nguni news. This will offer our viewers access to a news offering in Nguni languages and add to the diversity of news on our platform."

SABC eKhaya in April

The SABC meanwhile plans to launch its SABC News spinoff channel, SABC eKhaya, meaning "SABC at home" in April, which will be done in South African languages besides English which is catered for on the main channel.

SABC eKhaya "is our response to the demand from millions of our viewers yearning for extensive news coverage and a dedicated channel in their own languages," says Moshoeshoe Monare, SABC news boss.

The SABC used to carry and repeat all its terrestrial TV news bulletins in vernacular languages shown on SABC1 and SABC2 on its existing SABC News channel but ended the practice in April 2015 when MultiChoice extended the footprint of the SABC News channel beyond South Africa's borders.

Unlike SABC News, SABC Ekhaya will not be available on DStv on StarSat despite the country's must-carry regulations from Icasa, with SABC eKhaya which will be available on its streaming service SABC+ and as a digital terrestrial television (DTT) channel.

"This public news channel is an added platform to serve mainly communities that are not necessarily reached by mainstream commercial media. These are millions of viewers who wait until the evening to watch less than half an hour bulletins in their own languages," Moshoeshoe Monare says.

"SABC News is well-positioned to rise to this challenge because of its decades of experience in public broadcasting in indigenous languages."

ALSO READ: SABC set to launch a second SABC News TV channel in South Africa's indigenous languages.

ALSO READ: Newzroom Afrika hiring field reporters, bulletin editors and executive producers to start isiZulu and isiXhosa TV news bulletins in 2023.

The SABC cans Special Assignment on SABC3 after 24 years with SABC News claiming 'loss of audience' as the cause of its cancellation.

by Thinus Ferreira

The SABC has decided to cancel the public broadcaster's long-running weekly Special Assignment investigative magazine programme on SABC3 after 24 years, blaming low TV ratings, with the last episode which will be next Tuesday night 2 August.

Special Assignment's viewership drop on SABC3 is however not unique, with the whole of SABC3's programming schedule struggling extremely in the South African TV ratings race.

SABC3 is the SABC TV channel suffering the lowest ratings of the public broadcaster's three major TV channels, with SABC3 also being affected the most by the government and Sentech's switch-off of analogue TV signal transmitters in the switch to digital terrestrial television (DTT).

SABC3 and the SABC News division responsible for producing the show, moved Special Assignment across multiple days and timeslots over the last decade, constantly forcing potential audiences to try and find and adjust to new days and timeslots if they wanted to watch the show and often pre-empting episodes for sudden sport coverage and other broadcasts.

Special Assignment's timeslot will be replaced with a shortened version of the longer SABC News (DStv 404) channel's studio-based programme, It's Topical, while SABC News and SABC3 consider the option of a new investigative magazine show for the public broadcaster.

Special Assignment that started in August 1998 has been competing over decades in the investigative television journalism space with e.tv's 3rd Degree hosted by Debora Patta and later Checkpoint with Nkepile Mabuse, as well as Devi fronted by Devi Sankaree Govender also on e.tv and eNCA (DStv 403); and the long-running Carte Blanche on M-Net (DStv 101) from Combined Artistic Productions.

The SABC used the chaotic and disorganised behind-the-scenes drama surrounding the broadcast of an episode of Special Assignment on 14 September 2021 about the towtruck-industry which should still have been held back by the broadcaster following a court interdict, as evidence to get rid of the former SABC News boss Phathiswa Magopeni, arguing that she was responsible for not preventing the episode from being aired and negligent.

Special Assignment executive producer Busisiwe Ntuli who testified in Phathiswa Magopeni's disciplinary hearing, supported her, saying the mistake of airing the episode was not the news division or Special Assignment's fault but due to an issue with the original and replacement programme codes being similar which is the responsibility of the SABC's video entertainment department.

Phathiswa Magopeni said that the SABC used the Special Assignment issue to "hound" her out of the public broadcaster.

About Special Assignment's abrupt cancellation, Moshoeshoe Monare, SABC News boss, told staff in a letter that the show is now getting axed because Special Assignment "has lost its mojo and signature influence, with the consequential effects being loss of audience". 

It's not clear why the SABC and SABC News which has a public mandate to produce news, current affairs and investigative programming is citing low ratings as a reason for cancellation since the South Africa public broadcaster is compelled to do news and current affairs programming irrespective of the influences of commercial and financial pressure and ratings.

Ndindi Cola, SABC spokesperson, didn't respond to a media query made last week about the canning of Special Assignment and questions around it, including what will be happening to staff who have been working on the show.

The SABC appoints Moshoeshoe Monare as the public broadcaster's new SABC News boss.

by Thinus Ferreira

The South African public broadcaster has appointed Moshoeshoe Monare as the new SABC News boss, replacing Phathiswa Magopeni who was fired after an acrimonious breakdown between her, the SABC CEO Madoda Mxakwe and SABC chairman Bongumusa Makhathini, who she accused of editorial interference in the newsroom.

After an internal review, which the SABC refused to make public, the broadcaster said that Phathsiwa Magopeni's accusations against Madoda Mxakwe and Bongumusa Makhathini over editorial interference were baseless.

Moshoeshoe Monare, currently the managing director of operations and corporate services at Arena Holdings is now taking over as the SABC's group executive for news and current affairs from June 2022.

Moshoeshoe Monare holds a national diploma in journalism from Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), a BA Honours degree and a post-graduate diploma in journalism from the University of Witwatersrand, an LLB from UNISA and completed a management advancement programme from Wits Business School.

With 25 years experience in the media industry Moshoeshoe Monare also served on the boards of organisations including Tiso Blackstar, the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) and Publishers Support Services.

He worked as a reporter for the Pretoria News, The Star and the Sunday Times newspapers, as well as the SABC before occupying senior editorial positions as editor of The Sunday Independent, deputy editor of the Mail & Guardian, group political editor of Independent Newspapers, executive editor of The Star and managing editor of The Sunday Times and The Times. 

He also served as a member of the adjudication panel of the Press Council and is a former deputy chairperson of the South African National Editors' Forum (SANEF).