After the lies, after the shocking schedule changes, SABC moves Afrikaans TV news bulletin back to SABC2 at 19:00, Sesotho news back to 19:30.

After telling blatant lies about it - saying that it's not moving, then saying that it's moving back after the World Cup, then saying that it's not moving permanently, and then cutting off millions of viewers unable to get the signal by moving/keeping it to SABC3 - the SABC has moved the Afrikaans TV news bulletin back from this evening to SABC2 at 19:00.

The SABC called me "a a self-proclaimed Cape Town based TV critic" - this from people at the SABC who've known me for years - and slammed my reporting as apparently "questionable" and said that the SABC perceived it "as a move to cause confusion and to some extent instigate racial and linguistic divisions".

Instead of stopping with the lies and finding out internally what the public broadcaster is actually doing - I do after all have the SABC TV executives on record in recorded audio making the announcements, which is what my exactly correct reporting was based on - the SABC's suddenly decided to slam me and tried to my independent reporting and credibility under suspicion.

I report facts, so precisely what I reported is going to happen, is what happened: the Afrikaans TV news bulletin on the SABC moved from SABC2 to SABC3 permanently, and the other TV news bulletins like the Sesotho news bulletin on SABC2 moved timeslots, to exactly where I said they would.

Now the Nuus om 7 on SABC2 is back at 19:00 on SABC2.

That after it was moved during the soccer World Cup from SABC2 to SABC3, while the SABC lied and said it was temporary (although it wasn't), broke its fake promise that it would be moving back immediately to SABC2 after the World Cup, and then kept it permanently on SABC3 and revealed that it was the plan all along from early in 2014.

Following an outcry from viewers after I reported on the issue, the Afrikaans TV news has now moved back from this evening, Monday 3 November to SABC2.

The Sesotho/Setswana news bulletin on SABC2 also moves back to its original timeslot - an hour earlier from 20:30 to 19:30.

In an understatement statement the SABC says that "shifting of news programming is a result of the SABC listening to its audience's feedback".

[It's not clear why the SABC "listened to" and got "feedback" from its audience only after the shocking change. Why didn't it get feedback before it wanted to do the change?]

This morning on SABC2's Morning Live with Leanne Manas, Jimi Matthews, the acting head SABC News at the SABC kept lying, or being disingenuous, or simply being uninformed, telling Leanne Manas that "this is really the first opportunity we've had to reorganise the schedule" after the soccer World Cup.

That is uninformed bogus talk or blatant lies. The SABC's now suspended TV head Leo Manne, SABC2's acting programme manager Jacqui Hlongwane, and SABC3's channel head Aishia Mohamed are all on recorded record saying in June that July is the first opportunity for the SABC TV channels to change their schedules and saying that the Afrikaans TV news on SABC2 is moving permanently.

SABC slides - both in slideshow presentation form and hard copy and given to journalists and advertisers in June - as well as a video promo - all clearly showed and said that the Afrikaans TV news Nuus om 7 is moving permanently.

Jimi Matthews said on Morning Live the Afrikaans TV news is brought back "to its rightful place on SABC2 at seven o' clock".

It's completely hilarious to watch Jimi Matthews trying to justify how bad it is if there is a news bulletin, then entertainment, then news and that the move now "back" of Afrikaans TV news, followed by Sesotho TV news, is to that there can be "uninterrupted entertainment" on the SABC's TV schedule after that.

Watch how he says this kind of programming has a "negative disruption on viewing patterns".

Yet that bad programming and scheduling is exactly what the SABC did with SABC3 when it moved the Afrikaans news there - having the English news, then Isidingo, then the Afrikaans news.

Sadly Jimi Matthews were not asked these questions on Morning Live; the answers would have been interesting:

- Why did the SABC move the Afrikaans TV news bulletin to SABC3 which is the TV channel with the smallest terrestrial footprint of the SABC if it knew it would make it impossible for millions of viewers to watch it? Or did the SABC not know this is what the result would be?

- Why did the SABC in on-air promos tell viewers the move would be temporary? Why did the SABC News then suddenly announce on the day it would supposedly be no longer temporary that it is now permanent?

- Why did the SABC say it's not true that the news bulletins are moving, after SABC TV executives told journalists and advertisers in Johannesburg, Durban and then Cape Town that it is moving permanently?

- The SABC says it isn't marginalising Afrikaans. What word would the SABC use or like to use to describe it when people who had access to the only Afrikaans TV news bulletin on all of the SABC's terrestrial channels is moved by the SABC so that in the entire Northern Cape, only the people living in Alexander Bay could still see it?

- The SABC says it isn't marginalising Afrikaans. What would the SABC want to call it when it says it is moving all Afrikaans drama to SABC3, the channel with the smallest broadcasting footprint of all the SABC's channels, permanently? (A move which hasn't been reversed by the way.)

BREAKING. SABC ready to dump several Afrikaans language TV shows from SABC2; moving news, drama to smaller SABC3 permanently.

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The SABC is getting ready to dump almost all of the remaining Afrikaans language shows still left on SABC2 and will  move this Afrikaans programming to SABC3 - a channel with a much smaller footprint - meaning that Afrikaans is getting marginalised even further as an overall broadcasting language on SABC terrestrial television.

It is the result of a TV programming language battle at the SABC which has "become unsustainable" for the public broadcaster's SABC2 channel.

I can reveal that the SABC will permanently move its sole terrestrial, daily, Afrikaans language TV news bulletin, Nuus om 7, from SABC2 to SABC3 once the SABC's coverage of the 2014 FIFA World Cup concludes.

It will also be the first time in 38 years that there won't be any Afrikaans TV drama on SABC2 (the former TV1) since television began in South Africa in 1976.

The Afrikaans drama slot, when that content is commissioned by the SABC, will play out on the much smaller SABC3 where less viewers are able to see it..

Viewer anger flared up this week when the SABC canned its sole Afrikaans TV news bulletin on terrestrial  television entirely since Sunday for this week with no forewarning to viewers who couldn't find it on SABC2 or SABC3 because it doesn't exist.

The Nuus om 7 has become a "hurdle" for SABC2 - although its remains a huge viewership and ratings getter.

The move is part of a broader language shift of Afrikaans away from SABC2 since the SABC says that trying to do both Sotho and Afrikaans on SABC2 has "become unsustainable".

Shows like the current affairs program Fokus, TV drama Swartwater, magazine show 50/50 (which also contains other languages) will all be repositioned from SABC2 to SABC3 permanently.

The upcoming move will leave only soap 7de Laan and game show Noot vir Noot as the last vestiges of predominantly Afrikaans language programming on SABC2.

SABC3 has the smallest terrestrial broadcasting signal footprint of the SABC's three terrestrial TV channels.

It means that Afrikaans language programming - already a fraction of what it was on the SABC and SABC2 almost two decades ago in 1996 when the public broadcaster relaunched TV1, CCV and NNTV as SABC1, SABC2 and SABC3 - is being further marginalised.

Since SABC3 cannot be received by as many South African viewers as SABC2 and SABC1 - especially in the vast areas further away from big metropolitan areas and cities - it means that less potential viewers who would want to, would be able to tune in for the daily Afrikaans news bulletin, Fokus, 50/50 or Swartwater simply because they simply don't get the signal.

Interestingly, only Afrikaans language shows are moved away from SABC2. (SABC3's English language current affairs interview show Interface will be moving to SABC2.)

It's part of a "network" approach between the three SABC TV channels with firstly a dramatic new schedule structure coming to SABC1 from immediately after the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

SABC2 will slowly change to let the SABC1 changes happen first and not to steal the sister channel's thunder, and then have its major schedule changes in September. SABC3 will follow after that and could be doing away with its recognisable blue look when it gets a new on-air look as early as from the beginning of July.

Where the Afrikaans language Nuus om 7 and Fokus are both perenially making the list of top 10 most watched programmes on SABC2 every week at around 1.5 million and 1.3 million viewers respectively, these viewership ratings are set to plunge when these programmes move to SABC3 which as a channel is available in less TV households.

Nuus om 7 will get the 19:30 timeslot on SABC3, while the hour long English news bulletin which has not been performing well, will be cut back down to only half an hour again, starting at 18:30.

"The Afrikaans news as we have it at the moment will be moving to SABC3 permanently," Jacqui Hlongwane, SABC2's acting programme manager told TV critics and advertisers this week.

"What that does for us on the SABC2 schedule is that it opens it up, so that we're able to flow better. It's been quite a challenge for SABC2 in the past. We really have been like a schizophrenic TV channel."

"We've been serving two markets now - the Sesotho audience as well as the Afrikaans audience - and it's really been quite a struggle to try and serve both those important audiences," said Jacqui Hlongwane. "In one channel that kind of positioning has become unsustainable".

"In terms of our family proposition, we want content that speaks to South African families. So language should not be what defines us".

"We will still have all the languages on our channel, including Afrikaans, not all the content is going to SABC3 that's Afrikaans, but we do feel that it's about family viewing, that it's about family values and all the good things that we need to build this country," said Jacqui Hlongwane.

"At 18:30 on SABC2 we have 7de Laan. That stays on the channel from Monday to Friday. And then after that where we had the Afrikaans news we will start introducing things like family game shows and reality and factual content".

"After that we will put some sitcoms in - both foreign and local sitcoms - as well as a new telenovela that we want to introduce".

"Obviously it takes time to produce that kind of local content but hopefully by July next year we have a telenovela. So there's a lot of local content investment going on at SABC2 because viewers said that they want to see themselves. They want their lives reflected on screen," said Jacqui Hlongwane.

"Swartwater, basically the Afrikaans drama slot, is moving to SABC3. So SABC2 won't be having Afrikaans dramas anymore, it moves to SABC3," said Jacqui Hlongwane.

"It is a challenge with three TV channels to try and accomodate and speak to, and be relevant to 34 million TV households in this country, but we do it, and we try and do it to the best of our ability," said Leo Manne, the general manager for TV channels at the SABC.

Suna Venter to anchor SABC2's Afrikaans Nuus om 7 from this evening for the first time, as Terrance April goes on long leave.

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Suna Venter will be anchoring SABC2's main Afrikaans TV news bulletin, Nuus om 7, at 19:00 tonight.

It will be Suna Venter's first time behind the news anchor desk of the Afrikaans television news; she will now be standing in for Terrance April who is on long leave and the plan is to

No announcement to the press from SABC2, SABC Television news, or the SABC.

Earlier in the week I reported on Lynette Francis, the anchor of Fokus on SABC2 who've stepped in the past while to anchor Nuus om 7 - no word yet on whether that is a permanent or helping out on a freelance basis arrangement.

UPDATE 17 May 15:00 - The SABC now tells me both Lynette Francis and Suna Venter are freelance news anchors. All of the SABC's news anchors are working on a freelance basis and SABC News makes use of their services if and when they are available.

Lynette Francis has a standard contract to do the Nuus om 7 for SABC2 until the end of March 2014.

As I've reported the SABC says "we have just signed Suna Venter, a popular RSG current affairs journalist and producer. She'll be debuting tonight, with another presentation on Sunday evening. Suna Venter will mainly be standing in for Terrance April, who's on long leave."

Lynette Francis has stepped in as Afrikaans news reader on SABC2's Afrikaans news bulletin, Nuus om 7.

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Lynette Francis has been added to the roster of the alternating Afrikaans news readers and anchors of Nuus om 7 on SABC2 although there's been no official announcement from SABC2, the SABC Television News division, or the SABC.

Lynette Francis has been the presenter of the Afrikaans current affairs show Fokus on SABC2 since January 2010 and has now been seen behind the Nuus om 7 anchor desk for about three months.

(Radio falls outside the scope of this news service focusing on television exclusively, but Lynette Francis is of course also the voice behind Praat Saam on the public broadcaster's Afrikaans radio station RSG just after 8:00 on weekday mornings.)

It's not clear whether Lynette Francis is merely helping out on an ad hoc freelance basis as a news reader of the only Afrikaans TV news bulletin on the South African public broadcaster, or whether it on a permanent as-needed basis, or whether she has permanently joined the round table of the up to now other two existing news readers, Terrance April and Karlien Olivier.

Lynette Francis has been sitting in for the permanent Nuus om 7 news anchors as far back as the latter part of November 2009 on a temporary and non-permanent basis. It's unclear whether that's the case again currently on whether she has become a permanent fixture as part of Afrikaans primetime TV news.

BREAKING. Riaan Cruywagen signs off with a simple goodbye and hand salute after 37 years on TV: 'For me it was an exceptional privilege.'

With a simple hand salute and goodbye wave, a visibly slightly emotional Riaan Cruywagen - after 37 years the longest continuing presence on South African television and on TV news - signed off and said goodbye to millions of viewers on SABC2 at 19:00 during the Nuus om 7.

"My task is completed. Tonight, exactly 37 years after reading my first TV news bulletin, I'm retiring," said the dapper newsman, dressed in a black pinstripe suit with a red-and-white striped tie and matching red hankerchief; his hair as perfectly coiffed as ever.

"My heartfelt  appreciation goes to the Afrikaans news editorial staffs whom, over the decades, I've been privileged to work with - in the most recent times my bulletin editors Sandy Macdonald and Monica Ribbons, my executive director Kenneth Makatees and my pillar-of-support boss, Jimi Matthews."

"You know, TV news is a massive team effort, and I was just the ears of the hippo which stuck out. To you, the TV news viewers, thank you that you, over so many years, allowed me into your homes. For me it was an exceptional privilege."

"And when I look back, it was all just grace. For the very last time, goodbye. Good day," he said as the venerable newsman lifted his right hand and made a goodbye wave and hand salute to viewers."

ALSO READ: SABC executives, news and channel bosses and colleagues honour Riaan Cruywagen and bid him farewell.

ALSO READ: SABC2 fails to communicate a single word in advance about a sudden one hour TV special paying tribute to Riaan Cruywagen.

ALSO READ: Is Riaan Cruywagen's next chapter to drop trou and read the news for Naked News on television?

ALSO READ: Riaan Cruywagen, in cartoon form, signing off after 37 years of doing South African television news.

ALSO READ: Riaan Cruywagen - a tribute.

BREAKING. SABC executives, news and channel bosses and colleagues honour Riaan Cruywagen and bid him farewell.

SABC executives, SABC news bosses, channel bosses and colleagues honoured the venerable SABC news reader Riaan Cruywagen today.

Riaan Cruywagen attended a special brunch this morning in Sandton to thank him for this decades long contribution and to bid him farewell.

Riaan Cruywagen read his final news bulletin this evening on SABC2 in the Nuus om 7, ending his illustrious career as the person holding an unequaled and unrivaled record as the South African TV personality who've been on television the longest.

He read his last bulletin exactly 37 years after he first started in 1976 with the advent of television news in South Africa.

At the farewell brunch (which South Africa's national TV critics and journalists who cover television based outside of Johannesburg were not bothered to be told of, nor been invited to) the SABC presented Riaan Cruywagen with a special plaque.

Prof. Pippa Green, SABC board member said: "Riaan thank you for all of your years of loyalty, support and service to a public broadcaster which is not always the easiest place to be but is probably one of the most important places."

Hlaudi Motsoeneng, the SABC's acting chief operating officer (COO) said: "I think you have done a wonderful job for the SABC. The way you dress, the way you talk to people - you're a human being. You lead by example."

Jimi Matthews, the acting head of news and current affairs at the SABC said: "I think the Afrikaans community must be quite 'change fatigued'. If you think of how the country has changed in the last 20 years. But the one thing which has remained constant - one thing significant thing that's remained constant in their lives is Riaan Cruywagen. They know that when they switch on the TV to watch the news, there is Riaan Cruywagen to assure them that everything is fine. And now we're going to have to get used to South African television news without Riaan Cruywagen. And it's quite a strange notion; quite a strange feeling actually."

"His contribution to broadcasting, not only to the SABC, but to broadcasting in general has been immense. Riaan's legacy is the news room will always be his commitment to his craft, his dedication, his professionalism. And for me I think it was a huge honour to work alongside someone like Riaan," said Jimi Matthews.

Kenneth Makatees, the executive director for Afrikaans TV news on SABC2 said: "Riaan is one of those South Africans who really crossed borders in this country."

Sandy Macdonald, the editor for Afrikaans TV news on SABC2 said: "I think he played an enormous role to make Afrikaans cool again."

Peet van Staden, the executive producer for Afrikaans TV news on SABC2 said: "He has the exceptional capacity to remain calm under pressure, maybe more so than anybody else. He also has the ability to laugh and to be freaked out."

Bessie Tugwana, SABC2 channel head, said: "For SABC2 I want to express our pride and profound gratitude that he has stayed this long. And not just staying long, he has brought professionalism to the news reading and some kind of believability."

"As you know there are three bulletins at 19:00, every day except weekends. Those bulletins are English on SABC3, English on e.tv, but the Afrikaans bulletin has always attracted more audiences. That for us is testimony that he sustained that in his community. I think as a channel he has also given the channel, the brand SABC2, credibility," said Bessie Tugwana.

Chriselda Lewis, SABC TV reporter said: "Riaan keeps looking the same way that he did so many yers ago. I still need to find out how he achieved that. He doesn't have any gray hair. When you try and look for wrinkles on his face you can barely find them."

"He appeals to so many people across the colour line," said Chriselda Lewis. "That is just amazing."

"I always remained a career broadcaster," said Riaan Cruywagen at the brunch. "No matter who was in charge of government or at the SABC, I remained true to my profession and nothing else. I never became involved in politics - neither external nor internal - and I made it my duty to present the news in an unbiased, non-partisan and objective, credible and authoritative way."

"Tonight, after 37 years, I say goodbye to South Africa. I have really mixed feelings. I'll miss the news reader  role I've fulfilled for so many years, very much. But I have the greatest and indescribable appreciation for the kindness so many viewers allowed me to bring the news every evening into their living rooms. Over the past few weeks I have received hundreds of emails from viewers wishing me the very best with my retirement."

I want to remind viewers that nobody's perfect; nobody's irreplaceable. I'd appreciate it immensely if you'd give my successors and my colleagues who are currently still there, Karlien and Terence, all the support you gave me. Let's work together as South Africa's to make this beautiful country of ours the best in the world," said Riaan Cruywagen.

ALSO READ: Riaan Cruywagen signs off with a simple goodbye and a hand salute after 37 years on television: 'For me it was an exceptional privilege.'

ALSO READ: SABC2 fails to communicate a single word in advance about a sudden one hour TV special paying tribute to Riaan Cruywagen.

ALSO READ: Is Riaan Cruywagen's next chapter to drop trou and read the news for Naked News on television?

ALSO READ: Riaan Cruywagen, in cartoon form, signing off after 37 years of doing South African television news.

ALSO READ: Riaan Cruywagen - a tribute.

GOODBYE.

In what will surely deliver massive ratings and viewership for SABC2 tonight, Riaan Cruywagen, the longest serving face of television news in South Africa - in fact the longest continous presence and presenter in all of South African television - will be taking his bow and sign off when he reads his very last news bulletin this evening at 19:00 on SABC2 in the Nuus om 7 after exactly 37 years.

It's not impossibly, but extremely unlikely that his incredibly impressive feat will ever be matched again in South African television.

Riaan Cruywagen has been on South African television for 37 years, reading news for 37 years and has been a consistent presence in South African TV households - unlikely to ever be duplicated by anyone else in an ever-incresingly fragmented TV channelverse and where one-day fly TV faces and personalities have a sell-by date which incrementally keeps shrinking year by year.

Goodbye, Riaan Cruywagen. Thank you for being an anchor South Africa turned to during highly tumultuous decades of South Africa's modern history - when during periods of massive political upheaval and changes, viewers felt a sense of assurance that even though the world was fast-changing, everything would seem to be alright because the news reader remain stoically solid and the same.

And even as South Africa's public broadcaster swept through various regime changes, crises bringing it to the brink of financial collapse and scandal after scandal as years roll by, Riaan Cruywagen's ever-present presence as a TV news monolith made even the SABC seem more unshakeable that what it maybe is.

The news will carry on as sure as calendar pages and news diaries turn the page to forever plan for tomorrow. But there will never again be a Riaan Cruywagen on the SABC or in all of South African television for that matter.

As a newsman for all seasons sets sail into the TV sunset, South Africa and the local TV biz looks on in thankfulness, with a smile, and with wonder.