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.
