Outraged eNCA staffers say 'the ghost of censorship is back', demand an independent investigation into alleged newsroom bias after Jacob Zuma presser was censored.

by Thinus Ferreira

Furious editorial staffers at eNCA (DStv 403) are once again accusing the eMedia Investments-run TV news channel of censorship and shocking bias in news coverage decisions after the South African channel failed to cover the press conference this past weekend of former president Jacob Zuma who is now behind bars.

In an internal memo to eNCA management, eNCA staffers claim that eNCA is once again practising censorship and is headlined "The ghost of censorship is back in the eNCA Newsroom! We reject censorship!".

eNCA staffers are demanding an open and transparent investigation into why Jacob Zuma's press conference was allegedly censored at eNCA, and are also demanding the appointment of an independent body to look into eNCA staffers' concerns about editorial newsroom interference - similar to what was done at the South African public broadcaster's SABC News division.

eNCA staffers say that they are once again compelled to "collectively" raise their voices "as loudly, as forcefully and as resoundingly as we can muster, in rejection of censorship in the eNCA newsroom."

"Our observation and experience is that this tendency has been creeping in gradually, and arguably quite insidiously, over a period of time; an incident here, an incident there, an inexplicable decision here, an inexplicable decision there."

"But nothing could have prepared us for the zero to a 100 full-force nature in which our concerns were to be dramatised and confirmed 'beyond a reasonable doubt' in the inexplicable, untenable and objectionable decision to censor the coverage of former president Jacob Zuma's speech to his supporters in Nkandla on Sunday."

"There is clearly a chain of command that determines which voices are to be snuffed out of the airwaves at eNCA"

"And the chain of command, we submit, does not start even in the most senior position in our newsroom, albeit implementation of unethical instructions arguably gains momentum at this level of newsroom management."

"We submit that it is our reasonable suspicion that the chain of command involves players who ordinarily should be concerned with the running of the eMedia business, including eNCA, but not taking editorial decisions."

"It is ironic that some of the decisions taken end up costing the channel significantly in viewership numbers, which invariably translates to pressure on desk, field, studio and on-air teams to account for plummeting numbers."

eNCA's editorial staffers say that "As we speak, we as a channel are still dealing with the albatross of the fateful 2019 decision to withdraw our crews from the EFF congress that December."

"To this day, we are unable to help at least that segment of the population that depends on us to receive or impart information and ideas around the third biggest political party in our country."

"To this day, we're viewed with a great deal of suspicion and our bona fides are questioned because of an impulsive, petulant, ideologically and fictionally-loaded decision taken by an individual who was in charge of our newsroom at the time."

eNCA staffers demand that eNCA "investigates the circumstances that led to the censoring of former president Jacob Zuma's address to his supporters on Sunday 4 July 2021, a news event that undoubtedly in the public interest and which we had the full capacity to cover."

Staffers want eNCA to appoint "an independent body to investigate staff concerns about editorial interference from the board, eNCA establishes a system whereby major editorial instructions must be communicated in writing only, if they are to be of any force or effect [and that] eNCA provides clear editorial direction on the channel's stance on Jacob Zuma coverage, to which we will respond to."

"We consider these matters to be of extreme urgency, as each passing hour seems to sink us to new depths. We therefore call on management to consider these matters raised herein, and give a comprehensive response," the internal memo states.

"The Nkandla field team is demotivated and the output and input teams are outraged given that they try their best to conquer audience demands."

eNCA didn't immediately respond to a media enquiry seeking comment on the new allegations of censorship at the TV news channel on Friday but will be added here if received.

eNCA has been battered by a constant exit of on-screen and behind-the-scenes talent over the past three years with multiple staffers exiting to the SABC and growing rival Newzroom Africa (DStv 405), with Thembekile Mrototo who became the latest to leave former eNCA-er now appearing on Newzroom Afrika in a weekend slot since July.

In October 2019 TVwithThinus reported that Kanthan Pillay, the founder and leader of the Capitalist Party of South Africa (ZACP), known as the "Purple Cows" was appointed in a senior news management position at the eMedia TV channel but neither eNCA nor editor-in-chief Jeremy Maggs at the time responded to media enquiries as to why Kanthan Pillay was appointed in this position.

eNCA then fired Kanthan Pillay as eNCA's director of news following shocking allegations of racism and newsroom censorship after a scandal plunged the eMedia Investments' TV news channel in a massive credibility and reputation crisis.

Kanthan Pillay was fired after growing shock and public outrage after he suspended an eNCA and called Samkele Maseko and others leaving eNCA "rats" who are going to a "sinking ship" meaning the SABC.

In December 2019, after the firing of Kantan Pillay and with Jeremy Maggs who said that he regretted hiring Kanthan Pillay, the South African National Editors' Forum (SANEF) welcomed the decision and said that it's calling for an investigation into how a politician was appointed to a senior position in a newsroom. Nothing happened.

ALSO READ: TV REVIEW. In their Zuma Arrest Watch coverage SABC News won the night as eNCA devolved into opinion-tainment and Newzroom Afrika faded; eNCA reporter Siphamandla Goge the most valuable player.

SABC News reporter Samkele Maseko slapped, strangled in violent attack trying to cover Jacob Zuma protestors, threats to burn media vehicle.

by Thinus Ferreira

Journalists and TV reporters trying to cover the Jacob Zuma protestors at Nkandla in KwaZulu-Natal were physically and verbally harassed including the SABC News (DStv 404) reporter Samkele Maseko who was interrupted during his live reporting, while threats were made a media vehicle would be set alight.

The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) said in a statement on Sunday that it is "deeply worried and equally outraged by the brazen physical and verbal abuse of journalists by supporters of former president Jacob Zuma outside his Nkandla home".

SANEF chairperson, Sbu Ngalwa on Sunday witnessed the violent attack and had to step in to rescue Maseko.

Hebanna! reporters go through the most to get us the story. @SABCNews appreciation post #ZumaJudgement #amabutho #bekelebeke #ZumaConCourtRuling pic.twitter.com/Xk9ZHPffU9

— Lerato (@LeratoMabs) July 3, 2021

"I pulled him out as he was being attacked, strangled and slapped by one of the supporters," said Sbu Ngalwa in the statement. Samekele Maseko was one of the journalists being targeted by Jacob Zuma supporters. 

Video footage from Saturday shows a supporter pushing him away and asking him to leave Nkandla.

Since Friday, journalists have come under severe attacks while waiting for law enforcement agencies to execute a Constitutional Court ruling. 

Jacob Zuma was given until the end of Sunday to hand himself to the police and begin serving his 15-month sentence. The Court ruling found him guilty of contempt of court. Thousands of supporters and former ANC leaders have flocked to Nkandla to support Zuma.

Apart from supporters swearing and hurling verbal taunts at journalists, Edward Zuma, Zuma's eldest son, also threatened to burn one of the media vehicles parked outside his father’s house.

"We remind all supporters and the Jacob Zuma family and other former ANC leaders who also pitched up to support the former president that journalists have a right to cover the events. They were not trespassing, nor did they breach any privacy or court regulations," says SANEF.

Phathiswa Magopeni, the head of SABC News, says "We are extremely concerned about the ongoing bullying, intimidation and harassment of our journalists".

"Such conduct erodes media freedom, undermines the public's right to know, and has no place in our democracy. We urge the public to allow journalists a safe space to practice their craft without hindrance and use designated complaints agencies to raise any concerns of unfair coverage."

SANEF says that it is "also concerned that these kinds of attacks are a direct breach of the South African constitution that protects media freedom and access to information and by extension the right for journalists to do their work".

"The impunity in which the Jacob Zuma supporters have acted says a lot about the climate that has been enabled for such attacks to happen without consequence. We urge Zuma, and senior leaders supporting him, to curtail and condemn such attacks by calling on his family and supporters to cease and desist from such actions."

"We also wish to express our concern over the deafening silence from the country’s national and provincial assemblies, including law enforcement in the region. Such silence inadvertently condones the continuation of bullying and intimidation of journalists."

"We note that Zuma’s supporters were not wearing masks and therefore call on journalists to be cautious of all Covid-19 regulations bearing in mind the deadly new Delta strain."

Special SANEF documentary to be broadcast across eNCA, Newzroom Afrika and SABC News this weekend about how the South African news media have been covering the Covid-19 pandemic.

by Thinus Ferreira

A special documentary by the South African National Editors Forum (SANEF) to highlight the courage and resilience of the South African news media during, and covering, the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic will be broadcast this weekend across the country's TV news channels on eNCA (DStv 403), Newzroom Afrika (DStv 405) and SABC News (DStv 404).

Produced by SANEF, Recognising the media's courage in covering Covid: A SANEF documentary will be shown on eNCA (DStv 403) tonight (Saturday 22 August) on eNCA at 20:00,, on Newzroom Afrika at 20:00, and on Sunday morning, 23 August on SABC News at 09:00 as part of the weekly Media Monitor programme. 

After the broadcast on eNCA, SABC News and Newzroom Africa, the documentary will be uploaded and be available to stream on the official SANEF YouTube page.

Repeats of the documentary for all of the channels are not available but Recognising the media's courage in covering Covid: A SANEF documentary will have a rebroadcast on eNCA on Saturday 22 August at 21:30 and on Sunday 23 August at 01:00.

SANEF commissioned the special documentary to commemorate the vital role journalists play in our society – especially, in light of the harsh circumstances journalists as individuals find themselves in during the coronavirus pandemic.

Recognising the media's courage in covering Covid: A SANEF documentary was filmed in recent months while South Africa remained under a national Covid-19 lockdown period and regulations and aims to shine a light on the courageous work done by South african journalists on the frontlines in a time of unease and continued stress due to the global pandemic.

South Africa's journalists have continued to work everyday, despite the risk of themselves being infected and also in some instances facing a precarious future. The entire South African media industry has faced mass retrenchments, massive salary cuts and the closure of multiple media houses.

"Set against the backdrop of a country plagued with corruption and economic inequality, the coronavirus lockdown and a world in crisis, SANEF set out to lift the veil and bring to life the heroes that stand behind the headlines as we honour the media with the 2020 Nat Nakasa Award," says Mahlatse Mahlase, SANEF chairperson.

"Our journalists have played a vital role on the frontlines in 2020 as we face the pandemic head on, and will be honoured with a collection of true contemporary stories shared by so many of our countries' most seasoned journalists and media voices as they unmask - literally - the day-to-day struggles faced in their plight to provide us with unbiased and in-depth coverage of current affairs."

SANEF says that its management committee and independent judges took the decision that "all journalists working tirelessly across the country and in our communities deserve the Nat Nakasa Award for the courage that they have displayed".

"For many it is tough to listen to the news, let alone the toll it takes on those who are experiencing, dissecting and reporting on the current realities faced by our country and the world as a whole," says Mahlatse Mahlase.

"Disease, poverty, displacement, hunger, brutality, gender-based violence, corruption, looting, and the rising Covid-19 death toll are just some of the headlines we’ve come to read – and expect – each day as we open our eyes in South Africa."

"But in this we forget that it is often about people, and that these stories are brought to us by people – all while managing very personal experiences such as risk to their own families through exposure to the virus, police brutality as well as the very real and very harsh impact of a loss of income and their own livelihoods."

"Journalists have continued to do what they do, often with a window on the world that is as real for them as the people they are documenting," says Mahlatse Mahlase.

South African police shoots Newzroom Afrika reporter Mweli Masilela with a rubber bullet in his face while covering taxi protest in Mpumalanga.

by Thinus Ferreira

The South African Police Service (SAPS) on Monday shockingly shot the Newzroom Afrika (DStv 405) reporter Mweli Masilela while he was covering taxi protest action at KaNyamazane.

The South African police shot the former SABC reporter with a rubber bullet in his face.

Mweli Masilela wrote on social media that he "just got shot while covering the taxi shutdown in KaNyamazane in Mpumalanga. Police fired rubber bullets just a few minutes after arriving in the area to disperse taxi drivers who were blocking the road leading to the township".

Newzroom Afrika told TVwithThinus in response to a media enquiry that Mweli Masilela was caught in the line of police fire while reporting news.

"Our immediate concern is always the safety of our team so we were distressed to see that our reporter Mweli Masilela had been caught in the line of fire while carrying out his duties. He is at home now and recovering after a visit to the hospital. We wish him a speedy recovery," says Zamahlasela Gabela, Newzroom Afrika's head of marketing and communications.

The South African National Editors' Forum (SANEF) in a statement says it "condemns the shooting of Newzroom Afrika reporter, Mweli Masilela while covering a protest by taxi operators in Kanyamazane township outside Mbombela, Mpumalanga."

"Mweli Masilela was shot and injured when police fired rubber bullets just a few minutes after arriving in the area to disperse the protesters. There was a standoff between the police and taxi operators from the early hours of the morning over the taxi operators' demand to carry passenger loads of a hundred percent."

"I had just finished doing interviews with some taxi drivers who were protesting blocking the main road leading into the Kanyamazane township. I was taking some visuals of the blockade when police arrived on site and started firing rubber bullets," Mweli Masilela told SANEF.

"I was clearly visible carrying a video camera and tripod, that's why I still don't understand why they still had to shoot me. They didn't even give a warning for people to retreat. They just shouted move, move, and fired shots - that's when one rubber bullet hit me," Mweli Masilela told SANEF from the hospital where he was examined. He has opened a case against the police.

"SANEF believes that this violent incident could have been avoided had police considered the safety of everyone involved before firing. The police should have given reporters and protesters sufficient warning time. Also, they should have given journalists time to find a safe space before indiscriminately firing in their direction."

"SANEF calls on police leadership to take swift action and investigate the matter to identify and discipline those that compromised everyone’s safety. Further, we believe that public officials should respect the role of the media in our democracy. We intend to raise the matter with the National Police Commissioner in our upcoming meeting," SANEF says.

A year ago in July 2019 Mweli Masilela was also assaulted - that time by a group of men in Vosman where he was reporting about the death of a 16-year old boy who died after he was trapped underground in a mine.

Men stole Mweli Masilela's car keys and camera and forced him to delete camera photos.

Coronavirus: South African news media devastated by Covid-19, shedding hundreds of jobs in 'media extinction event' new SANEF-study finds.

by Thinus Ferreira

The already-struggling South African news media has been left reeling and is doing triage in what has been described as a "media extinction event", trying to keep newsroom doors open as a devastating wave of layoffs and salary cuts have swept the industry over the past two months because of the ongoing Covid-19 national lockdown.

A new study by the South African National Editors' Forum (SANEF) released on Monday makes for nightmare reading that found that while the need under the public for accurate news from dwindling, credible news sources has never been greater, the cataclysmic drop in advertising income because of Covid-19 is decimating the news biz.

Hundreds of jobs have already been lost and vanished seemingly overnight in the local media pool spanning South Africa's TV, magazines, newspapers, radio and online media.

The new 32-page SANEF study paints a horrifying picture of how the Covid-19 pandemic and resulting government lockdown regulations have further eroded South Africa's news industry that is "desperately looking for new ways of sustaining itself while audience demands for timely, credible but free news surges".

The report states that South Africa's magazine industry was dealt a massive blow "with the closure of two magazine publishers with the loss of 97 jobs at the one publisher and up to 250 at the other".

"Away from the limelight, small, independent, hyperlocal print publications were also ravaged. This was in the first phase of the lockdown as small publishers were unable to access emergency funding, resulting in the loss of an estimated 300 to 400 journalistic jobs."

"Workers at three of the so-called Big 4 print media companies were forced to take salary cuts of up to 45% and temporary lay-offs have been widely implemented. It is not known how many jobs have been lost at community radio stations," the study says.

"Neither the regional and national newspapers of the Big 4 South African publishers nor broadcasting was immune to the plunge in advertising, which varies from an estimated 40% to 100%." The "Big 4" are Independent Media, Media24, Arena Holdings and Caxton & CTP.


Online news surge
The SANEF study notes how the public has sought out news and information to a higher degree than ever before because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Perhaps the biggest upside of this dark period for the industry has been the massive surge in traffic to credible online news sources."

"Traffic to news websites increased by 72% in March, while these sites saw a 44% growth in unique browsers. Many news websites saw double-digit growth in their audience numbers, with News24, Business Insider, The Citizen, Fin24, SABC and EWN growing their traffic by more than 50% in March."

"The crisis brought on by the Covid-19 lockdowns has pushed over the edge operations that were imperiled or survivalist, and arguably have highlighted fissures in the news media industry. How well the news media will emerge from the crisis will depend on the speed of the economic recovery and the attendant increase in advertising revenue."

The SANEF study says that "While print media consumption has been devastated, broadcasters and online platforms, linked to legacy print operations or not, have seen dramatic uptake in their production of news as citizens seek sources of trustworthy, credible information in the time of uncertainty around the Covid-19 pandemic."


Hundreds of jobs lost
According to the SANEF study print magazines were not granted “essential service” status in terms of government regulations for the first phase of the lockdown and can be regarded as the first media casualty of the lockdown.

"Other print publications may follow the magazine closures," the study found. "Caxton, once more, seems to have moved decisively by closing or merging freesheet titles. The company announced the closure of its North Eastern Tribune along with City Buzz and that the, "Footprints of certain local newspapers in Gauteng metropolitan areas, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal needed to be adapted for the company to provide the best solutions for readers, customers and clients in these markets."

According to the study, Carol Mohlala, executive director of the Association of Independent Publishers, estimates that 300 to 400 journalists’ jobs have been lost as small, mostly black-owned independent newspapers, often serving indigenous-language groups in far-flung rural areas, have closed and a further 700 jobs in the value chain lost.

"Notably, once heralded as the savior of print, tabloid newspapers have not proved immune. Media24 has cut back the print edition of its popular tabloid Daily Sun to four provinces: Gauteng, Limpopo, North West and Mpumalanga."

The study notes that freelance journalists and photographers have also been badly affected.

"The danger is that in South Africa and elsewhere the strong may get stronger, including the social media giants that soak up much online revenue, and the weak be victims of the competitive destruction that marks major economic downturns."

"WhatsApp, Facebook, Netflix (and other streaming services) and Zoom are among obvious beneficiaries of the work-from-home reality forced on former office workers."


Stark news audience change
The Covid-19 pandemic has heightened awareness of the value of credible news and boosted readership, viewership and listenership of broadcasting and online outlets that provide such news, the SANEF study finds.

"Newspaper readership has been devastated by the decrease in the movement of people. Andrew Gill of Arena Holdings explains that newspaper retail sales, for instance at supermarkets, took a big hit thanks to the decline in traffic, while informal street, and door-to-door, sales in e.g. townships dropped to almost zero."

"While free-to-air TV has been validated by the coronavirus, pay-TV in the form of DStv has been knocked by the unavailability of sport, arguably DStv’s major drawcard and in an era of film and TV-series streaming via the Internet, offset to some extent by MultiChoice’s own standalone Showmax online service."

"Netflix and other streaming services are bound to have been beneficiaries of the lockdown, along with social media, competing for the attention of audiences with news. However, the lockdown and confinement of many South Africans to their homes with the main link to the world outside being a computer screen has as expected boosted online news."

According to the SANEF study the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic "resulted in a surge in web traffic, most notably the news category".

"In particular, massive month-on-month growth can be seen across News24, Fin24, Citizen and BusinessInsider who all recorded more than 50% growth in unique browsers. Typical monthly variances in traffic for these top 10 sites is in the region of around 10%, which highlights the massive increase in online browsing during March 2020."

"Some advertising vanished entirely during the lockdown. Freesheets normally thick with inserts for major stores and full of other retail advertising and small classifieds shrank to eight pages of news without ads. For broadcasters, the problem is compounded by the time given to official announcements displacing commercial programming."

"A high-level SABC source notes that the Ministerial briefings have disrupted schedules and have been a 'major displacement of revenue at the SABC, but we have to do the right thing."


Media extinction event
The SANEF study notes that "Businesses already on the brink will be pushed over the edge".

"Financial problems may be multifaceted, and stem from the relationship between the paying audience and the content published. Some reflection is needed within the news business of whether journalism is offering what the audience wants and needs."

"In the time of Covid-19, magazines, and in time newspapers, may face what has been called a 'media extinction event', affecting the news industry more than the 2008 global recession, including African newspapers."

"So far, the print media has been hardest hit and this threatens to affect the amount of news being produced, with massive closures of community newspapers, and possible shrinking of newsrooms through retrenchment. Freelance journalists, a longstanding part of the supply chain of news content, are exceptionally vulnerable."

"Broadcasting will not remain unaffected. The SABC has been affected by advertising revenue declines. The corporation would have received its full bailout amount of R3,2 billion cannot ask for more from the cash-strapped fiscus. Private media houses would have to stand in line with other worthy recipients of rescue money, such as the unemployed whose numbers will be swelled."

For domestic news media, the key word in the immediate period is "survival", says the study. "Those organisations entering the crisis with serious cash-flow problems will have difficulty surviving."


'Devastating'
"While news organisations are clearly worth preserving, a thought must be given to individual journalists displaced by the wake of the Covid-19 destruction," the study says.

"Some funding could be directed towards individuals to help them cope with retrenchment and retrain for new work. South Africa no longer has a journalism union to fend for journalists."

"A return to a 'new normal' may not prevent further job losses," the SANEF study finds in its conclusions.

"So far, none of the major newspapers have been closed, but a lot depends on the way the ending of the lockdown is handled, the length and severity of the Covid-crisis-induced depression, and whether the lockdown has changed audience behaviour."

"Retrenchments and shrinking of news staff have so far been confined to print, but broadcasting has also been hit by a decline in advertising and what levels of ad revenue will return to in a depressed economy is uncertain."

Ths study notes that "the Covid-19 crisis has been devastating".

"The effect can be calculated in jobs lost – still difficult at this stage to ascertain with any certainty – and most importantly in the shrinking of the vital-for-society news ecosystem as the country and the world copes with an unprecedented economic decline."

South African National Editors' Forum deeply concerned about eNCA's removal of anchors Xoli Mngambi and Jane Dutton, says eNCA's 'unfortunate mixing of news and commentary' could leave viewers in doubt as to what's fact and newsreader opinion.

by Thinus Ferreira

The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) says the media organisation is deeply concerned over the shocking developments at eMedia Investments' eNCA (DStv 403) that is carried on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV service, where Xoli Mngambi and Jane Dutton have been removed from their seats behind the anchor desks without any explanation following their equally-shocking in-bulletin commentary.

The latest eNCA scandal - once again inflicting image and news credibility damage on the embattled eNCA brand - started on Monday when news anchors Xoli Mngambi and Jane Dutton started the 7:00 bulletin off with a FOX News-like commentary and slammed the South African president Cyril Ramaphosa who was called "publicly emasculated" and minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma over their smoking ban during South Africa's Covid-19 national lockdown period.

The anchors said the president and minister have "duped" the public" and that South Africa was becoming "a police state under the renegade ministers".

The eNCA on-air comments came without warning or being qualifying as editorial for viewers.

Jane Dutton on eNCA started the broadcast hour on Monday morning, saying: ""A reminder of who's controlling South Africa's narrative right now - not the president but minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. How? She used her power and considerable influence to ensure the ban on cigarettes would continue".

"Why did she do that? Is it because the president is popular right now? Or is it a reminder that the party politics at Luthuli House, the rivalry there, is still very much at play?" editorialised Xoli Mngambi.

Jane Dutton suggested that "While Cyril Ramaphosa has been publicly emasculated, we the public have been duped. How can you discard what the president said just because 2 000 people were against it? And how many more people wanted the sales ban lifted?

In her on-air commentary Jane Dutton said "It's the same warped throught-process behind the limited exercise-regime".

Xoli Mngambi opined that "There are fears we are becoming a police state under the control of the renegate ministers and our security forces - bullying at the top and bullying at the bottom. The president now needs to take back that power."

"Can he?" Jane Dutton wondered aloud. "This is a tipping point." She had more rhetorical questions: "If he can't deal with something like this, how will he overcome the economic challenges and lead the country out of this turbulent period?" she wondered.

On Tuesday eNCA forced Xoli Mngambi and Jane Dutton to make an on-air apology after which they disappeared on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from the eNCA airwaves without explanation.

In a terse response on Wednesday night in response to a media enquiry, Norman Ndivhuho Munzhelele, eNCA managing director, told TVwithThinus that "eNCA anchors Jane Dutton and Xoli Mngambi have not been suspended".

eNCA is yet to answer or respond to other questions asked about the developing scandal, including why eNCA started doing commentary and opinion within its news reporting programming, and who implemented it.

In 2019 eNCA was found guilty of having breached the Broadcasting Code when anchor Vuyo Mvoko included commentary into a TV news bulletin and was ordered to apologise after viewers lodged complaints.

Broadcasting Code: Comment inside news a no-no

eNCA made use of unproven statements building a narrative for which there is no substantiating facts, as well as firing off rhetorical questions hanging in the air - exactly similar in style to how opinion hosts on the FOX News channel in the United States do their commentary-laced shows.

According to South Africa's Broadcasting Code of Conduct, pay-TV channels like eNCA "must report news truthfully, accurately and fairly" and news "must be presented in the correct context and in a fair manner, without intentional or negligent departure from the facts, whether by distortion, exaggeration or misrepresentation, material omissions or summarisation".

The Code states that "Comment must be an honest expression of opinion and must be presented in such manner that it appears clearly to be comment, and must be made on facts truly stated or fairly indicated and referred to".

It's still unclear as to why the eMedia Investments channel produced for MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV service has started to do in-news opinion and commentary when it's not allowed to and started to emulate the FOX News-style of opinion-infused comment on news instead of just reporting the news.

As the viewership of rival TV news channels like SABC News and Newzroom Afrika - which just celebrated its first anniversary continue to grow - eNCA which retains it lead and is still the most watched TV news channel in South Africa, has lost trust and credibility after an ongoing series of behind-the-scenes newsroom management scandals and mistakes.

SANEF: Deeply concerned about undermining of freedom of expression at eNCA

SANEF in a statement on Friday morning said that it is "perturbed about developments at eNCA".

"SANEF understands that a few months ago the eNCA management introduced a requirement for its anchors to be more opinionated and to open their shows on social and political issues. So it seems that when Xoli Mngambi and Jane Dutton aired their comments they were not violating any internal policy."

"SANEF is deeply concerned about the potential undermining of freedom of expression at eNCA," says the organisation.

"We think it important to reiterate key provisions of the BCCSA Broadcasting Code of Conduct applicable to eNCA," says SANEF.

"Section 28.1.3 of the Subscription Code clearly requires that “only that which may reasonably be true… may be presented as fact…If a report is…founded on opinion…it must be presented in such manner as to indicate clearly that such is the case."

SANEF says that "eNCA management’s strategy to include more personalised commentary in the news broadcasts has paved the way for an unfortunate mixing of news and comment in such a way that the reasonable viewer might have been left in doubt as to what was fact and what was the newsreaders’ opinion."

"SANEF respects the right of media companies to apply their own editorial guidelines, quality control measures, internal policies and directives, but this should never be at odds with the Constitution and industry codes."

"SANEF will write to eNCA acting managing director Norman Munzhelele asking for an explanation of why Xoli Mngambi and Jane Dutton's have been taken off air. We believe that news management should defend journalists and their freedom of expression."

"The incident follows incidents of political interference in the newsroom in December that led to the exit of the previous head of news. We will also be raising these issues in our meeting."


ALSO READ: Sanef welcomes firing of eNCA's politician news boss Kanthan Pillay, says eNCA must 'get to the bottom of how a politician was ever allowed to have such a senior position in their newsroom'.

Coronavirus: SABC News journalist Ulrich Hendriks tests positive for Covid-19 in Kimberley as public broadcaster shutters Northern Cape office and quarantines staffers.

by Thinus Ferreira

The SABC News journalist Ulrich Hendriks based in Kimberley has tested positive for the Covid-19 virus as cases of the novel coronavirus spreads in South Africa, with the South African public broadcaster that has shuttered its office in the Northern Cape province with the rest of staffers now working from home.

Mmoni Seapolelo, SABC spokesperson, confirmed the broadcaster's first positive Covid-19 case and said staffers will be quarantined. "The SABC can confirm that we have one confirmed case of coronavirus at our Northern Cape provincial office," said Mmoni Seapolelo.

"As a precautionary measure, we will close the Kimberley office and all employees based in that office will also be quarantined. The employee concerned is under quarantine and will be monitored".

Phathiswa Magopeni, SABC News editor-in-chief, says the SABC is in contact with Ulrich Hendriks who is recovering at home.

"We know that he came into contact with two German tourists. Given the close proximity of our news staff in the newsroom - 25 colleagues in the Kimberley office – we decided, as a precautionary measure, to close the office and have all staff quarantined and tested. We are developing contingency plans for the operations there."

"As the SABC, since the start of the disaster, we have taken critical precautionary measures to safe-guard all our staff - with masks and other protective gear and items. But clearly given this scenario it calls for journalists to be extra careful," says Phathiswa Magopeni.

The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) says in a statement on Friday that it "stands in solidarity with our colleagues at the SABC after one of their journalists tested positive for the Covid-19 virus in the Kimberley office in the Northern Cape".

"SANEF understands that the public broadcaster took immediate precautionary steps yesterday and shut down its operations in the region. All staff are working from home."


ALSO READ: Coronavirus: SABC sets up disaster recovery site with Outside Broadcast vans; production of soaps and scripted shows shuttered; news and actuality to continue during 21-day national lockdown.

After release of Commission of Inquiry's report into SABC editorial meddling the South African National Editor's Forum urges 'new custodians of the SABC newsroom to safeguard' it from future interference.

The South African National Editor's Forum (Sanef) on Monday, after the SABC released the report and findings of its Commission of Inquiry into editorial interference at the South African public broadcaster, urged the SABC "the new custodians of the SABC newsroom to safeguard the public broadcaster from any political, commercial or private interference in the future".

On Monday the Commission of Inquiry into editorial interference at South Africa's public broadcaster reported that it found that the "spectre of the ANC hovered over the newsroom", that ministerial interference into the newsroom of the SABC took place, and found 'bullying and trauma" and a "work environment crippled with fear, anxiety, resentment and tensions".

Mahlatse Mahlase, Sanef chairperson, noted in a statement on Monday the "chilling findings" from the Commission of Inquiry's report.

"We thus implore the new custodians of the SABC newsroom to safeguard the public broadcaster from any political, commercial or private interference in the future. Concrete mechanisms must be implemented to ensure this," Mahlase said.

Sanef also noted the various recommendations made in the report, including the creation of a news and current affairs advisory committee to advise journalists, editors and producers on editorial issues.

"We welcome the recommendation that this committee will become the highest point of upward referral for editorial line managers and that it should uphold the editorial policies and the highest editorial and ethical standards."

"We also believe that the suggested creation of a news and current affairs advisory committee is positive. We believe that the establishment of these committees will go a long way to maintaining editorial integrity at the public broadcaster and that they will ensure that journalists have a place to go when interference creeps in."

"We wish the SABC strength and every success as it takes steps to implement these recommendations. We need the SABC to deal decisively with its past editorial woes," said Mahlatse Mahlase.


ALSO READ: Commission of inquiry into editorial interference at South Africa's public broadcaster finds 'spectre of the ANC hovered over the newsroom', ministerial interference; 'bullying and trauma' and 'work environment crippled with fear, anxiety, resentment and tensions'.
ALSO READ: 'Be fast or I will fire you, I will really fire you': South Africa's former communications minister, Faith Muthambi, faces criminal charges after release of the report of the SABC's Commission of Inquiry into editorial interference and abuse at the public broadcaster.
ALSO READ: SOS Coalition says Commission of Inquiry's report into SABC editorial meddling doesn't go far enough while former bosses 'Jimmy Matthews and Hlaudi Motsoeneng continue to live as symbols of South Africa's culture of impunity'.

The SABC foreign editor Sophie Mokoena apologises to the SABC economics editor Thandeka Gqubule-Mbeki and 'SABC8' colleague for having retweeted a fake news article claiming the SABC8 were paid by Bosasa.

The SABC's foreign editor, Sophie Mokoena, on Friday had to apologise to the South African public broadcaster's economics editor, Thandeka Gqubule-Mbeki, for having had retweeted a fake news article that claimed that some of the so-called "SABC8"-journalists were paid by Bosasa.

The fake news article first appeared in January 2019 on Times Live.

Karima Brown, anchor of The Fix on eNCA (Dstv 403) revealed that the apology happened this past on Sunday during her weekly show.

"I understood that Sophie Mokoena from the SABC apologised to her colleague of the 'SABC8'
Thandeka Gqubule-Mbeki" said Karima Brown. 

The apology apparently happened during a council meeting of the South African National Editors' Forum (Sanef).

Sam Mkokeli, chairperson of Sanef's media freedom subcommittee, explained that "Sophie Mokoena came out to apologise for retweeting a news report that said people in the SABC8 were paid by Bosassa - something that was an outright lie."

Bosasa is a controversial South African company involvement in numerous corruption allegations that were exposed during the ongoing Zondo Commission of Inquiry.

The SABC8 - eight SABC journalists who stood up against censorship at the SABC and who got fired for it were Vuyo Mvoko, Thandeka Gqubule, Suna Venter, Krivani Pillay, Lukhanyo Calata, Foeta Krige, Jacques Steenkamp and Busisiwe Ntuli.

The labour court later ordered the SABC to reinstate them.

The fake Times Live article claimed that Bosasa paid them R100 000 but the truth is that they never received any money and that Bosasa never made any payment to them whatsoever.

Within the SABC Sophie Mokoena is seen as an erstwhile and alleged so-called "Hlaudi-enforcer".

She is allegedly one of the high-ranking staffers who allegedly sided with the now-fired former famously matricless chief operating officer (COO) at the SABC, Hlaudi Motsoeneng, who during his reign of terror, clamped down on press freedom within the SABC News division with censorship decrees and got rid of journalists and staff who didn't follow his draconian commands.

The SABC announced a commission of inquiry into alleged editorial interference at the SABC and SABC News at the end of May 2018. 

More than a year later the SABC has not released the findings of the commission. The inquiry has been completed according to the SABC although the broadcaster has not given any reason as to why the inquiry report has not been released.

eNCA condemns EFF attack on Karima Brown after the political party reveals her cellphone number, leading to a barrage of abuse.

The eNCA (DStv 403) South African TV news channel is condemning the attack of the EFF on Karima Brown after the political party revealed her cellphone number, leading to a barrage of abuse.

Karima Brown received threatening and abusive message after the EFF publicised her cellphone number on social media.

It happened after Karima Brown posted an editorial brief in an EFF media Whatsapp group instead of to eNCA journalists, after the political party posted an invitation to an EFF "Breakfast with rhe Elderly" event set for Wednesday.

Karima Brown posted: "Keep an eye out for this. Who are these elders. Are they all male and how are they chosen. Keep watching brief". After a while she deleted the message from the Whatsapp group.

Julius Malema, EFF leader then retweeted a screenshot of the message and added Karima Brown's cellphone number, saying: "Karima Brown is sending moles to our breakfast with the elders tomorrow, she incidentally sends the message to the EFF media Whatsapp group and deleted it immediately."

Karima Brown immediately started to get messages ranging from verbal abuse to insults and threats, including rape threats.

eNCA in a statement says it condemns the EFF attacks on Karima Brown.

"eNCA condemns in the strongest possible terms threats of violence and verbal attacks by supporters of the EFF including its leader Julius Malema against current affairs host Karima Brown," says Jeremy Maggs, eNCA acting managing director and editor.

"In particular, we take extreme exception to her life being threatened, threats of rape; her telephone number being disseminated and the derogatory names she is being called."

"We stand in full agreement with the South African National Editors Forum (Sanef) that this is also a hostile attack on media freedom in this country, particularly in a highly charged pre-election political climate in which all media houses are operating."

"We concur with Sanef that party leader Julius Malema owes Karima Brown an apology and call on the EFF to immediately cease this intimidation and bullying."

"Karima Brown is the presenter of a Sunday morning show called The Fix which takes a robust and analytical look at political issues facing the country."

"She also performs the role of political commentator where she is called on from time to time to provide analysis and insight into political stories. In the short term, she is also performing the role of consulting producer on the evening show Tonight with Jane Dutton where she assists in developing content and providing guidance when called upon."

"With reference to a WhatsApp message that Karima Brown put out, it was simply one of guidance to our political team and pertinent questions we would ask of any political party."

"The issues queried in the message revolve around a point of how a young party with no significant body of retired past leadership selects a body of elders. It is, therefore, a legitimate question that deserves an answer rather than an attack on the questioner," says eNCA.

"eNCA believes it would have been instructive and less damaging to all concerned had the EFF simply engaged on the matter with the station before resorting to what amounts to unfair harassment and aggression."

"If the EFF has any complaints about content on the station or issues with individual presenters and reporters there are accepted avenues to follow including the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa."

The South African National Editors' Forum (Sanef) in a statement on Wednesday said it condemns the "systemic, abusive and cruel social media attack levelled against KarimaBrown by the Economic Freedom Front leader Julius Malema and his supporters".

"Malema published the cellphone number of Karima Brown and, shortly thereafter, his supporters began a barrage of insults against her - calling her, among other derogatory names, 'an Indian whore and bitch' and levelling insults, threatening her life, and accusing her of allegedly sending moles to spy on them."

"This after Brown posted a message on an EFF Whatsapp group. The message was meant for a journalist group instead."

Sanef said the EFF should "stop with this vicious attack on the media and allow journalists to do their work without fear and intimidation".

"If the EFF leadership has evidence and/or concerns about Karima Brown or any other member of the media they must deal with this in the correct forum including the Broadcasting Complaints Commission (BCCSA) and online or the Press Ombudsman/Council for Print and Online."

"From a Sanef position there is empirical evidence to show that when senior party leaders and politicians muzzle journalists, their supporters follow in their footsteps."

The EFF in a statement on Wednesday said "The EFF has long held a position that Karima Brown is not a journalist, but an openly admitted ANC operative".

"All journalists who hold legitimate positions, and whose integrity has always been consistent with journalistic ethics, should care about what role Karima Brown plays in the media."

"Upon accidentally dropping what looks like briefing notes in an EFF media statements Whatsapp group, we have since exposed those notes to the public. As a result, she has argued that those were editorial notes for eNCA journalists."

"We know for a fact that Karima Brown holds no editorial positions, not even an assignment editor's position at the eNCA. We urge the eNCA to explain in what capacity, she would be briefing journalists who are going on assignments to cover EFF meetings."

"Our argument is with her, because we believe she holds no position, anywhere, to be deploying journalists to cover any news. If Karima Brown is no official editor, and yet the eNCA allows her to hold such power, they must say so. This will make matters easy for us, as we will, from henceforth, deal with her and not the officially designated editors".

South African National Editors Forum slams previous SABC management for cruelty over plan to fire staffers after reckless mismanagement: 'Workers, once again, are at the receiving end of leadership abuse and negligence'.

The South African National Editors Forum (Sanef) has slammed the previous SABC management for its cruelty, saying its wrong for the South African public broadcaster to start firing staffers in order to downsize its massive salary bill before other cost-cutting options and that SABC staffers are "once again, at the receiving end of leadership abuse and negligence".

Sanef says "part of the dire financial situation the SABC finds itself in is due to the reckless management of the SABC epitomised by [former] COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng".

"This included his mismanagement of human resources. Also, Sanef notes the lack of oversight from parliament and the regulator during this dark period. Going forward it is critical that the capacity of htese governance and oversight structures are strengthened."

"Sanef notes that the cruelty of the situation is that workers, once again, are at the receiving end of leadership abuse and negligence. Sanef believes that only if all other cost-cutting options have been explored, should the SABC contemplate retrenchments."

Madoda Mxakwe, SABC CEO has warned staffers about the South African public broadcaster's "dire financial state" after the SABC started the process of job cuts and retrenchments to downsize the SABC's staff numbers.

A week after the SABC chairperson Bongumusa Makhathini played coy, didn't want to talk about SABC staff firings and wasn't willing to be upfront about the SABC that has been looking at drastically shedding another 800 jobs, Madoda Mxakwe finally told SABC staffers following a meeting on Thursday with trade unions, that the SABC's wage bill is unsustainable.

The SABC posted a loss of R622 million for the 2017/2018 financial year with the country's Auditor-General (AG), Kimi Makwetu, saying he can't determine whether the cash-strapped South African public broadcaster remains a going concern.

Longtime staffers and producers who have been with SABC News since the channel's start-up five years ago already got axed at the end of August although despite the SABC renewed its controversial multi-million rand channel carriage carriage with Naspers' MultiChoice to continue carrying the news channel on DStv for the next few years.

Around 3 000 of the SABC's staff headcount are permanent employees, while the rest are fixed-term and freelance workers.

A staggering amount of the SABC's expenditure goes to just paying staffers, although just 60% are directly involved in programming. The SABC is supposed to spend the bulk of its money on creating and broadcasting content.

The SABC says one of the SABC's biggest cost drivers is the salary bill and that although it is a R7.2 billion revenue generating company, it's saddled with a massive annual salary bill of R3.1 billion.

Sanef says that it "believes that the labour law must be closely followed with transparency and commitment to negotiate fairly with organised labour."

Sanef says "what is critical is that the SABC's public mandate is in no way compromised".

"SABC leadership needs to ensure that the SABC's news-gathering and content generation and management capacity is not cut. Sanef believes this capacity is essential for the SABC to play its key information, education and entertainment role."

"Further, we believe that the SABC's content capacity is core to ensuring its turn-around and long-term financial sustainability."

"Sanef calls on on the regulator, Icasa, to ensure that it monitors the SABC's adherence to its charter, licence conditions and local content regulations. The SABC's ability to deliver on its mandate must not be compromised.Non-core support staff and administration units should be cut if anything is to be cut."

Dumped Afro Worldview channel's staffers won't all get employed by Newzroom Afrika when the new TV news channel launches in early 2019 on MultiChoice's DStv.

The staffers from Mzwanele Manyi's controversial and now shuttered Afro Worldview TV channel on DStv won't all be employed by Newzroom Afrika when the new TV news channel makes its debut in early 2019 on MultiChoice DStv satellite pay-TV service.

Newzroom Afrika will give "special consideration" to former Afro Worldview staffers, but this doesn't mean that they will be hired. Also not all Afro Worldview staff will apply. 

MultiChoice dumped Afro Worldview last week as it said it would at the beginning of 2018, leaving 300 people jobless who were employed at the former Gupta-owned ANN7 that shut down after 5 years mired in allegations of corruption and of being a propaganda channel.

The owners of Newzroom Afrika, Thokozani Nkosi and Thabile Ngwato on Tuesday said they would give "special consideration" to people who have worked at Afro Worldview and who apply for positions - not advertised yet - at Newzroom Afrika.

That however doesn't they will get jobs.

In an email to Afro Worldview staffers, Mzwanele Manyi told them that details about their salaries will be communicated soon. Mzwanele Manyi said there's no further future for Afro Worldview and that operations have to shut down.

Mzwanele Manyi told staffers not to hope that they'll get employed by Newzroom Afrika and to search for other employment opportunities without waiting. Contracts of Afro Worldview staffers are not being formally terminated.

Meanwhile the Communication Workers Union (CWU) wants to meet with Mzwanele Manyi to negotiate severance packages for staffers.

The South African National Editors Forum (Sanef) said it welcomes the commitment by Newzroom Afrika to give "special consideration" to Afr Worldview staffers for possible jobs.

"Sanef notes the fact that the channel is 100% black owned and 50% women owned. We also note MultiChoice and Newzroom Afrika's stated commitment to journalism ethics and independence and the decision to establish an oversight body," said Sanef in a statement.

"We will be carefully watching this space to see if the new channel's commitments are upheld. We also keenly await their announcements in early 2019 about their programming offerings and line-up."

Murdered Hope Zinde's dumped body found in the boot of her car 5 days after former SABC board member was killed; son arrested, drugs found.

The body of the murdered Hope Zinde (50) was found this (Saturday) afternoon by police, dumped in the boot of her Range Rover 5 days ago after the former SABC board member was killed apparently this past Monday, in the bathroom of her luxury Pecanwood Golf Estate house in Hartbeespoort Dam after which her body was dragged to her car.

Mabalwa Hope Zenda Zinde was 50.

Her only child, a son (28), has been arrested on suspicion of murder and charged and the suspect will appear on Monday in the Brits magistrate's court.

A parcel weighing approximately 10kg and containing drugs, were found in the blood-smeared bathroom.

Police was called to the house at Hartbeespoort Dam northwest of Pretoria today after Hope Zinde's son refused to open the door and reportedly only peeped through the curtains when a desperate family friend visited who had been trying to get a hold of Hope Zinde for 4 days since Wednesday.

Police followed blood smears from the bathroom to the garage and found a heavy, bloodied 10kg parcel in the bathroom.

"Following an incident where a 50-year old woman was found dead inside a boot of a car we are investigating a case of murder," says North West police spokesperson Sabata Mokgwabone.

Hope Zinde was fired as SABC board member in March 2015, and claimed undue interference by the minister of communications, Faith Muthambi, in the workings of the SABC board and warned that Faith Muthabi is diluting the powers of the SABC board to run the SABC.

Hope Zinde opposed the sale of the SABC's archives to MultiChoice to start the SABC Encore library channel on DStv and was also against the permanent appointment of the controversial Hlaudi Motsoeneng as chief operating officer (COO) of the SABC.

Hope Zinde had an honours degree in psychology, a degree on social sciences and a marketing qualification from the University of Sienna in Italy from when she studied abroad.

She was an executive manager at the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) when she was murdered.

Hope Zinde wasn't married and once remarked that she'd turned down several marriage proposals from high-powered men "because I know what I want", saying "unmarried women should not look backward in anger, or forward in fear, but around themselves in awareness.''

Hope Zinde worked for the SABC for 15 years from 1991 to 2006 as a broadcast journalist who mostly covered politics.

The biggest criticism of Hope Zinde's journalistic career came in 2005 when she was heavily criticised for her alleged biased reporting during the Zimbabwe general elections in 2005, telling viewers from Harare's Sheraton Hotel just a few hours after checking in that Zimbabwe is peaceful contrary to many Western media reports and that conditions in Zimbabwe is fine for free and fair elections.

Since 2000 she was a producer, presenter and also a news anchor with Peter Ndoro for the 180 Degrees morning programme on the SABC's now discontinued SABC Africa TV channel that ran on MultiChoice's DStv platform.

Hope Zinde who loved languages, marketing and reading, climbed the ranks as the SABC, starting as a newswriter and newsreader, moving to producer and executive producer on several SABC actuality shows like Perspective and also working as a presenter and anchor on television and radio like SAfm's PM Live show.

Later on she ran Hope Zinde Communications that she started in 1998 and did PR and marketing for various companies, including clients like Coca-Cola South Africa.

Hope Zinde's last tweet was this past Sunday, sharing an image of boxer Muhammad Ali shaking hands with Nelson Mandela, which she captioned as "The Greatest shaking hands with The Great One".

Hope Zinde called her interview with Nelson Mandela one of her "most treasured" in her years as a journalist.

Zinde's family in a statement says that it offers them great comfort to witness how loved she was and the positive contribution she made to the lives of so many.

"While the investigation into Hope's untimely passing is in progress, we ask for your support in allowing the authorities to do their work, and not speculate on the circumstances surrounding her death".

Peter Ndoro, now the co-anchor of SABC News's flagship weeknight news show, on Saturday told SABC News (DStv 404) that Hope Zinde "loved her work, She worked hard. And she was a person who was never afraid to speak her truth. And I think everybody appreciated her honesty".

"It's really tragic to hear about her passing in this way. A sad story," said Peter Ndoro. "She wanted the story told and she got the story told."

"As a colleague I will always just remember her as a strong woman who led the way for many of the young female presenter who we see here. She was one of the pioneers of programmes like Good Morning South Africa at a time when there were just not that many young black woman in the media doing important programming".


Hope Zinde was a loyal ANC activist and supporter and remained so despite the way she was fired from the SABC board by Faith Muthambi.

In a statement on Saturday evening the ANC political party said the party "extends its condolences to members of the South African and continental journalism fraternity on the loss of seasoned communicator, Hope Zinde who has passed away"

The ANC said "Hope Zinde was a well-respected journalist" and that she was "known for her passion and dedication to her craft, as well as her role in mentoring younger journalists".

"The South African communications landscape has lost a committed professional who left an indelible mark on the industry as a whole, and the ANC extends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of the late Hope Zinde".


In a statement the Democratic Alliance (DA) political party said it "sends its deepest condolences to the friends and family of media personality and former SABC board member, Hope Zinde, following her untimely death".

"Her passion for public broadcasting was such that she was appointed to the SABC board where she fought to protect the SABC's independence".

"The DA thanks Hope Zinde for her contributions to strengthening our democracy. In her, our country has lost a passionate, fearless, and dedicated broadcaster and advocate for a truly independent SABC".

"Her legacy lives on, and it is for her, that we all as South Africans should continue to protect and build an SABC we can all be proud of".


UPDATE Sunday 12 June 2016 13:00: The SABC in a statement on Sunday - in which it deliberately said nothing of how Hope Zinde was fired from the SABC board last year - said "the SABC has leartn with sadness and shock about the tragic passing of former SABC board member Hope Zinde".

SABC board chairman Mbulaheni Maguvhe said Hope Zinde "worked tirelessly in the broadcasting arena in both television and radio".

"She served the SABC board to the best of her ability during her tenure and the South African public has lost a giant in the field of journalism and broadcasting."

"The SABC board, management, and staff sent their deepest condolences to Hope Zinde's family and friends".


UPDATE Monday 13 June 2016 10:00: Minister of communications Faith Muthambi in a statement says she sends condolences to the family of the late Hope Zinde, who was found murdered at her home earlier this week.

"We recognised Hope Zinde for the role that she has played in shaping the SABC, in particular, as well as radio and television broadcasting services in South Africa in general."

"She enjoyed an illustrious career in broadcasting, and inspired a new generation of young people to follow in her footsteps. As the ministry of communications, we wish her loved ones, friends and colleagues strength during this difficult time. Our hearts are with them."


UPDATE Monday 13 June 2016 11:00: The South African National Editors' Forum (Sanef) says in a statement it has "expresses the collective shock of its members at the news of the gruesome death of journalist and media activist Hope Zinde."

"Hope Zinde was amongst the generation of journalists who arrived at the SABC in Auckland Park at the dawn of democracy to help change the content of what until then had been a state broadcaster."

"With her colleagues and the leadership of people such as the late Zwelakhe Sisulu and Joe Thloloe, they changed the news division into a credible source of information in the service of the South African public. She grew to become a household and respected anchor of prime programmes at SABC News".

"She left the SABC but returned years later as a board member still determined to ensure the corporation fulfilled its mission to the public. It was this commitment that saw her clash with the reigning leadership of the SABC, who are steadily turning it into a centre of sunshine journalism where uncomfortable incidents of national importance are being steadily censored out of the news."

"In her attempts to defend the integrity of the SABC, she turned to both the ANC top leadership and the minister in charge of the SABC but was rebuffed and eventually kicked out of the board."

"South African journalism has lost a committed journalist, a campaigner for media freedom and a fearless advocate of sound corporate governance at the SABC. Sanef and its members convey our heartfelt and deep sorrow at the circumstances under which she died."


UPDATE Monday 13 June 2016 11:15: The South African Communist Party (SACP) says in a statement it's saddened by the death of "media transformation stalwart" Hope Zinde.

"The SACP expresses its message of sincere condolences to the family and relatives of a seasoned journalist, former SABC presenter, producer and board member Hope Zinde for the great loss suffered from her death."

"The SACP will always cherish the memory of Hope Zinde for her total but principled opposition to the corporate capture of the SABC by monopoly capital, in particular, Naspers' Multichoice, and for uncompromising stance against corruption."

"Hope Zinde stuck to ANC policies on the transformation of the communications industry in the face of massive deviation and buying of key individuals to go against the principle. It was in the course of this dedicated service to our people and country that she was victimised by being controversially and unlawfully removed from the SABC board."