It was an interesting week for the South African media and those following the ANC succession debate.
First, the Media Institute of Southern Africa (Misa) accused the SABC of allowing government ministers to interfere in the public broadcaster’s editorial decisions. (SABC accused of being ANC lapdog, The Star, 30 August 2007). Mandla Seloane, chairperson of Misa, gave the cancelled broadcasting of the documentary about President Thabo Mbeki as an example and also alleged that some of the SABC’s interviews with government ministers were stage-managed. Could these allegations possibly be true?
Next, I came across an interesting commentary by someone who is certainly no lapdog. Former deputy minister of health Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge gave her views on the kind of leadership the ANC needs (Seeking servants of the people, Mail and Guardian, 31 August 2007). Starting off with the words “sodibana eLimpopo (we will meet in Limpopo) she reminds aspiring ANC leaders of the power that will be wielded by the people in choosing their leaders at the ANC national conference in December.
She outlines the characteristics she thinks are necessary for the ANC’s new leader: humility; servant leadership; compassion, warmth and love; ability to exercise collective leadership; and respect for difference and debate. She also called for open discussion and consensus on the values and criteria for leadership.
All eyes will certainly be focused on Polokwane in December…wouldn’t it be great though if we could get Survivor-like live coverage of all the wheeling and dealing going on behind the scenes in the build-up to the conference. Could the SABC arrange this for us?
Perhaps not.
The SABC cut ties with the South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) this week explaining that the public broadcaster was not prepared to “associate with the enemies of our freedom and our people”. (Press ‘enemy of people’ – SABC, Sunday Times, 2 September 2007).
The SABC’s CEO and editor-in-chief, Dali Mpofu, stated in a letter to Sanef that the organisation was characterised by a “dominant, right-wing, conservative wing”. Mpofu is quoted in the Sunday Times article as saying that examples of these were “ people of the ilk of Anton Harber and Raymond Louw”. Sunday Times editor, Mondli Makhanya, was also described by Mpofu as a “fellow traveler” and “a delinquent”. He didn’t call them lapdogs though…
And to top it all off the ANC accused the media of operating an ideological offensive against it with the key objective being “the promotion of market fundamentalism to retain the old apartheid economic and social relations”. (ANC wants media to be controlled, Sunday Times, 2 September 2007).
An ANC report, emanating from the ANC policy conference in July, is reportedly calling for an investigation into the adequacy of media self-regulation, whether remedial action needs to be taken to protect the constitutional right to dignity and privacy, and the need for a media tribunal. The report has been forwarded to party branches for discussion before the ANC national conference in 2006.
Looks like delegates at the ANC national conference are going to be debating some hot topics. Hopefully democracy, media freedom and the South African people benefit from the decisions that will be made.
Re: “ANC WANTS MEDIA TO BE CONTROLLED” Sunday Times 2 Sept 2007.
The ANC can comfort themselves our press don’t get up to the tricks alleged by Daphne Moon, a character from the comedy “Frasier”
“My uncle was a political writer for one of those London tabloids. I can still remember his biggest scoop.
The headline read, ‘High Ranking Politician Caught Wearing Women’s clothing’.
Of course you turned to page two and you found out it was Margaret Thatcher, but by then you’d bought the paper.”
(From Great British Wit compiled by Rosemarie Jarski)
on the subject of great British wit, there was a British headline when Michael Foot was whatever he was in the cabinet – something along the lines of ‘Foot heads arms joint’ nah, it wasn’t that, maybe someone else may remember?
Apropos ANC WANTS MEDIA TO BE CONTROLLED”
how about Dali Mpofu’s comment that Sanef’s insistence on the public’s right to know whether our minister of health is or is not an alcoholic – according to Mpofu, this represents ‘foreign, frigid and feelingless freedoms’. What a sad and frightening prospect for press freedom. nice alliteration, tho’.
Hi Clare
Very interesting blog…
cheers