Q & A with Paula Slier - Part 2: The Blacklisting Commission

Continuing the discussion with award winning journalist Paula Slier whose reporting from the Middle East was banned by the SABC. For the background to this interview click onto Zikalala Must Go.

IAS: Who made the “white Jewish girl comments?” Were they made to your face?

Paula Slier: I cannot give you the name of the person who claimed that Dr Zikalala had decided to stop using me because I was a “white Jewish girl” because it was told to me in confidence. But I can assure you it was told to me by someone high in the SABC hierarchy, first via telephone when I was still in Ramallah and later to my face (by the same person) when I was back in South Africa. I was certainly not surprised - it was something I’d suspected and sensed all along – it was just infuriating that I couldn’t do anything with the information. The person’s job would have been in jeopardy if I’d gone public and s/he asked me not to. It is now almost a relief to have it finally in the public eye. Legally, the remark falls under the title of “hearsay” which is problematic, although when I mentioned it to a retired judge he wanted to take the matter up.

IAS: How deep do you think the problems at the SABC go?

Paula Slier: The problems at the SABC do run deep. The main issue now with regards to Dr Zikalala is his autocratic management style. Professionalism and integrity are last on the list. Those who curry favour are those who toe the Zikalala line.

There are many pointless turf wars going on inside the public broadcaster and a lot of money is being wasted on often useless departments. News coverage goes overboard on government events, opinions and interests that are literally shoved down people’s throats. I’m told by those who work in the news department now that if your story doesn’t have a government minister in it, it doesn’t have much chance of going on air.

The sad irony is that South Africa has one of the most liberal constitutions in the world and yet we seem to be going backwards – there is talk about growing conformism and even the creation of a culture of censorship. This is extremely worrying.

IAS: What future for Zikalala? On Thursday Mpofu stated that the SABC has full confidence in Zikalala and his staff meaning that he will not lose his job or face serious sanction. Is this then the best SA can expect?

Paula Slier: It would be a very sad reality if Dali Mpofu does not take decisive action resulting in either Zikalala losing his job or facing serious sanction. Mpofu contradicted himself by saying “heads will roll” and then later stating he has “full confidence” in Zikalala.

I hope it doesn’t end with the SABC board assuring the world that Zikalala has been “reprimanded” (or words to that effect) while giving him the green light to continue. It would certainly be the most supreme irony if a commission appointed by the SABC to look into backlisting then censored its own results and took no recommendations.

I fear there will be an attempt at a whitewash. What’s also worrying is that should the commission’s findings be ignored, there will not be many South Africans who will be that surprised. This too is a sad reflection on how little faith South Africans currently hold in their public broadcaster and its responsibility to them. I hope there will be enough of an outcry that Zikalala will have to go.

The commission cannot have it both ways – it has a moral responsibility to do something.

IAS: The M&G reported that the commission was scathing about "arbitrary decision making, iron fist rule and the lack of editorial knowledge of the news and current affairs MD Snuki Zikalala". They also reported that there is a climate of fear in the newscaster’s boardroom. Have you ever experiences or witnessed other experiencing these situations?

Pauls Slier: When I worked under Zikalala there certainly was a climate of fear in the newsroom. I have it on good authority that it is the same today. But unfortunately very few – if any – SABC journalists will come forward and speak out for fear of losing their jobs. Zikalala does rule with an iron fist, people are scared to cross him and his management style involves controlling the newsroom like a dictator and dishing out work to his favourites – those who cower around him and who often pass on tittle-tattle in an effort to damn others and elevate themselves.

IAS: What does this mean for South Africa? Is this just the folly of one or two men (Zikalala and Mpofu) or do you think there is a real worry that the ANC is trying to use state organs as political tools?

Paula Slier: I don’t think that the ANC is trying to use state organs as political tools. But I do think that someone like Zikalala acts foolishly when he does not realize there is no need for him to push the party line; he in-fact does the government a disservice when he does so.

Our constitution upholds freedom of speech so even if Zikalala was to criticize the powers that be, he would have the constitution backing him up if he were to receive flak for it.

What’s more, the truth speaks for itself, so if the government has nothing to hide, there’s no need for the SABC to manipulate the news. Zikalala does the government, the SABC and South Africa’s hard-fought for freedoms a disservice by acting the way he does.

Comments

[Darren]

Awesome job guys, and great interview. You're pulling off some real journalism here while the rest of the media remains at a standstill.

I do have one stylistic quibble though, in that I don't think it's necessary to use bold lettering to emphasise phrases within Paula Slier's responses. While that approach works brilliantly when analysing articles or speeches and bringing out the most important phrases, it tends to jar slightly in an interview.

Oh yes, and the "Controversy - For Disengagement Cont'd: Bret Stephens" link in the pane on the right seems to be acting weirdly. I don't know if it's just my browser.

But that aside, keep up the great work guys, you're doing a brilliant job. So when is the interview with Thabo Mbeki going to be happening?...

[Katherine]

Very very interesting. Thanks for going the extra mile to get this interview, it is very enlightening. Blogs are the new news outlets!

[Steve]

Thanks guys,

Darren, thanks for the specific feedback. I try bold articles that are long to make them easier to scan because studies from the NN/g show that most people scan and dont read web pages.

But perhaps an interview is already broken up enough that it doesnt require the bolding. And yes I can see how it could confuse the eye with the question and answer style used. Thanks.

The link does seem broken. Its missing the http:// :-)

Try it again. It was a brilliant article at the time but its probably dated now. It was a huge thing at the time that Bret Stephens came out in support of the disengagement so openly. Caroline Glick wasn't happy.