Zikalala Must Go

I have now read the 78 page South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) commission of enquiry into blacklisting.

Previously at IAS: SABC Blacklisting Scandal; Outrageous Bias at SABC

The report is a damning revelation of how the public broadcaster has blacklisted opinions that are contrary to those held by the ruling South African party (ANC).

All problems highlighted in the report are directed specifically against Dr. Snuki Zikalala, the MD for News and Current Affairs. His authoritarian management style and politically motivated decision making has cast shame upon the public broadcaster.

Some interesting names are on the blacklist. The name that we have focused on for obvious reasons is that of Paula Slier who was blacklisted because Dr. Zikalala didn’t want a “white Jewish girl” reporting on the Middle East. Other names include Moeletsi Mbeki, the brother of President Thabo Mbeki, for his critical views regarding the governments accommodating stance towards Zimbabwe.

Dr. Zikalala is on record for banning other journalists from the SABC for always “bashing” Zimbabwe. Zikalala’s support for the oppressive Mugabe regime squares aptly with his nakedly revealed anti-Israel and anti-Jewish (he calls the Middle East conflict a “Jewish war”) biases.

Unfortunately the report recommendations stop short of its logical conclusion. The recommendations are general and fluffy, such as the recommendation for the development of “elaborated guideline policies” etc.

Although highlighting the central role occupied by Dr Zikalala in this saga, the commission made no recommendations towards his dismissal.

The South African Broadcasting Act places many obligations upon the SABC. The preamble to the act acknowledges that the SABC is owned and controlled by South Africans. The act promises that the SABC will provide news and public affairs programming which is fair and unbiased, impartial, balanced and independent from government interests.

The SABC code of conduct explicitly states that the SABC is not the mouthpiece of the government of the day.

Under Dr. Zikalala the SABC has failed miserably in fulfilling these promises and as the Act recognises it to be owned by South Africans I feel it is our duty to campaign for the immediate dismissal of Dr. Zikalala.

Dr. Zikalala had his chance to defend himself to the commission. He dispensed his special brand of wisdom by using shapeshifting and contradictory arguments which did more to incriminate than to defend. He defended himself in a typically arrogant fashion, knowing he can get away with it.

For us the most significant consequence of this commission is the confirmation of a long held contention of anti-Israel bias at the SABC. Dr. Snuki Zikalala refused to allow the use of reports from award winning journalist Paula Slier because she is Jewish and the conflict is a “Jewish war”. He challenged her impartiality on the basis of her support for a two state solution which he described as “very, very negative towards us.” But worst of all, he openly admitted the political motivation behind his decision “From the movement where I come from we support PLO.”

This week we conducted a Q & A with Paula Slier. We thank her for her cooperation and thoughtful attitude with which she responded to our questions.

We have broken the Q & A into 3 parts.

Q & A with Paula Slier – Part 1: Slier on Zikalala
Q & A with Paula Slier – Part 2: The Blacklisting Commission
Q & A with Paula Slier – New! Part 3: Slier on Objective reporting

Comments

[Joel Pollak]

Thank you very much for the Q&A with Paula Slier.

I am currently at a public meeting at Harvard featuring a UK lawyer, David Machover, who tried to have Doron Almog arrested for "war crimes." I calmly demolished his arguments and he started shouting "Security!" The one human right these people cannot tolerate is the freedom of speech.

Good job to Paula. The Zikalalas of the world are no match.

[Derikboy]

Man, that's some "Red Alert" stuff, where can I get a Visa for Australia?

[Steve]

Thanks Joel. We do wish there were more people like you in South Africa.

[Gill]

The sad thing is I remember Snuki when he was a reporter like Paula is. He was an extremely adept journalist and a very decent man to chat to.

Power has gone to his head, so it seems.

Excellent interview Steve!

[Andrew Mainz]

I beleive this nasty person without any management knowledge and business acumen has without a shadow of a doubt cast South Africa back into the Apartheid are when all news was sensored and STATE controlled.
He has said on record that his views are consistent with his party the wonderful dictatorial ANC. If you disagree or your views are fair and balanced irrespective of the topic, he deems it his obligation to ban you and or the topic. Zim is a pandemic situation that Mbeki has fueled by allowing that monster to destroy the Bread basket of the region.

Paula will be heard and not silenced by a bigot, a racist and a rivolting Anti Semite.
Openly supporting the PLO is taking sides and not being impartial and balanced.

Snuki boy...go to hell!!!