Free at Last...or Not

The South African Broadcasting Corporation has refused to air a controversial Freedom Day advert by the Sowetan.

Last year an SABC commission of enquiry concluded that our public broadcaster was blacklisting opinions that are contrary to those held by the ruling South African party (ANC).

The commission placed almost all of the blame on SABC news and current affairs editor, Dr Snuki Zikalala.

The SABC pretended to take the commission seriously but Zikalala got away with a tepid verbal warning.

Today, on Freedom Day in South Africa, we continue to feel the effects of how the ANC uses the SABC as their mouthpiece.

News24 reports

Johannesburg - The SABC has refused to broadcast the Sowetan's Freedom Day campaign, based on "three opinions" that "it borders on hate speech". SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said the opinions came from the broadcaster's policy and regulation department. The week-long campaign parodies the speech by civil rights leader Martin Luther King jnr, and includes the line "I have a dream that one day farmers shall be brutally murdered and workers thrown into a lions den". The punch line is: "What have you done with your freedom, South Africa? Don't let it go to waste, cherish it." Bongani Keswa, publisher of Sowetan and Sunday World, said the SABC was the only broadcaster that had refused to run the campaign.

You can listen to the ad here: http://www.sowetan.co.za/multimedia/audio/radioadvert.mp3

The Advert:

"I still have a dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up against each other and erupt into an oasis of crime, grime and home to racial attacks and injustice. "I have a dream that my children will be repeatedly raped, sodomised and left to fend for themselves long after HIV and Aids have taken me away. "I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day farmers shall be brutally murdered and workers thrown into a lions' den. "Let chaos ring from the streets of South Africa - and when this happens we will all join hands and sing: 'Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!' "What have you done with your freedom South Africa? "Don't let it go to waste, cherish it. "This Freedom Day message sadly brought to you by Sowetan - the soul truth."

The ANC in general and president Mbeki in particular maintain that it is only white whingers that complain and exaggerate about the intolerable crime plaguing this country. But this ad campaign is being run by the Sowetan – South Africa’s premier Black run (and read) newspaper.

Comments

[Mike]

I wonder what the SAHRC’s position would be on the ad? 10 bucks says they rule its hate speech.

[THE DICTATOR / EMBITTERED CORRESPONDENT]

Mike,
I wonder whether Jane Duncan of The FXI will now rage in The M&G about the appalling way that The Sowetan has been treated by The SABC. Perhaps, "double standards" has infected The FXI so badly that Jane Duncan will remain silent fearing that she may upset The ANC if she speaks out?
However, I hope that this comment, which I have also sent to The FXI, will spur her into action.The FXI must now tell the ANC dominated SABC board to immediately "SACK SNUKI !" So far The FXI has been reluctant to shout this message loud and clear and has failed to persuade the rest of the media to support their ineffective SABC campaign.

[mike]

Anthony, 'Sack Snuki' has a nice ring to it. Maybe the FXI should employ you to run their campaigns.

[Steve]

I think he already has the T-shirt