SABC won't hear no evil

THE SABC canned the Metro FM discussion of media coverage of the "road to Mangaung" because the ANC was not represented, the broadcaster's management said yesterday.

Acting chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng swatted away accusations of political interference and censorship, saying the show, which was to have been hosted by Sakina Kamwendo and to have featured three external political journalists, would have been "unbalanced".

He disagreed that the ANC did not need to be involved in the discussion.

SABC spokesman Kaizer Kganyago, in trying to make a point at a press conference, read the SABC's editorial policy to invited journalists yesterday.

He refused to say whether the "culprit" who had not followed the policy would be disciplined.

Just last month the public broadcaster resolved its five-year battle with the Freedom of Expression Institute over its alleged blacklisting of commentators in the lead-up the ANC's 2007 elective conference in Polokwane.

How Motsoeneng, Kganyago and group executive for radio Leslie Ntloko, explained the MetroFM situation yesterday:

• On why the decision to call off the discussion was taken at the 11th hour, Motsoeneng lashed out at a journalist: "My brother, I think where you work you have regulations and you respect those regulations and, in this case, you need to respect the SABC editorial policy. You have the right to ask any questions that you ask.

"You, it seems as if you know better than us within SABC."

• Ntloko: "In terms of that, once proper processes are followed, as we said earlier, we will be able to continue with the interview [of the political journalists]. And the issue that we raised is that proper processes were not followed that support our SABC editorial policy, and as custodians of that we have to ensure that process happens."

• On political interference, Motsoeneng said: "I will never allow any politician to influence any issues what [sic] is happening at the SABC, so they don't talk to us. We're here to lead SABC so we don't allow other people to make a call and then we take a decision because they are talking to us. No one did call us."

• Kganyago: "I want to emphasise that the decision has got nothing to do with the individuals concerned. I could read during the day: 'Ja, you want to ban us'. It's not about them. It's about what they're talking about . [There are] clear policies that we have in this organisation and that is what guided the decision that was taken.

"If tomorrow the same group of people or any others come, and there is balance, and the other group is also there, the show will go on as planned."