Lekala seeks clarity on BBC's 'Gay Marriage' gaffe

28 March 2013 - 03:40 By MHLABUNZIMA MEMELA
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Chief harbour master Rufus Lekala. File photo
Chief harbour master Rufus Lekala. File photo

At first, Transnet chief harbour master Rufus Lekala laughed it off as an error.

But now he wants the BBC to apologise and explain how his name came up as "Gay Marriage" during an interview that was broadcast to more than 71 million viewers worldwide this week.

On Tuesday, on-screen graphics on BBC World News identified Lekala as "Gay Marriage" as he spoke about the Brics summit in Durban.

That prompted viewers to post screen shots of their televisions on social networks.

The pictures were also circulated via e-mail.

"We understood that it was a mistake. But we have asked [the] BBC to explain how this happened. We want them to get the facts correct. We think it's a similar mistake that often happens [with] other media houses. But they apologise after [being] alerted about the error," Transnet spokeswoman Lunga Ngcobo said yesterday.

News bulletins around the world on Tuesday were dominated by the debate on gay marriages in the US.

It is believed the graphics for that story were erroneously paired with Lekala's interview.

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