Cyril, e.tv prayers are answered

A news report about a speech by ANC deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa to Afrikaners at a gospel festival has created a brouhaha for e.tv.

The Broadcasting Complaints Commission ruled in favour of the television channel this week. Klerksdorp architect Marius Smith had complained to it about the insert, aired in November.

It showed Ramaphosa speaking to Afrikaners at a music and prayer meeting in Kempton Park, on the East Rand. Members of the audience were seen to be praying.

Smith, 47, claimed footage was inserted to give the impression that the group was praying for Ramaphosa. He said that the group shown was attending a church rally, not the Ramaphosa meeting.

But the commission found that the group was, in fact, that addressed by Ramaphosa.

Yesterday, Smith said the commission had misunderstood his complaint, and he had not claimed that two different groups were involved.

"It was portrayed as if the audience were agreeing with what Mr Ramaphosa was saying. For me, it was a misrepresentation of the response of the audience," he said.

Smith said he was not planning to appeal.