Presidency denies it summoned SABC staffers to Union Buildings

The Presidency and the SABC have rubbished a statement by the Democratic Alliance claiming that SABC staffers had been summoned to the presidency.

The DA claimed that the meeting was said to be taking place on Monday afternoon at the office of Presidency spokesperson Dr Bongani Ngqulunga.

“This summoning of SABC staff by the Presidency is highly irregular and‚ frankly‚ quite suspicious‚” DA MP Phumzile Van Damme said.

However‚ Ngqulunga denied that he had summoned the SABC staffers.

“The allegations that President Zuma summoned the SABC team to the Union Buildings today 2 October are a fabrication and are totally untrue.

“The Presidency communications team had a short meeting with two SABC journalists today as part of a routine engagement with journalists to discuss operational issues and working relations‚” Ngqulunga said.

He said he and other communicators meet with and talk to journalists regularly as part of their work.

“There was nothing suspicious or sinister about the interaction with the SABC. We have similar interactions with journalists from other news organisations and we will continue to do so‚” Ngqulunga said‚ adding that the meeting was initiated by the SABC.

SABC spokesman Kaizer Kganyago also described the DA’s allegation as “ridiculous”.

“We have stakeholders. We meet stakeholders from time to time. There was nothing sinister about that‚” Kganyago said.