Parties slam former SABC boss
END DIRTY TRICKS, SAY OPPOSITION
OPPOSITION parties are calling on the SABC to explain itself on its decision to ban coverage on their activities.
This came after former acting CEO Jimi Matthews revealed a decision was taken that there should be a minimum coverage of the EFF.
Yesterday, EFF leader Julius Malema said he hoped that Matthews’ revelation would make journalists across the board (print and broadcasting) respect the media ethics.
“I hope people will also realise we never lie, we do not exaggerate things. We marched to the SABC about coverage.
“Jimi was part of the problem [and] instructed journalists not to cover us,” Malema said.
Cope said it would only accept Matthews’ apology if he made a full and unfettered disclosure of how he and his colleagues plotted to kill off Cope by denying its leader Mosiuoa Lekota coverage after he resigned from the ANC.
“Doing the same to destroy the EFF is the second part of the story. He and Hlaudi Motsoeneng were part of the dirty work [that] started in 2008.
“Let 2016 be the end of SABC dirty tricks, conspiracy and censorship,” Cope said.
Cope added that Matthews blotted his copybook by being part of those who conspired to turn the public broadcaster into an instrument of propaganda for the ruling party.
Meanwhile, DA spokeswoman Phumzile van Damme was unhappy that the ANC’s Cedric Frolick, Parliament’s chair of chairs, declined the party’s request for an Unusual Meeting of the portfolio committee of communications on the SABC.
The official opposition party requested a meeting in terms of National Assembly Rule 223 to have the SABC board, Motsoeneneg and Communications Minister Faith Muthambi appear in Parliament to answer for the chaos at the public broadcaster.
“It is now clear for all to see that the ANC is not serious at all about restoring the credibility of the public broadcaster, and the claim of commitment to investigate is merely a ploy to pull the wool over the eyes of the public and South Africa’s media fraternity.”