About 50 activists and journalists picketed outside the South African Broadcasting Corporation’s (SABC) offices in Auckland Park offices in Johannesburg on Friday morning against perceived censorship by the public broadcaster.
The picket follows the sudden resignation of acting chief executive officer of SABC Jimi Matthews on Monday‚ citing a “corrosive” atmosphere at the broadcaster.
His resignation also follows the suspension of three senior SABC journalists — Thandeka Gqubule‚ Foeta Krige and Suna Venter — last week for defying SABC chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng’s orders not to cover an anti-censorship march at its offices.
The three were supposed to attend a disciplinary hearing on Friday morning on misconduct charges.
Trade union Solidarity indicated on Thursday it would seek a postponement for two of its members: Krige and Venter
While this was supposed to be a silent picket‚ the journalists chanted a number of slogans‚ including. “The SABC belongs to the people“‚ “Journalism is not a crime“‚ “No to censorship“‚ “SABC belongs to all of us“‚ “Reinstate them“‚ “We support our colleagues” and “Show us everything“.
‘The SABC belongs to the people‚’ protesters tell public broadcaster
The picket follows the sudden resignation of acting chief executive officer of SABC Jimi Matthews on Monday‚ citing a “corrosive” atmosphere at the broadcaster.
His resignation also follows the suspension of three senior SABC journalists — Thandeka Gqubule‚ Foeta Krige and Suna Venter — last week for defying SABC chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng’s orders not to cover an anti-censorship march at its offices.
The three were supposed to attend a disciplinary hearing on Friday morning on misconduct charges.
Trade union Solidarity indicated on Thursday it would seek a postponement for two of its members: Krige and Venter
While this was supposed to be a silent picket‚ the journalists chanted a number of slogans‚ including. “The SABC belongs to the people“‚ “Journalism is not a crime“‚ “No to censorship“‚ “SABC belongs to all of us“‚ “Reinstate them“‚ “We support our colleagues” and “Show us everything“.
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