SABC 'regrets' ANCYL's outburst over Zuma story

"We have noted with regret a statement issued by the ANC Youth League today [Monday]," SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said last night, Monday, 13 September 2010.

"Insinuates"

"The statement insinuates that the SABC said ANCYL President Julius Malema was referring to the President of South Africa, Mr Jacob Zuma, in his address to the ANCYL's 66th Anniversary rally in the Free State yesterday," he added.

The trouble began on Sunday evening when Malema was quoted by SABC TV news as saying: "A leader must have one wife or one husband. Failing to have one wife or one husband, if you are still young, you must have one boyfriend or one girlfriend. It is not fashionable to sleep around. You will die."

But Kganyago said: "After carefully going through all the clips, both radio and TV, we can clearly say that there is not any part of the story where we suggest that Mr Malema was making any reference to the President of the country."

Packaged in a manner

He pointed out that the story was packaged in a manner that captures the main political events of the day.

"Hence there is a part where SACP secretary general Blade Nzimande is featured talking about the attacks on President Jacob Zuma," he said, adding that the public broadcaster would welcome an engagement with the young lions to get to the bottom of this issue.

The 'government-controlled' public broadcaster repeatedly claims to always seek balance and objectivity when presenting relevant views on matters of importance. However, some critics disagree, saying the Auckland Park-based institution's news reports and current affairs programmes lack balance and fairness, and are biased towards the ANC as they more often fail to present a critical and investigative view of the ruling party's policies.

"Not used to promote factional political interests"

COSATU spokesperson Patrick Craven said last week: "It is even more important to make sure that the SABC is not used to promote factional political interests.

"This was the issue that led to the first big crisis with the former permanent board, around the blacklisting scandal and other occasions when the SABC was clearly being manipulated to promote the interests of the then government."