DA: 1 SABC: 0

It's back on air today.

For more:

• SABC: DA ad back on air Thursday... The Democratic Alliance's "Ayisafani" TV advert and five radio advertisements will be back on the air today after Icasa's Complaints and Compliance Committee ruled in the DA's favour. The SABC had pulled the ads citing them inciting violence".

  Watch the TV ad here

• Mail & Guardian: Hlaudi reins in SABC's leak brigade... according to the Mail & Guardian report, "the broadcaster's acting boss Hlaudi Motsoeneng is said to have thrown all the toys out of his temporary cot". This apparently happened after news head Jimi Matthews tried to adjourn a meeting at which Hlaudi "Matric? What Matric?" Motsoeneng had warned news staff that they would be in hot water if they leaked anything more about what goes on at the public broadcaster. What seems to have raised his ire is a leak regarding senior SABC journalists drawing up a resolution at a recent workshop in Kempton Park, at which they rejected direct or indirect interference by any political party in their editorial decisions. "Motsoeneng was apparently particularly upset that this resolution had been leaked to the media," reports Mail & Guardian.
  

  Motsoeneng in a happier mood. (Image: SABC)

  What is reported to have landed Jimi Matthews on the wrong side of Motsoeneng is that fact that he tried to close the meeting and "according to broadcasting sources, apparently said it was 'nonsensical' to try to stem the leaks".
  Matric-less Motsoeneng was apparently furious, gave Matthews a dressing down in front of the staff - telling him he had no "authority to close the meeting, and later ordered him to his office to discuss the matter", according to the report.

  Mail & Guardian reports that "this is the latest round in a battle between the SABC's ANC loyalists and the news team who are fighting to preserve their editorial independence and integrity, and resisting political interference in their work in the run-up to the general election."

  It is heartening that there are still people with integrity at the national broadcaster.
  

• Mail & Guardian: SABC political bias will backfire... An opinion piece in Mail & Guardian suggests that while the SABC has men and women of integrity who "just want to practise professional, ethical journalism ... their efforts are hindered by those on the board and in management who see the SABC as a mouthpiece of the ruling party."

  In the opinion of the writer, some board members and some in management "don't see their role as a buffer between politicians and journalists, or the protectors of the latter. They see their role as cheerleaders of the ruling party."

  And that's a mistake.