SABC bans satire

The SABC widely punted the programme in the past week. It was to feature interviews with cartoonist Jonathan Shapiro, better known by his pen name “Zapiro”, ANC spokeswoman Jessie Duarte, and well-known satirist Pieter-Dirk Uys.

They were to discuss the state of political satire in South Africa. The question of whether South Africans were too reverential of their politicians was to be posed.

Promoting the programme, the SABC said that “with historic elections on the horizon, how South Africans talk about their politicians is more crucial than ever”.

It added that the programme, as well as looking at the history of political satire in South Africa, would focus on attempts to silence satirists through the courts.

ANC president Jacob Zuma is involved in a string of defamation lawsuits against South African media houses, Shapiro and a London newspaper, The Guardian.

SABC spokesman Kaizer Kganyago said yesterday that Special Assignment was pulled after the broadcaster's lawyers viewed the episode and said they were “worried” by its content.

“The legal team was not happy with some of the content. It was decided to pull the programme because the legal team need more time to study it,” said Kganyago.

He confirmed that the lawyers were worried that some of the content might be taken as defamatory, but did not say by whom or on what basis.

Shapiro told The Times he was informed of the decision to can the Special Assignment episode early yesterday afternoon.

“This is yet another example of the SABC stifling freedom of expression,” he said.

Known for his no-holds barred approach in taking on the leaders of the country, Shapiro said the SABC showed that it did not have the stomach to air programmes that might lead to debate and perhaps offend some people.

“The SABC is pathetic. There are some people who are trying to do good work, but many in the top hierarchy are spineless. It seems to me that some are trying to cover their backs,” he said.

He said he did not blame the producers of the programme for compiling the insert and understood they wanted to be “edgy” and “provocative”.

“Unfortunately, I understand there are some at the SABC who have major issues with the kind of satire I do. But they have little understanding of what a national broadcaster should do,” he said.

The Times believes that also at issue is the use of a controversial puppet show, Z-News, as an insert in the programme.

Z-News — modelled on British spoof TV series Spitting Image — features puppets based on Shapiro's caricatures. It was shelved in February by SABC bosses, who deemed the South African public not ready for such satire.

In one of the spoofs, the Zuma puppet, with a shower rose hanging over his head as in Shapiro's trademark depiction of the ANC president, is seen taking part in a mock version of the reality music show Idols.

The 30-minute pilot programme cost the public broadcaster R1-million to produce, but might never see light of day. The SABC owns the copyright for the pilot.

Jane Duncan, the executive director of the Freedom of Expression Institute, said the SABC seems to still want to protect certain politicians.

Saying she was disappointed at the decision, Duncan said: “Frankly, we are not going to get the leaders we deserve without them being subjected to public scrutiny.”

Referring to a documentary on former president Thabo Mbeki, in 2006, which was also pulled by the SABC, Duncan said it appeared that the broadcaster was now giving the same form of protection to Zuma.

“We now seriously have to ask if the SABC is robust enough to cover the election,” she added.

ANC spokeswoman Duarte expressed her surprise at the decision when told of it yesterday afternoon.

“I am surprised, especially after they advertised it.

“But we are in the middle of elections and this is not the most important thing on my mind right now,” she said. The episode was replaced with a re-run of a programme on drug abuse.

Source: The Times

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