SABC is ‘not a state broadcaster’, says Muthambi

Pretoria - Despite coming under fire for banning footage of violent protests, Communications Minister Faith Muthambi says the SABC is still ‘democratic’.

Controversy has dogged the SABC this year as the broadcaster’s controversial COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng implemented a ban on protest footage prior to this year’s elections.

Motsoeneng’s move sparked concerns of growing censorship at the SABC as several civil society bodies and other media outlets launched protests against the broadcaster.

The crisis at the SABC deepened when its former acting CEO Jimi Matthews quit. The SABC also fired several journalists who challenged its protest ban - only for the broadcaster to be forced by the Johannesburg Labour Court to reverse this decision.

But regardless of these problems, Communications Minister Faith Muthambi - on the sidelines of a Print Media Transformation Colloquium in Tshwane on Thursday - defended the SABC.

"They [SABC] are not a state broadcaster,” Muthambi told Fin24.

“You see the Broadcasting Act, when it was enacted in 1999, was solely to deal with that. It's not an apartheid SABC now.

“This is a democratic SABC and also has to comply with the provision of Section 16, the Constitution,” said Muthambi as she referred to a clause that deals with the right to freedom of expression.

'Propaganda for war'

Muthambi’s latest comments on the SABC come after she appeared before Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Communications on Tuesday to account for the state of affairs at the SABC.

At the briefing, Muthambi said that the decision not to air violent protests was in line with the Constitution, which places limits on the freedom of expression.

“Freedom of expression doesn’t extend to the propaganda of war,” Muthambi said.

Muthambi further said at the briefing that the SABC has the power to limit freedom of expression where it contravenes legislation, which includes limiting the screening of violence.

Prior to Tuesday’s briefing, Muthambi also distanced herself from the woes at the SABC.

In a statement on Monday, the minister said her office had decided not to pursue an interventionist stance ahead of Parliament’s portfolio committee meeting on the SABC.

Muthambi's comments on the SABC further came after reports emerged that staff at the broadcaster have been instructed to obtain her sign-off for international trip approvals.