FF Plus welcomes ICASA ruling reigning Hlaudi in
11 July 2016
The Freedom Front Plus welcomes the decision of the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) that the SABC’s decision to censor news reporting on violence or protests should be recalled, Dr. Pieter Mulder, leader of the FF Plus says
Dr. Mulder says this decision is the first concrete step in the containment and eventual firing of the SABC boss, Hlaudi Motsoeneng. After all the damage he has done, there is a huge question mark whether the SABC will ever regain its news credibility.
“It remains inexplicable why Mr. Motsoeneng as SABC chief, but also president Jacob Zuma and various other ministers became arrogant and drunk with power within a short period of their appointment to their positions.
“They then ignore all advice and with great confidence take wrong decisions which cause a lot of damage to South Africa and many people are affected by these decisions. It takes a drawn out process driven by opposition parties such as the FF Plus and civic organisations to prove them wrong and then have the wrong decisions reversed.
“In the case of president Zuma, it started with the Nene-firing and the Nkandla overspending. President Zuma then had to appoint Pravin Gordhan and was forced by the Constitutional Court to pay back some money for Nkandla.
“Someone such as Malusi Gigaba, minister of home affairs, first caused great damage to the tourism industry before he was forced to recall his wrong decisions about the visa regulations.
“Now the SABC boss has with great bravado made all kinds of announcements about news censorship just to be ordered by ICASA to reverse his wrong decisions. The unnecessary damage to the credibility of the SABC as well as to the careers of various journalists cannot be calculated.
“Hopefully it will lead to the threats of suspension and disciplinary hearings against SABC journalists being withdrawn as their views on news censorship have been proven to be right,” Dr. Mulder said.
Issued by Pieter Mulder, FF Plus Leader, 11 July 2016
