SABC journalist’s victory; SABC’s leaders should be held personally liable

26 July 2016

The victory of the SABC’s journalists in the Labour Court is a huge victory for reasonableness, fairness, constitutionality and freedom of speech. All qualities without which a normal democracy cannot be called a democracy, Dr. Pieter Mulder, FF Plus Leader said.

Dr. Mulder says the victory hopefully sends a message to all the leaders of the SABC, but also to the ANC, that abuse of power, unreasonableness and censorship will not be tolerated in the long term.

“The question is now whether the SABC leaders will be taking the case further with licensing fees from the public. Because all South Africans with a television are forced to pay license fees to the SABC, regardless whether a person ever watches or listens to SABC broadcasts, it means that the broadcaster belongs to everyone and not just the SABC leaders.

“It will be a waste of public funds by the SABC to take this case against the four journalists further. If it should happen, the FF Plus will again ask that the Companies Act and other regulations are used to ensure that those SABC leaders are held personally liable for the current unnecessary legal fees as well as for future wasted expenditure.

“Following a letter and request, from the FF Plus, amongst others, the parliamentary portfolio committee on communications which is responsible for the SABC, the committee will be meeting on 23 August to discuss the current situation at the SABC. The responsible minister has been requested to be present at the meeting. Hopefully, decisions can be taken which will end the current poor management of the SABC.

“Organisations such as Solidarity, as well as journalists and other civilian organisations which assisted the relevant SABC journalists, should be thanked by the public for their work,” Dr. Mulder said.

Issued by Pieter Mulder, FF Plus Leader, 26 July 2016