SANEF shocked by SABC suspensions

24 June 2016

The South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) is shocked by the suspension of three senior SABC journalists.

Economics Editor Thandeka Gqubule, RSG executive producer Foeta Krige and senior journalist Suna Venter have been suspended for disagreeing with an instruction during a diary conference not to cover the Right2Know (R2K) campaign’s protest against censorship at the public broadcaster.

On Monday R2K led protests against SABC management in Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg, petitioning the ban on protest coverage and new editorial policies that give the COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng the final say on editorial decisions.

Sanef urges the SABC to immediately lift the suspensions of these journalists. Journalists in a constitutional democracy have a right to express themselves freely.

Sanef will write to the SABC to insist that it must respect the rights to freedom of thought and expression of journalists.

Issued by Mpumelelo Mkhabela, SANEF Chairman, 24 June 2016