Declaring a dispute with Multichoice
3 June 2019
Dear Mr Joe Heshu
Group Executive: Corporative Affairs
MultiChoice
As you know, AfriForum is a non-governmental and civil rights organisation operating within South Africa with a particular emphasis on protecting the rights of minority communities. AfriForum currently consists of more than 220 000 individual members, making us the largest civil rights group not only in South Africa, but on the African continent. We are also aware that a significant proportion of our members are customers of MultiChoice.
The purpose of this letter is to formally declare a dispute with MultiChoice regarding the inconsistent application of its so-called “political policy” (a term on which you were quoted in the media). As you know, MultiChoice recently announced that the company has a political policy according to which people who make divisive comments should effectively be banned from MultiChoice’s channels. This was announced particularly regarding one individual, namely Steve Hofmeyr. It was announced that MultiChoice has given instruction that no content that includes Hofmeyr will be carried on any of MultiChoice’s platforms.
Given that MultiChoice is a private company, it is well within its rights to develop a political policy and to implement it. This is not AfriForum’s concern. Our concern is that this policy is implemented in an inconsistent and discriminatory fashion. Customers and potential customers also have the right to demand that the policy be executed consistently and without discrimination.
As you are surely aware, there are many artists and musicians out there that have made comments that could be regarded as divisive, not counting political parties.
The artist Ntsiki Mazwai regularly publishes racist and inciting comments against minorities on social media, yet she was recently appointed as presenter of the chat programme Show me Love, which is broadcast on Moja Love (DStv channel 157).
- On 6 November 2017 Mazwai tweeted: “With all the whites assaulting blacks..does it make it fairground to go on a white beating spree? Beat them bonke man, woman or child?” (sic).
- On 18 February 2018 Mazwai tweeted: “There is no such thing as White Excellence…only thing whites are excellent at is stealing and copying”.
- On 1 February 2019, referring to the tragic incident in which children of Hoërskool Driehoek died when a bridge collapsed, Mazwai tweeted: “guys it’s an afriforum school….” (sic).
- On 20 March 2019 Mazwai tweeted: “When you learn the history of Afrika…….and it’s indigenous people. The people who actually BELONG here . You know In other African countries whites were escorted to the their ships. One day that’s gonna happen here too” (sic).
- Later on the same day, Mazwai tweeted: “Don’t ever forget: WHITES LIE!!!!”.
To argue that the ban shouldn’t be extended to Mazwai because she is a host on Moja Love, which is not a MultiChoice channel (as you have done) is myopic and beside the point, as Hofmeyr is also not a host on any MultiChoice channels. If a public announcement is made that Hofmeyr should effectively be banned based on his social media comments, then a consistent application of this decision would also include Mazwai and a long list of other artists.
The consistent application of MultiChoice’s policy would also mean that the company would not be involved in any further sponsorships of political parties making divisive statements. This includes the ANC. In this regard we can refer to Deputy President David Mabuza’s threat that there would be a violent take-over if white people do not voluntarily give their property to black people, as well as the allegation by the ANC Secretary General, Ace Magashule, that white people were the descendants of colonists who stole “our” (black people’s) wealth. Not to even mention the public comments made by the leadership of the EFF.
It is within this context that AfriForum has declared a dispute with MultiChoice. Our demand in terms of the dispute is that the company’s political policy either be revised or applied consistently.
I am looking forward to hearing from you.
Kind regards
Ernst Roets
Deputy CEO
AfriForum
