Africa-Press – South-Africa. The SABC dismissed allegations by the former head of news, Phathiswa Magopeni, that the board chairperson, Bongumusa Makhathini, interfered in editorial matters.
On Friday, the SABC, in a statement, said it found Magopeni’s allegations against Makhathini were “unsubstantiated”.
Last November, Magopeni was charged with misconduct after an interdicted Special Assignment episode was erroneously aired.
A disciplinary hearing – headed by advocate Nazeer Cassim – found her guilty.
Magopeni claimed that political interference underpinned the charges against her.
She was fired, and indicated that she would challenge her dismissal at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA).
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Around the same time, Magopeni laid a complaint with the SABC, in which she accused Makhathini of editorial interference.
This related to a phone call Makhathini apparently made to her about an interview with President Cyril Ramaphosa. Another complaint was with regard to the coverage of the Zulu Royal Family feud, after the death of King Goodwill Zwelithini last year.
She claimed that, on both occasions, Makhathini wanted to interfere with how the news department reported.
Makhathini denied this.
On Friday, the broadcaster’s spokesperson, Gugu Ntuli, said the board had adopted the report, which found Magopeni’s allegations were unsubstantiated.
Ntuli said the report found nothing to indicate that Magopeni’s power to make final editorial decisions was threatened, usurped or compromised.
It also concluded that Makhathini’s actions did not constitute misconduct.
Ntuli said the report included confidential matters because the case had generated public interest, but the SABC needed to publish its recommendations.
The report recommended that all SABC Board members should be cautioned about engaging with SABC News staff on editorial issues.
“If it is necessary for a board member to engage with SABC employees, such engagement should be done transparently and with the knowledge of the SABC Board.”
The report said the broadcaster needed to consider developing a clear policy on how board members should engage with SABC News with regard to editorial matters outside formal SABC processes.
“This will assist in ensuring that engagements between a board member (regardless of the capacity in which the engagement is made) and SABC journalists and editors in matters that are editorial in nature are not per se regarded as interference or breach of the editorial policy. Notwithstanding the aforegoing, SABC News editors and journalists need to strictly apply the SABC Editorial Policy regardless of who is involved.”
Phathiswa Magopeni insists there was political interference, ‘bullying’ at SABC news
The last recommendation was that news staff be reminded of their obligations in terms of the editorial policy and be encouraged to report any breach of the policy.
The report said the allegations against Makhathini couldn’t be compared to what happened when there was a Commission of Inquiry, led by Joe Thloloe, into interference at the SABC.
The inquiry was established after irregularities were identified by the Public Protector, an ad-hoc committee of Parliament and complaints lodged with the Independent Communications Authority of SA.
Thloloe’s report, which was released in 2019, found there was a lot of interference by executives, board members and some politicians in editorial matters.
Ntuli said: “During that period between 2012–2017, the SABC Newsroom took instructions and succumbed to instructions from those who had no authority in regard to editorial decisions because of threats of dismissal. The Special Committee was not furnished with any information showing that the chairperson threatened or even bullied the former GE. The Special Committee found that, if anything, the former GE and chairperson enjoyed a cordial relationship.”
She said both Makhathini and Magopeni had been given a copy of the report.
“The SABC Board considers the matter closed.”
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