(Translated by https://www.hiragana.jp/)
How a lone cameraman 'dented' SABC's credibility : Mail & Guardian Online
The Wayback Machine - https://web.archive.org/web/20050912184428/http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=248529&area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__national/
Mail&Guardian Online
  make this your homepage
= denotes premium content | sign in 
Monday, September 12, 2005 8:44 PM Africa's first online newspaper. First with the news.

SEARCH: M&G Online | The Web [ Advanced Search Options ] | enhanced by
Breaking News
Front Page
National
> Courts
> Crime
> Education
> Environment
> Government
> Health
> Media
> Politics
> General
> Transport
> Land & housing
> Foreign affairs
Africa
International
Business
Sport
And in other news
Week in pictures
Jacob Zuma focus
Oilgate uncovered
News Insight
National
Africa
International
Comment & Analysis
Business
Columnists
Converse
Ten Questions
Editorials
Monitor
Krisjan Lemmer
Body Language
FRASER'S RAZOR
Obituaries
Leisure
ARTS
Wheels & Deals
Tech
Escape
Regulars
Zapiro
Madam & Eve
NewsLetters
Blogmark
Forums
Notes & Queries
Letters
Archive Search
Corrections
Games
HIV/AIDS BAROMETER
Mobile Games
Partner Sites
The Media Online
The Teacher
Business in Africa
Earthyear
Find your match now!
I am a:
Looking for:
Age Range: to

Career search
Search South Africa's #1 job listings and career advice site.
Find me a job!

FIND

- A job
- A date
- An insurance quote
- Accommodation
- Old friends
- International flights
- Map search
- Business search

MOBILE SERVICES

- Mobile games
- News & Lotto SMS alerts
- Sport SMS alerts
- Weather SMS alerts

QUICK LINKS

- Today's weather
- Get your free blog
- Notes & Queries
- Online gambling

SERVICES

- Subscribe to M&G;
- Subscription queries
- Free news for your site
- Place an advert
National
How a lone cameraman 'dented' SABC's credibility
Moffet Mofokeng | Johannesburg, South Africa
19 August 2005 11:32
The South African Broadcasting Corporation apologised on Thursday for not showing Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka being booed at a rally in Utrecht in KwaZulu-Natal on Women's Day.

"The SABC apologises unreservedly to the public for not airing the footage," the public broadcaster said.

The SABC "further wishes to assure viewers that its editorial autonomy and integrity does not prevent it from airing negative footage even when it involves senior government officials," it said in a statement.

Mlambo-Ngcuka was booed off stage by angry fans of Jacob Zuma, the embattled deputy president of the African National Congress.

The SABC aired footage of the event but did not show the people shunning Mlambo-Ngcuka.

The SABC said a freelance cameraman, whose contract has since been terminated, could not get the pictures as he arrived late for the event.

"The SABC wishes to restate that the reason the booing of the deputy president on August 9 in KwaZulu-Natal was not covered was simply as a result of footage not being available.

"The reason for this is that the freelance cameraman contracted to cover the event reports that he simply arrived at the venue late, after the booing incident had already occurred, and resultantly missed the booing incident," the SABC said.

Rhoda Kadalie, a Business Day columnist, urged newly appointed SABC chief executive Dali Mpofu to "give us news, not propaganda".

"Now is the time, Mpofu, to show your true colours, and by that I do not mean the black, green and gold. Give us news, not propaganda," she wrote on Thursday.

Kadalie's column was littered with example of politically sensitive events which the SABC did not cover, for "deliberately" obvious reasons.

These included the Oilgate scandal, which the Mail & Guardian uncovered a few months ago.

In an interview on Metro FM on Thursday night, Snuki Zikalala, the managing director of SABC news, said the cameraman felt it was "irrelevant" to have pictures of people booing Mlambo-Ngcuka.

"According to him, he said he saw it [the booing] but felt that it was irrelevant. He is a camera person," he said on the Given Mkhari Show.

Zikalala's comments differ sharply with the SABC statement saying the cameraman arrived late for the event.

"We decided … we are not going to use that cameraman for anything because he has dented our credibility," he said in response to a caller who asked him about Kadalie's comments

Asked by show host Given Mkhari if he would have "loved" to have aired the pictures, Zikalala replied: "Of course."

Zikalala said it was "difficult to build our image again" after that incident.

On Kadalie, he said: "I don't know what's wrong with Rhoda Kadalie. I don't know where she grew up. If she was in the (United) States, she would have seen and noticed, especially on CNN, that wherever [President] George W Bush goes... the CNN is there.

"The same thing happens with [British Prime Minister] Tony Blair in London. Wherever Blair goes, he goes with the BBC crew.

"Whether Rhoda Kadalie likes it or not, it's an international standard that presidents must be covered," he said.

Zikalala said President Thabo Mbeki's name "is a word of peace on the continent". - Sapa
ADVERTISING LINKS
Private Property Listings List your property with us or search for a property. No estate agent's commission
Your gadgets, cheaper, on Bid or Buy Do your shopping via online auction and get your goods for great prices
News on your desktop Get all the latest headlines -- download and install M&G; Online's NewsFlash
Download digital Mail & Guardian Receive an exact digital replica of the newspaper online and save -- it's cheaper online!
Incredible OUTsurance No hassle, no paper, no fuss. Click here to get an obligation-free quote now!
Advertise your business here
Talkback: Have your say about this article
Blog: Blog this story in M&G Online's blogspot

News on your desktop: Download & install M&G Online NewsFlash
Daily cellphone alerts: Get news headlines by SMS
Daily Newsletter: Get the news by email
National | HOMEPAGE

Article tools
E-mail this story
Print this story
Bookmark page
Most read stories
RSS feed
Javascript feed

Online services
FIND A JOB
PROPERTY
ONLINE AUCTIONS
INT'L FLIGHTS
FIND A DATE
HOLIDAY FINDER
FIND OLD FRIENDS
EASY INFO
ONLINE GAMBLING
FREE E-MAIL
NEWS BY E-MAIL
LEARN FRENCH
MAP SEARCH
BUSINESS SEARCH
CAR INSURANCE
SUBSCRIBE TO M&G;
FREE NEWS FEED
PLACE AN ADVERT

Mobile services
MOBILE GAMES
DAILY NEWS
SPORT NEWS
LOTTO RESULTS
WEATHER
MARKET INDICES

IN THIS SECTION
NPA refuses to return Zuma documents
Health minister visits typhoid town
Union concerned about teacher rape case
Travelgate accused appear in court again
Ahmed Kathrada publishes Robben Island writings

CONTACT US  |  ABOUT US  |  M&G HISTORY  |  SUBSCRIPTIONS  |  FREE NEWS FEED  |  ADVERTISING

All material copyright Mail&Guardian.
Material may not be published or reproduced in any form without prior written permission.
Read the Mail&Guardian's privacy policy
RSS feed JavaScript feed