Today, media workers in the SABC convened and led a gathering and march from the SABC to Constitution Hill to draw attention to the crisis in the SABC. Part of the crisis has been the recent blanket-ban of coverage of local protests justified by appeals to respectability around protest.
While we assembled outside the SABC, preparing to march, it was revealed that workers inside the SABC who were to participate in a protected strike had been locked-in. This is an unprecedented violation of workers’ rights in our country.
Because of this, and other reasons, representatives of the SOS Coalition, the Right2Know Campaign, the Media Workers Association of South Africa (MWASA) and their New Trade Union Federation and representatives of the independent media (The Independent Group and Primedia) demanded a meeting with Hlaudi Motsoeneng to address the following four issues:
After a robust discussion with the COO Motsoeneng and his senior staff members the following was agreed:
On the remaining items, particularly on the unlawfully revised editorial policies, these remain to be addressed at Monday’s meeting.
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Issued by:
Zwelinzima Vavi
Convener, Committee for the New Federation
+27 79 182 4170
Sekoetlane Phamodi
National Coordinator, SOS Coalition
+27 76 084 8077
Micah Reddy
National Media Freedom and Diversity Organiser, Right2Know Campaign
+27 83 297 3444
Hannes du Buisson
Broadcasting, Electronic Media and Allied Workers Union
+27 82 920 8669
Tuwani Gumani
General Secretary, MWASA
+27 82 743 3867