The SOS Coalition was established in 2008 as a Civil Society Coalition to engage in a single-issue campaign – that is to ensure that the SABC broadcasts in the best interest of the public. We campaign for and are committed to public broadcasting in the public interest. The organisation exists in its own right, separately from its members and employees.

The Coalition is an NPO made up of NGOs, CBOs, Trade Unions, Trade Union Federations, and individuals (academics, freedom of expression activists, policy and legal consultants, actors, script-writers, film-makers, producers, directors, etc) who have partnered to champion democratic media.

We are dedicated to building a critical mass of “people power” to catalyse positive outcomes for broadcasting in the public interest.

PURPOSE

Our purpose is to lobby for the strengthening of public and community broadcasting in the public interest, with the aim of ensuring excellent programming for South African audiences, particularly from the SABC.

WE DO THIS THROUGH

  • Lobbying for citizen friendly policy, regulatory and legislative changes in relation to public and community broadcasting.
  • Lobbying for appropriate public accountability and transparency from all institutions governing public and community broadcasting, including Parliament, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), the Department and Ministry of Communications, the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) and the SABC and community broadcasters.
  • Lobbying for quality public programming on the SABC and all community broadcasters.
  • The Coalition adopts a “constructively critical” approach in the way in which we work, as our aim is to build good working relations with all the institutions with which we operate, while maintaining our independence.

SOS Board

  1. Basiami Segola (SASFED alternative rep)
  2. Izak Minnaar (individual member)
  3. Kate Skinner (individual member)
  4. Nicky Mokoena (MMA) (Treasurer from Host Organisation)
  5. Samkelo Mokhine (Deputy Chair and FXI rep)
  6. Thandi Smith (Chair and MMA rep)
  7. Uyanda Siyotula (National Coordinator)
  8. William Bird (MMA rep)

SOS Members

Organisational Members

  1. Animation South Africa (ASA) (organisational representative is Nick Cloete)
  2. amandla.mobi (organisational representative is Koketso Moeti)
  3. Campaign for Free Expression (organisational representative is Anton Harber)
  4. Cape Town TV (CTV) (organisational representatives are Karen Thorne and Mike Aldridge)
  5. Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI) (organisational representative is Samkelo Mokhine)
  6. Independent Producers Organisation (IPO) (organisational representatives are Nimrod Geva, Quinton Fredericks, Rehad Desai and Trish Downing)
  7. Institute for the Advancement of Journalism (IAJ) (organisational representative is Faiza Abrahams-Smith)
  8. Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) (organisational representatives are Nicky Mokoena, Thandi Smith and William Bird)
  9. Right2Know Campaign (R2K) (organisational representatives are Axolile Notywala and Thami Nkosi)
  10. The South African Screen Federation (SASFED) (organisational representatives are Basiami Segola, Marc Schwinges and Unathi Malunga)
  11. Workers World Media Productions (WWMP) (organisational representatives are Martin Jansen and Simon Ramapuputla)

 
Individual Members

  1. Avani Singh
  2. Izak Minnaar
  3. Julia Koch
  4. Justine Limpitlaw (Prof)
  5. Kate Skinner (Dr)
  6. Kerry Barton-Hobbs
  7. Lazola Kati
  8. Lesetja Malope (Adv)
  9. Mpho A. Ndaba
  10. Naledi Mbaba
  11. Nkosana Mbokane
  12. Thamsanqa Mthimkhulu
  13. Tuwani Gumani
  14. viola milton (Prof)

SOS Constitution

SOS since 2018 has been governed by a constitution. This Constitution was Adopted on 16 November 2018.

Click here to view or download the SOS Constitution.

LinkedIn