Fiasco at SABC deepens
The South African Broadcasting Corporation’s (SABC) Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Jimi Matthews, took to Twitter on Monday, June 27, and posted his resignation letter from the state broadcaster.
In the letter Matthews states that “for many months [he had] compromised the values that [he holds] dear under the mistaken belief that [he] could be more effective inside the SABC than outside…”
The resignation sparked controversy as it was posted only days after the SABC suspended three senior journalists.
The journalists allegedly did not agree with the SABC’s decision not to broadcast Right2Know’s (R2K) protest at the broadcaster.
R2K is a movement to protest the SABC’s original decision not to broadcast violent protests in South Africa as the SABC argues that it could incite violence.
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The resignation also shocked the public as it was reported last week that Matthews recently defended the SABC’s acting Chief Operating Officer (COO), Hlaudi Motsoeneng, in an affidavit to the Supreme Court of Appeal to keep him in his post.
The Forum of Journalists for Change reportedly said that Matthews is not the “hero” as he will be remembered as a “weak” CEO for “taking orders from a subordinate,” referring to Motsoeneng.
The South African National Editors’ Forum repordedly praised Matthews’ decision to act according to his values and stated that it only highlights the extent to which the SABC had become a platform for the government to communicate its agenda. -@johanéTurkie
