TV

SABC addresses Afrikaans news bulletin scheduling blunder

The public broadcaster said there are no plans to discontinue Afrikaans news programming following the moemish.

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By Lineo Lesemane

The SABC has apologised after failing to air its Afrikaans television news bulletins over the weekend.

The halt led to widespread backlash on social media, with the public and organisations like DA and AfriForum demanding the reinstatement of the Afrikaans news programme.

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SABC: ‘Afrikaans remains an important part of our mandate’

In a statement released on Tuesday, the SABC explained that the Afrikaans news bulletin did not air in its regular slots on Saturday and Sunday due to a scheduling error.

“As management, we are treating this matter with the seriousness it deserves, and consequence management processes are currently underway to address the internal oversight that led to this unfortunate incident.”

The public broadcaster said there are no plans to discontinue or deprioritise Afrikaans news programming.

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“Afrikaans remains an important part of our public broadcasting mandate, just as all South African languages are. The SABC is committed to providing equitable access to news and information in all official languages.”

The Afrikaans news bulletin will continue to air on weekdays at 8:30 pm on S3, and the weekend editions will return to their regular 6 pm time slot on SABC 2.

The SABC also stated that it is working on a new content and scheduling plan to improve its language offering, including Afrikaans, as part of the strategy for the new financial year.

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Published by
By Lineo Lesemane