MK’s case against SABC is a publicity stunt – analyst

Former president Jacob Zuma and his uMkhonto weSizwe party (MK) recently launched an urgent court application trying to stop the SABC from referring to the seventh administration as a government of national unity (GNU), but experts have described the move as a publicity stunt.

Yesterday, the party filed court papers in the High Court in Johannesburg, accusing the public broadcaster of “misleading” the public.

Zuma was quoted as stating that experts had warned the SABC about “incorrect use of the name, but it continues”.

Madonsela says case ‘baseless’

Commenting on the matter, law expert and former public protector Thuli Madonsela lambasted the MK Party saying its court case was baseless.

“No law stipulates what a GNU should look like and accordingly, none has been violated. The MK case has no basis in law and no reasonable prospect of success in a court of law,” said Madonsela.

An independent political analyst, Goodenough Mashego, also blasted the party and labelled the court case as a publicity stunt.

He said the party was looking for something to talk about so it could staying the news. “It is not the SABC that decided to call the seventh administration the GNU, it is the government itself that is referring to itself as such,” said Mashego.

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Again it is not only the SABC using that term, but all the media houses nationally and internationally.

“Saying that the SABC as a public broadcaster should not use the GNU in its platforms because it is misleading, those utterances are also misleading and to make an argument where there is none.

“The former president and his party aim to be there and talk and play victims to gain public sympathy,” said Mashego.

‘Does not understand constitution’

“They always want to appear as a party that is being marginalised, instead of providing alternative ideas on how to take the country forward.”

Mashego added: “The party does not understand the constitution of the country.

“We have all kinds of rights in the country, including the freedom of the media, which means the media can refer to the administration in a way that they see fit.

“Just like the media decided not to call the power cut load shedding, claiming that it is a public relations term and they called it a blackout.”

Since the MK party was launched last year, it has approached the courts on several occasions about various issues.

In one, it alleged that the elections held on 29 May were rigged, which rendered them not free and fair.

The party had not responded to the questions sent to concerning the case by the time of going to print.

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