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By Citizen Reporter

Journalist


Sanef expresses concern after SAfm radio host Sakina Kamwendo gets pulled off air

Management allegedly instructed producers to pull Kamwendo’s breakfast programme halfway through the show.


The South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) says it is deeply concerned with the pulling of SAfm radio host Sakina Kamwendo’s Forum at Eight programme – halfway through the show on Friday.

This after management allegedly instructed producers to take Kamwendo off air with immediate effect and fill the rest of the time with any available music.

This was to be Kamwendo’s last show as the host of SAfm breakfast. It recently emerged that she was to be replaced on the show, but had not been officially informed by station management, Sanef said in a statement on Saturday.

SABC management was purportedly unhappy that during the programme Kamwendo explained the events leading up to the end of the show and her experience of it.

“Sanef notes the encouraging progress that has been made at the public broadcaster when it comes to editorial openness. We have noted these new green shoots over a number of months under the leadership of its interim and new board and with its new management appointments.

“Furthermore, Sanef has noted that it is certainly the prerogative of SABC management to make decisions about programming. However, we believe this incident with Sakina Kamwendo was extremely poorly handled and smacks of censorship,” Sanef’s media freedom sub-committee chairperson Sam Mkokeli said.

Sanef said it believed that Kamwendo should have been given the space to explain to her listeners what had transpired with her show and with the termination of her contract as the show’s host.

“Limiting Sakina Kamwendo’s freedom of speech and expression in this blatant manner is a serious issue and Sanef would not want to see a return to the SABC’s days of censorship.

“The media industry should be supporting all women in this sector – and especially highly competent, courageous black women such as Sakina Kamwendo. We need to ensure the diversity of voices in the industry. Sanef will be engaging the SABC on the matter.”

Below is reaction on Twitter to Sakina Kamwendo’s Forum at Eight programme shut down:

https://twitter.com/ProfTinyiko/status/979972621252071424

https://twitter.com/anonymousnthabi/status/979670736636805120

https://twitter.com/Unathi_Kwaza/status/979615367550074880

 

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