SABC war long from over
JOBURG – Outa believes that the reinstatement of the SABC journalists shows that South Africans can fight against abuse of power.
Wayne Duvenage, chairman of Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) said the reinstatement of seven SABC journalists was a victory for all South Africans in many ways.
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“Not only is it an important victory for press freedom, but proof that our Constitution and human rights are respected by an independent judiciary. This is the cornerstone of a true democracy,” he said.
Outa, however, believes that while the battle has been won, the war to ensure freedom of speech for public broadcasters is far from over. “It worries us that this situation has been allowed to develop to the point where the SABC, like many other State-owned entities in South Africa, has come to symbolise an overt abuse of authority and ignorance of the people they serve.
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“The incessant waste of taxpayers’ money while blatantly ignoring the institutions that govern our country has gone on for too long and is being met with a backlash from the people.”
Read: Icasa orders SABC to withdraw their censorship on protests
Outa believes that the entire campaign to reinstate the SABC journalists has proved that South Africans can stand up against abuse of power and corruption. “Active citizenry has never been as united and mobilised since the birth of our new democracy. “Instead of complaining and feeling helpless, citizens are now supporting civil action-driven initiatives and sending a strong message to government that we will not sit back and watch this crass abuse of power, which retards the development of our nation.”
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Outa believes that the absence of bold and decisive action from Faith Muthambi, the Minister of Communication, indicates that the government is weak and unwilling to halt the abuse of power.
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