The crisis at the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) continues.

Since their decision to censor news and amidst allegations of censorship and corruption, the situation has been uncertain. Here is what happened since our last update in November:

  • The inquiry led by the African National Congress (ANC), which was launched in late November, is still ongoing. The committee is currently investigating allegations of censorship, government  interference, preferential treatments for personnel without the necessary qualifications to hold their post and the general state of the broadcaster. The deadline, set by the parliament, is scheduled for the end of February;
  • Meanwhile, the broadcaster registered low viewerships for their flagship TV news bulletin, losing more than 222,417 viewers in one month. SABC’s other TV news programmes are also registering low scores;
  • MPs now have to draft a report with the main findings and recommendations, which must be submitted on January 24 for revision and comments;
  • MPs will also be calling for a forensic audit into the SABC’s finances to investigate charges against various board members and executive directors.

The Public Media Alliance will continue to follow and update on the most recent developments at South Africa’s state public broadcaster.

Header image: SABC Western Cape. Credits: Richard Tanswell/Creative Commons