The judgment is in and the SABC has lost.
The battle against censorship won a fist-punching victory today when ICASA announced that the SABC has to withdraw its ban on showing footage of violent protests on its news bulletins and shows. The ruling states that the ban is a violation of the SABC's broadcast license.
The ban was imposed by SABC COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng at the end of May and media action groups took up the fight to overturn it.
The action groups Media Monitoring Africa, the SOS Coalition and the Freedom of Expression Institute lodged a complaint with ICASA against the SABC and the hearing was held two weeks ago. It sparked the resignation of SABC CEO Jimi Matthews, who quit very suddenly.
One moment he was at the centre of the hearing, arguing in favour of the SABC, and the next moment he was Tweeting
that he'd lost his moral compass and was getting the hell out of dodge.
A TV series of events took place between then and now, namely:
- SABC journalists were suspended for speaking out against the ban,
- Action groups and other supporting parties picketed against the ban and the suspensions outside SABC buildings around the country,
- ICASA workers went on strike,
- A weekend report in the Sunday Times claimed that the SABC needs a R1.5 billion bail out because it has plunged into debt (
again),
- The three action groups who lodged the initial complaint with ICASA, lodged a legal complaint about the long delay in the ruling.
The complaint was sent by lawyers this past Friday (8 July) and stated that ICASAs Complaints and Compliance Committee (CCC) needed to reach a decision by 12h00 today or else further action would be taken. This was Point 6 in the letter:
All our clients' rights are reserved, including our right to approach the High Court on an urgent basis for relief.
Cut to today and ICASA announced the CCC's decision. The SABC has seven days to respond to ICASA's findings.