SABC Ordered to Apologize Over Unverified Broadcast Claims
- The South African Broadcasting Corporation has been ordered to issue a public apology following a Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa ruling over an interview with March and...
- The ruling stems from a June 3 broadcast on SAFM's program The National Pulse.
- During the interview, Ngobese-Zuma asserted that 60% of serious crimes in Gauteng were committed by foreign nationals, that foreign-funded organizations were using funds to purchase arms, and that...
The South African Broadcasting Corporation has been ordered to issue a public apology following a Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa ruling over an interview with March and March leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma on SAFM. According to Daily Maverick reporting, the commission found that the broadcaster breached the Free-to-Air Code by airing unverified factual claims about immigrants, crime, and national security without challenging them or presenting them clearly as opinions.
BCCSA Upholds Complaint Over SAFM Broadcast
The ruling stems from a June 3 broadcast on SAFM’s program The National Pulse. During the segment, presenter Ashraf Garda interviewed Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma as a right of reply following an earlier interview with Daniel Steyn, the deputy editor of GroundUp. Steyn had previously disputed claims made by the March and March party regarding immigrants in South Africa, according to Daily Maverick. Social justice activist Christopher Rutledge subsequently lodged a formal complaint with the BCCSA. Rutledge argued that the broadcaster violated clauses of the Free-to-Air Code requiring opinions to be clearly presented as such, noting that Ngobese-Zuma’s statements constituted serious factual allegations rather than political opinions. Advocate Ben Winks, commissioner for the BCCSA, upheld the complaint, determining that SAFM failed to appropriately label or challenge the assertions.
Unverified Claims and Regulatory Findings
During the interview, Ngobese-Zuma asserted that 60% of serious crimes in Gauteng were committed by foreign nationals, that foreign-funded organizations were using funds to purchase arms, and that explosives were entering the country. She also claimed that foreign military bases operated within South Africa and that foreign nationals evaded prosecution by paying police officers, as reported by Daily Maverick. Rutledge pointed out in his complaint that SAFM did not ask the political leader to provide evidence for these assertions, nor did it inform listeners that the claims lacked independent verification. The SABC maintained in its defense that the statements represented Ngobese-Zuma’s personal views and argued that the preceding interview with Steyn provided alternative perspectives, ensuring overall balance. However, the commissioner ruled that the broadcaster failed to comply with code requirements mandating that information based on rumor or unverified allegations must be clearly identified as such.
