Litnet

PEN Afrikaans veroordeel ten sterkste die SABC se besluit om agt joernaliste – Lukhanyo Calata, Thandeka Gqubule‚ Foeta Krige‚ Vuyo Mvoko‚ Busisiwe Ntuli, Krivani Pillay, Jacques Steenkamp en Suna Venter – af te dank onder die rookskerm van ’n arbeidsgeskil. Dit is geen geheim dat hulle bloot hulle werk wou doen en dus die drakoniese sensuurmaatreëls van die SAUK bevraagteken het.

PEN Afrikaans het reeds beswaar aangeteken toe die bogenoemde joernaliste geskors is vanweë hul prysenswaardige verset teen Hlaudi Motsoeneng, die hoof- operasionele beampte van die SAUK, se verbod op verslaggewing oor gewelddadige opstande: https://www.litnet.co.za/pen-afrikaans-maak-kapsie-teen-sauk-sensuur/

Vroeër vandeesmaand het Icasa (Independent Communications Authority of South African) die SAUK gelas om sy verbod op die dekking van gewelddadige protesaksie op te hef. Icasa het daarmee duidelik te kenne gegee dat die geskorste en intussen afgedankte joernaliste korrek opgetree het deur hulle teen hierdie verbod uit te spreek.

PEN Afrikaans vra dat skrywers en ander joernaliste, ook die internasionale PEN Gemeenskap, saam met ons protes sal aanteken teen die volgehoue kultuur van sensuur by die SAUK.

PEN Afrikaans protests the dismissal of eight SABC journalists

PEN Afrikaans strongly condemns the decision of the SABC to dismiss eight journalists – Lukhanyo Calata, Thandeka Gqubule‚ Foeta Krige‚ Vuyo Mvoko‚ Busisiwe Ntuli, Krivani Pillay, Jacques Steenkamp and Suna Venter – under the smoke screen of a labour dispute. It is no secret that these journalists merely intended to do their duty and therefore questioned the draconian censorship regulations imposed by the state broadcaster.

PEN Afrikaans already protested when the journalists in question were suspended after speaking out against Hlaudi Motsoeneng, COO of the SABC, who prohibited news coverage of violent protest action: https://www.litnet.co.za/pen-afrikaans-maak-kapsie-teen-sauk-sensuur/

Earlier this month‚ the Independent Communications Authority of South African (Icasa) ordered the SABC to reverse its decision to ban footage of destructive protests. Icasa had thus clearly indicated that the suspended journalists, who have now been fired, were correct to take a stand against the SABC decision.

PEN Afrikaans implores writers and journalists, including PEN International, to join in protesting the culture of censorship at the SABC, as it poses a dangerous threat to press freedom in South Africa.