The SABC says it has taken action after a heated exchange between one of its TV presenters and chair of the Desmond Tutu IP Trust Dr Mamphela Ramphele on Tuesday by taking the presenter off air.
The interview was conducted after the trust had issued a statement on the Israeli-Gaza war.
During the exchange, the presenter asked Ramphele why she was likening the famine in Gaza to the holocaust. “Do you not see that as provocative?” the presenter asked. Ramphele replied that what was happening in Gaza was a holocaust.
The presenter said these two events were different. She said Gaza was horrific, but comparing the two events also seemed to undermine what the holocaust was all about.
After the interview, there was a complaint from the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, which sent an email accusing the public broadcaster of biased reporting and misrepresentation of genocide in Gaza.
The SABC, in a statement on Friday, said it was aware of the matter relating to the conduct of one of its news presenters.
“As such, SABC News management took immediate action in line with the SABC's internal processes, and the presenter in question is currently not scheduled.”
The SABC said it was enjoined by various legislation framework that enforced compliance to adhering to the Broadcasting Act and its own editorial policies that ensured the offering of a plurality of views and a variety of news and information.
“The SABC's editorial policies are aimed at building trust with the public and in ensuring that our content, in all formats, continues to resonate with the prescripts of our public mandate, and more so in providing universal access to credible content.”
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