Nazley Omar - eMedia - www.themediaonline.co.za
The latest in the saga between SAME and the SABC. Please people, sign the petition and show your support for this monumentally important issue.
The South African Movement for Equality (SAME) plans to file a class action law suit against the SABC, after it “ continually reneged on minuted resolutions and failed to respond to an ultimatum about the marginalisation and exclusion of coloured people in its programming”.
According to SAME, coloureds are the only social group the public broadcaster does not cater for with regards to specific content or broadcast facilities.
Charles Ash, executive member of SAME, says the movement is looking at legal recourse against the public broadcaster. “Thus far, the matter has been dealt with behind closed doors, which is not yielding any fruit. We seem to be chasing our tails in dealing with the SABC staff who are intent on reverting to denial tactics and refusing to give the matter the urgent attention it deserves.
“The SABC is denying a census-defined group of its equality by refusing coloured people their own conte nt on state media, while every other group in South Africa is specifically catered for by the public broadcaster. ”
Non-racial organisation SAME, which lobbies for equality in the media and technology landscape, sent the public broadcaster a letter in July last year to express its concerns about the lack of coloured representation on the public broadcaster’s radio stations and televisions channels.
SAME demanded that the SABC establish a national FM radio station that specifically targets the coloured community of South Africa. A number of meetings have ensued, but there has been “no tangible progress to date”.
According to Ash, the SABC representatives – including acting chief operating officer, Charlotte Mampane, – failed to communicate with SAME and neglected to honour the agreements reached in previous meetings.
On 30 March 2009, the movement sent the SABC an ultimatum demanding that the public broadcaster respond within seven days, with a plan of action as to how it would deal with the matter.
The letter reads: “Should the SABC not be able to address or appreciate the gravity of the issue at hand, the matter’s relation to the constitution of the republic and the bill of rights; how the constitution of the status quo is in direct violation of the SABC’s very own mission, editorial and broadcasting policies, then SAME will strongly advocate that the SABC board vacate their positions.
“Failing the SABC’s response to these matters within 7 days of your receipt of this letter, we demand the resignation of Gab Mampone, acting GCEO, the chairperson of the SABC board (Kanyi Mkonza) along with all the SABC board members and all of the SABC senior managers who attended the meetings with SAME.”
SAME is currently in talks with its legal team.
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