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| SABC prevents staff access to SW Radio Africa website |
| By Tererai Karimakwenda 20 April, 2007 We have received extraordinary information that journalists at the South Africa Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) are denied access to SW Radio Africa's website for news on Zimbabwe. Any attempt to access our web address returns a message that says "Access to the requested URL has been denied by SABC Policy." We asked several journalists and an editor at SABC to access our website on Friday. Without exception they were blocked by this message, denying them access. We then contacted the head of television news, Amrat Manga, and he told us he was not aware of the policy because he does not know SW Radio Africa and had never visited the site. He said the station got its news on Zimbabwe from journalist Supa Mandiwanzira who is the SABC correspondent in Zimbabwe. SABC is described as a public broadcaster, but this and other developments, suggest it is under the control of the state. Last year a list came to light of several political commentators who were banned from being used by SABC. The blacklist included Zimbabwe's Archbishop Pius Ncube, publisher Trevor Ncube and human rights activist Elinor Sisulu. A documentary showing a darker side of Thabo Mbeki was also not aired after the broadcaster dropped it claiming it was 'unbalanced and defamed the President.' Reverend Nick Mkaronda, director of the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition South Africa Chapter, said he was not surprised to hear SABC blocks access to our site as most people are aware of a deliberate policy at SABC to support Mugabe in it's reports on Zimbabwe. He said sometime ago they received information that certain people from Zimbabwe had been denied interviews because they were critical of Mbeki and it was SABC policy not to interview them. He added: "We don't think it is acceptable for any broadcaster in any part of the world to be denied information because these are the very problems we are dealing with in Zimbabwe. And when you have journalists working at the SABC being denied information, what does it mean for the ordinary people who are poor and suffering as a result of the policies of our leaders." "It is unacceptable because it is a violation of human rights at a national level in terms of South Africa's constitution and laws, at a regional level in terms of the values espoused by SADC, and at a continental and international level. These issues raise concern about Mbeki's suitability as the man to help resolve the Zimbabwe crisis. |
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