SABC+cans+Mbeki+film,+Japhet+Ncube,+City+Press

City Press, Johannesburg, 20/05/2006 19:56 - (SA)
=SABC cans Mbeki film=


 * JAPHET NCUBE**

THE SABC has canned a documentary on President Thabo Mbeki which features prominent personalities such as his mother Epainette, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Aids activist Zackie Achmat, Nelson Mandela, newspaper editors and Jenny Cargill, an ANC comrade recruited by Mbeki when he was in exile.

City Press has learnt that the 24-minute documentary that charts Mbeki's rise to power and his survival in the cut-throat ANC political environment at a time when he was pitted against Chris Hani and Cyril Ramaphosa, was withdrawn at the last minute due to political interference from the public broadcaster's management.

The withdrawal came after one of its producers had an informal meeting with a senior official from Mbeki's communications department. She was allegedly told it would be better to stop the screening because the Presidency was opposed to it.

City Press has been told that SABC management was worried about the timing of the documentary. It would have been shown barely two weeks after Jacob Zuma was acquitted of rape and amid thinly-veiled allegations that Mbeki was behind his woes.

The documentary takes a critical look at Mbeki's childhood and his leadership style, the alleged conspiracy by Cyril Ramaphosa, Mathews Phosa and Tokyo Sexwale to assassinate Mbeki, his alleged involvement in Chris Hani's murder and Aids.

Achmat calls Mbeki a "coward" on Aids issues, saying that although Mbeki was an Aids denialist, he was afraid to say so. Mbeki's policy on Aids has received worldwide condemnation.

The SACP's Blade Nzimande accuses Mbeki of a lack of respect for the tripartite alliance and of departing from the wishes of his mentor, Oliver Tambo. He accuses Mbeki of a lack of consultation on issues like privatisation.

The producers use archive material of Mbeki responding to these matters on virtually all of these points.

"The decision to can it was based on fears by management that the political climate was not conducive to run a documentary like this," said a source on Friday.

"There was also a feeling that you cannot run something like this while Mbeki is still in office, especially not so soon after the Zuma saga."


 * From: http://www.news24.com/City_Press/News/0,,186-187_1936517,00.html**

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