SABC+and+COSATU,+Joint+Statement

STATEMENT BY THE CONGRESS OF SOUTH AFRICAN TRADE UNIONS REGARDING A MEETING HELD WITH THE LEADERSHIP OF THE SABC

 * For Immediate Use**

Senior editorial staff at the SABC led by Dr Snuki Zikalala, the Managing Director of News, Zwelinzima Vavi General Secretary of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), and Dr Blade Nzimande, the General Secretary of the South African Communist Party (SACP) met in Johannesburg yesterday, 4 July 2005. The meeting was necessitated by criticism of SABC coverage of labour and political events made by COSATU and SACP.

COSATU and the SACP clarified that their main concerns arose out of the manner in which SABC News covered certain aspects of the Youth Day rally in KwaMashu, Durban, on 16 June 2005 and the COSATU general strike on 27 June 2005, in two specific news bulletins.

Arising out of the discussions, the meeting agreed on the following principles:


 * The SABC works to a public broadcasting mandate, and as such has a duty to tell the South African story in a manner that is accurate, fair and balanced and that SABC News generally succeeds in delivering on this
 * That SABC News will continue to work within the framework of the editorial policies of the corporation, that guarantees, among other things, that SABC News contextualizes its reports by disclosing all the essential facts and not suppressing or distorting relevant and available information. The Code also compels SABC News to report in a manner that enables South Africans to make informed decisions about their lives
 * In order to fulfill its mandate the SABC must continue to ensure that it invests in its journalists and managers so that they may continue to improve the quality of the news at all TV stations and radio

COSATU acknowledges that the coverage of labour issues by SABC has improved. COSATU and the SACP, in making their criticism, do not seek to turn SABC into an uncritical lap dog of labour either!

Congress of South African Trade Unions 1-5 Leyds Cnr Biccard Streets Braamfontein, 2017
 * Paul Notyhawa (Spokesperson)

P.O.Box 1019 Johannesburg, 2000 South Africa

Cell: 082 491 1591 Tel: +27 11 339-4911/24 Fax: +27 11 339-5080/6940 E-Mail: paul@cosatu.org.za