South Africa

It takes a special kind of man to take a functioning newsroom and bring it to its knees. With a smoke in one hand and a Marlborough Manesque devotion to duty, this man can break an organisation so completely that senior staff desert in droves. Giving a wink to his idol Leni Riefenstahl, this man of vision changes dynamic debate and news analysis into hollow, sycophantic government spin. In SA we have such a man...

 

Snuki "Goebbels" Zikala!   

 

Yes, he's (unfortunately) back on Someamoungus! Our favourite journalist spinmerchant with his government mandated checklist of "3 Ministers and a Thabo soundbite" per news broadcast is again making his presence felt at the SABC for all the wrong reasons. Witness the latest :

 

Several top journalists have quit the SABC, reportedly because their working conditions under Snuki Zikalala, the managing director of news, have become intolerable. Several SABC staffers told The Sunday Independent on condition of anonymity they too would leave if given the opportunity because as journalists they were expected to present exclusively positive stories about government activities.

Lesego Mncwango, the SABC spokesperson, on Friday confirmed the resignations of Vuyo Mvoko, the political editor, and Kalay Maistry and Clayson Monyela, both senior political reporters. Three members of the science desk - Mahlatse Gallens, Stuart Thompson and Mandla Zembe - have also quit. Zembe was allegedly hounded by S'bu Ndebele, the KwaZulu-Natal premier, for reporting that Ndebele had been stoned at a June 16 meeting.

 

Lesego also denied that Snookums was causing members to flee :

 

On Friday, Mncwango, rejected "faceless critics" who claimed "things have worsened". He said there was a "new mood" at the SABC, and a definite sense of common purpose among the board and management.

"We can confirm that the individuals are leaving the SABC to pursue both career and academic development. We reject the suggestion of an 'exodus'. As is the case with all media institutions, journalists choose to further their careers by moving to other employers. This is accepted practice in newsrooms."

 

To which a "faceless critic" (hint hint nudge nudge) replied :

 

"There is no spirit at the SABC, she's talking crap, she's paid to spin."

 

So who are you gonna believe?