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Cape Town – SABC boss Hlaudi Motsoeneng as part of his local content TV drive is promising viewers the reed dance live in September and again slammed South African media for being fixated on wanting to report corruption and not "good stories to tell".
Late last week, now 6 months and counting since the shock suspension of the SABC CEO Frans Matlala, Motsoeneng first paid the Venda king a courtesy visit on Thursday, followed by a visit to the Zulu king.
Motsoeneng promised Venda King Toni Mphephu Ramabulana in Thohoyandou major broadcasting infrastructure upgrades.
"What we need to do there, because we have buildings there, we need to build studios. So that when production houses comes, and you produce content, you don't go to Auckland Park, you are able to shoot here in Thohoyandou," said Motsoeneng on SABC News.
Hlaudi Motsoeneng said all languages will be treated equally by the SABC. "So within SABC television platforms from 1 July, you will see a different SABC. I have been saying to colleagues that transformation is not negotiable, we just implement".
King Toni Mphephu Ramabulana said on SABC TV News he supports Hlaudi Motsoeneng's censorship decision to ban visuals of property destruction during public protests. "We support the decision by the SABC. We are saying to SABC, we are with you on this one."
‘Can’t portray SA as if its just corruption’
Next Hlaudi Motsoeneng visited the Zulu kingdom and King Goodwill Zwelithini and spoke at the eNyokeni Royal Palace in Nongoma in northern KwaZulu-Natal.
The SABC will improve its coverage of heritage activities by broadcasting live cultural and traditional events.
On SABC News, Hlaudi Motsoeneng said "when I arrived at the SABC, the broadcaster was only showing the Britain's Queen the whole day. Our king and other kings were not being shown live, but all that will change".
"I know that there will be a cultural ceremony in September, that event will be shown live."
The Zulu reed dance or Mkosi woMhlanga, that takes place over several days is a cultural event that lures tens of thousands of maidens annually who take part in dancing, singing, virginity testing and a reed-giving ceremony at the eNyokeni palace as part of an important rite of passage for young Zulu women.
Hlaudi Motsoeneng again lashed South African media for not reporting balanced stories. "We are saying, if there is no water there, there is water there. Reflect the water there. You can't portray South Africa as if South Africa is just corruption; people are not delivering. Good story to tell."
King Goodwill Zwelithini shower Hlaudi Motsoeneng with praise, calling him "our pride".
