Cape Town – Another week, another SABC press conference. Things went a bit “Twilight Zone” on Monday afternoon at Auckland Park when the SABC hastily called another press conference.
After being postponed and starting 40 minutes late the conference turned farcically surreal as journalists laughed, a protester disrupted it and SABC executives, Hlaudi Motsoeneng and SABC board members, overshared, went off message, and gave the press jaw-dropping answers.
Midway through the press conference, a Right2Know Campaign protester disrupted the press conference. SABC spokesman Kaizer Kganyago, who slammed the protester as a “disaster”, quickly demanded he be thrown out by SABC security.
Kganyago grabbed the mic, saying "that is a very irresponsible thing to do. And it is just something that you don't want to do. Can we get security to get this man out? You are a serious disaster if you come here under the pretext of being a journalist".
The conference was meant to address the Icasa ruling that called on the SABC to end its ban on violent protest coverage.
While SABC chairperson Mbulaheni Maguvhe initially said the SABC's legal team will look at the order from the broadcaster regulator, Hlaudi Motsoeneng minutes later at the same press conference said the SABC won't listen to the regulator and will fight the decision to the Constitutional Court.
SABC censorship “not a blanket ban but a veil”
In a bizarre response, Maguvhe asked the media if, after the shooting in Dallas, people saw dead bodies. "I want to ask you media, did you see dead bodies? Were they there? You are quiet. Is that censorship? You are also quiet."
He said the SABC's TV news censorship is "not a blanket ban but a veil".
Hlaudi Motsoeneng in his usual purple power suit concluded with "I don't have stress".
"When I'm under pressure, I perform very well. So all the hullabaloo they don't affect me. I don't focus on what people are saying outside".
"No problems within SABC. I walk tall. I talk tall. Everything that I do there is energy in me because I don't focus on other people. But also it is also misleading to say people are against Hlaudi. The minority maybe. And anyway in life, you won't be loved by everybody," said Hlaudi Motsoeneng.