Madam Deputy Speaker, it is with grave concern that Cope has to inform this House of an editorial instruction issued by the head of news, Mr Jimi Matthews, yesterday, to all news staff. I want to quote from the email which was sent out at 16:36 yesterday:
Dear all
You are hereby notified that with immediate effect, President Zuma's Nkandla home should be referred to as the 'President's' or 'Mr Zuma's Nkandla residence' and not a 'compound' or a 'homestead' or any other such item. Please also refrain from using imported terminology in the reporting on the controversy surrounding the infrastructural developments around the residence, such as 'Nkandlagate, 'Zumaville', and such like.
Regards Jimi Matthews
[Interjections.]
This is the latest incident of ongoing Luthuli House news manipulation. This deplorable political censorship is a direct attack on freedom of expression and the editorial independence of the SABC as public broadcaster. This does not only destroy the credibility of the SABC and, particularly, the news, but the very integrity of the SABC as an independent public broadcaster.
Cope condemns any form of censorship and partisan meddling in what South Africans should hear and what not. The SABC belongs to all South Africans and not to any faction of the ruling alliance. [Interjections.] This email is irregular and it contravenes the Broadcasting Act and the SABC's license agreement with the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa, Icasa. Thank you. [Time expired.] [Applause.]