THE DECISION TO TERMINATE FACE THE NATION AND THE VICTIMISATION OF JOURNALISTIC INTEGRITY AT THE SABC

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THE DECISION TO TERMINATE FACE THE NATION AND THE VICTIMISATION OF JOURNALISTIC INTEGRITY AT THE SABC

CHANON LECODEY MERRICKS ONLINE_EDITOR 

The uMkhonto weSizwe Party (“MK Party”) notes with grave concern and deep suspicion the

abrupt termination of the Face The Nation programme on the South African Broadcasting

Corporation (SABC), a programme anchored by seasoned journalist Clement Manyathela,

whose fearless and uncompromising commitment to holding those in power accountable has become a hallmark of ethical journalism in our democracy.

While it is generally understood that media institutions periodically review and adapt their

programming in line with industry practices, the circumstances surrounding the cancellation

of Face The Nation cannot be viewed in isolation from a troubling pattern of hostility directed at journalists who dare to interrogate the executive authority of the so-called Government of National Unity (GNU). Dr. Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh suffered the same fate for holding the executive to account whilst anchoring the same show. 

What is unfolding bears all the hallmarks of

victimisation, intimidation, and the systematic erosion of journalistic independence within a

public broadcaster that belongs to the people of South Africa, not to politicians.

It cannot be overlooked that the Presidency allegedly took exception to Clement Manyathela’s persistent and legitimate questioning of Mr Cyril Ramaphosa regarding the Phala-Phala scandal, a matter of profound public interest that goes to the heart of accountability, transparency, and the rule of law. 

In executing his professional duty, Clement did precisely what the Constitution and democratic norms demand of journalists; to speak truth to power without fear or favour. It must be acknowledged that a Minister in the Presidency reportedly refused to grant an interview to Clement Manyathela after allegedly facing internal political repercussions when he rigorously questioned her superior, Mr

Ramaphosa, on the Phala-Phala matter. Such conduct, if true, signals a disturbing attempt by political authorities to blacklist journalists who refuse to become instruments of political convenience.

It cannot be ignored that the Spokesperson in the Presidency expressed visible displeasure

following an interview in which Clement Manyathela pressed him on the President’s apparent evasiveness regarding the Phala-Phala scandal, as well as the President’s failure to act decisively against Minister Senzo Mchunu, mirroring the earlier failure to act swiftly against then Minister Zweli Mkhize amid the Digital Vibes scandal and related oversight processes before the Madlanga Commission and the Parliamentary Ad-hoc Committee.

With these developments in mind, it is both striking and deeply concerning that Deidre Uren now appointed as Group Executive for News and Current Affairs at the SABC is reportedly the very same person who was allegedly pressured to terminate Face The Nation. The timing and sequence of events create the unmistakable impression of a reward system in which compliance with political pressure is compensated with elevation to positions of authority.

This appointment reeks of political patronage and signals a calculated attempt to sanitise the

SABC, transforming a constitutionally mandated public broadcaster into a propaganda machinery designed to shield the executive from scrutiny and to manufacture favourable narratives ahead of the 2026 Local Government Elections.

The MK Party warns that the capture of the public broadcaster, whether through intimidation, censorship or strategic appointments, poses a direct threat to democratic accountability and media freedom in South Africa. Objective reporting and the fearless interrogation of those in

power cannot be sacrificed on the altar of political expediency. The SABC must never become a megaphone for the ruling elite nor a battlefield where journalists are punished for doing their jobs.

The MK Party condemns, in the strongest possible terms, any attempt to silence independent voices, intimidate journalists, or manipulate editorial decisions for political gain. 

We remind the leadership of the SABC and the political authorities behind these actions that the public broadcaster is funded by the people of South Africa and is constitutionally obligated to serve the public interest, not the interests of politicians seeking to evade accountability.

The MK Party stands firmly on the side of media freedom, journalistic integrity and the

constitutional right of the people to be informed without censorship, intimidation or manipulation. 

We call on all defenders of democracy, journalists, civil society and the public at large, to resist any attempt to weaponise the public broadcaster for partisan political ends.

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