“We are hoping that the person that is appointed in Dr Zikalala's place will turn the newsroom culture around to allow for greater freedom of journalists, and openly encourages a rich diversity of opinion,” Kate Skinner, spokeswoman for Save our SABC Coalition, told Bizcommunity.com.
“A number of coalition members have been unhappy with the way that Dr Zikalala has run the news desk. It was alleged that he systematically excluded commentators critical of Government. This is a very serious allegation and to this day it still has not been resolved.
“The Freedom of Expression Institute is still fighting the case at ICASA. Interestingly, Dr Zikalala refused to testify,” Skinner stated.
She also said that Zikalala was found by the Sisulu Commission - set up to investigate the blacklisting allegations - to have had a problematic management style in the sense that he micro-managed staff, thus instilling a culture of fear in the newsroom.
“Again, that is very problematic. Good journalists should be hired and then trusted to do their jobs. They should be encouraged to push boundaries. The public broadcaster should in fact set the standard for feisty, investigative journalism,” Skinner advised.
Another Zikalala's worrying factor, she said, is the alleged huge expenses and the budget overruns in his department. “These overruns have contributed to the very serious financial situation the SABC finds itself in.”
She added, “It is good that certain foreign offices are now being closed down but the question is why they were opened up in the first place. A proper feasibility study should have been done.
“In the future, we must ensure that the person who takes over is passionately committed to public broadcasting and diversity of opinion, and has the skills, qualifications and experience to run the country's most important and largest news department.”
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