The Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI) and a group of social movements have said they will continue with demonstrations over poor content aired by the SABC.The demonstrations are in protest over poor content carried by the public broadcaster, according to a release.
This week will witness more pickets outside SABC offices, organised by the Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI) and social movements against the SABC. The first of these will take place TODAY, Monday, 26 March 2007 from 10:00 in Durban.
This programme of action is part of the follow-up on the memorandum, which was submitted to SABC management on the 16th of November 2006 and which the SABC had committed to respond to. No response has been received to date.
Since the 6th of February this year, FXI and social movements have engaged in a number of pickets actions at SABC offices nationwide. Among the reasons for the continued demonstrations against SABC was a complaint about the content on SABC TV and radio stations and also in support of the recent FXI complaint about the SABC to Icasa. "We want to reclaim the SABC as a public broadcaster," said an FXI spokesperson about the protests.
Today's picket will be at the SABC buildings in Fort Road.
On Wednesday, 28th March a picket will take place outside the SABC in Greenpoint in Cape Town at 13:00.
And, on
Friday, 30 March, the SABC office in Polowkane, Limpopo will be picketed at 8:00.
These demonstrations will culminate in a large protest on
Friday, 13 April outside the SABC Head Offices at Radiopark, Auckland Park, Johannesburg at 14:00.
The 13 April protest is being supported by a number of social movements, Cosatu, Southern African Journalists Association (SAJA), Center for African Journalists, youth organizations, Traditonal Healers organisations, Independent Churches and other concerned structures of civil society.
Read the full FXI complaint to ICASA here.
For more information, call:
Virginia Setshedi-Magwaza, Head: Media & ICTs programme – 01 403-8403 / 078 473 3086
Torong Ramela, Organizer – 073 167 5047