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SACP outside eNCA offices. Picture: Cosatu/Twitter
It is hypocritical for eSat.tv (the umbrella company for eNCA) to
call out the wrongdoing of the SABC executive if they are “dirty” themselves.
This according to spokesperson and head of communications at the
South African Communist Party, Alex Mashilo.
“You cannot come here dirty yourself and then say that other people
are dirty when you are contaminating the movement [for media transformation],”
said Mashilo.
Mashilo spoke to City Press as members of the SACP picketed outside
the eNCA headquarters in Hyde Park on Friday.
Mashilo said workers from eNCA and eTV communicated issues of
“maltreatment” and “a lack of transformation” in the workplace to them.
He also said it would be hypocritical of the SACP to point out the
faults at the SABC, but not those of other media houses in the country.
“Workers at eSat.tv sent correspondence complaining about treatment
or rather maltreatment and lack of transformation at eTV and eNCA. Viewership is
over 80% black but the leadership - top management - is mostly white. This is
further reflected in their editorial policy. We have been told that a manager
once said that rural news is not important because the middle class viewership
does not care about the plight of the poor,” said Mashilo.
Mashilo said the company failed to establish a work transformation
forum at the company and that workers indicated they felt it was difficult to
engage in union action. He said there were also incidents of racism that
resulted in no disciplinary action taken.
“One painful thing workers told us about was an incident where a
white employee called Indians “coolies” and no action was taken,” he alleged.
eNCA committed to transformation
Anton Harber, editor-in-chief at eNCA, said while he has only been
with the company for a few months, he is committed to seeing transformation.
Harber said he wasn’t at eNCA when the “coolies” incident happened, but was
informed the matter had been dealt with and the accused staffer was no longer at
the broadcaster.
Harber also rubbished the allegation of not prioritising rural
news, saying their editorial policy does not discriminate against the poor.
“This is absolute nonsense. Just look at our election coverage and
you can see that we have made a point of covering the country as widely as we
can within the limits of our resources,” he said.
A journalist from eNCA, who spoke to City Press
anonymously, said complaints about a lack of transformation had been going
on for a while.
“People have always complained about that [maltreatment], but the
main issue has been the fact that for the longest of times people couldn’t
unionise...but that’s moving towards a positive direction now.”
Harber confirmed this, saying employees are allowed to unionise and
some have already done so.
“There are discussions under way about union recognition, and I can
assure you that if the union is representative, then it will be recognised as
the law requires. I have only been here a few months, but I can assure you that
under my watch no voices will be suppressed,” said Harber.
‘Anti-ANC campagin’
The SACP also accused eNCA of what Mashilo called an “anti-ANC
campaign” which they said was reflected through election poll results presented
last week.
“Stratification of this data is very important. We don’t know who
they asked to get these results. They could have asked people only in the
suburbs and obviously those people won’t vote ANC,” he said.
Harber said the SACP was being “disingenuous” as they had shared
all this information when they met with them earlier this week. He said
information was also aired and published online.
“I know of no other situation where a media outlet is picketed
because of the results of an election poll. Such polls are a standard part of
election campaigns in all democracies. It is worth noting that the ANC is not
challenging the validity of our polls. I think the SACP should ask the ANC if
their own polls are telling them different things from ours,” said Harber.
‘Transformation is not an event but a process’
The SACP presented a memorandum to Harber at the protest which he
signed and said he would read and further engage them on.
“I am quite happy to engage with all parties about media
transformation, as it is very much part of our agenda,” said Harber.
Mashilo said next week the SACP would be picketing at ANN7 too, and
that, if media companies do not act immediately, they are willing to pursue this
for as long as it takes.
“This is not an event. This is a process and it is not just
starting now, it is unfolding,” he said.
