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The DA has expressed concern over the public broadcaster’s decision to appoint Dumisani Hlophe as political editor in its news and current affairs division, citing his limited journalistic background and his alleged anti-DA stance.
“The SABC’s decision is deeply puzzling and worrying,” said the DA’s shadow minister of communications Phumzile van Damme on Saturday. “Mr Hlophe is not a practising journalist; his only experience with broadcasting is as a political analyst on the SABC, with commentary often odd and thumb-sucked.”
She added that the SABC could have taken its pick out of “many talented practising journalists, who would have been a far better choice”.
The SABC, however, justified its appointment of Hlophe through the following media statement: “Mr Hlophe has vast experience in the political, research and content programming field, emanating from his work as a political science lecturer, writer, political analyst and political editor, among other responsibilities that he was previously entrusted with.”
But Van Damme disagreed, saying Hlophe’s appointment did not “inspire confidence at all”. She said that based on his Twitter account, Hlophe appeared to be “a patriarch with tweets proclaiming men as heads of the family and commenting on photos of half-naked women”.
She also alleged that Hlophe expressed a special loathing for the DA with tweets such as:
• “The irony is: whilst @MYANC is keen to demilitarize and weaken the Left, it always leaves the Right to strengthen itself. It castrated @_cosatu; @SACP1921 and now targets @EFFSouthAfrica but it has no plan to weaken the right wing agenda led by @Our_DA”;
• “Where are the DA Headquarters? I am in Cape Town and I want to march there and demand the reintegration of Cape Town into South Africa”;
• “Maimane to stand for DA’s parliamentary leader”. Another darkie Zille project. Just where society will see a fake de racialised DA”; and
• “The media dubs criticism of Thuli Madonsela as an “attack on the Public Protector” - interesting indeed. I think she is soft on the DA”
Van Damme says the tweets prove Hlophe dislikes the opposition party. The SABC has a mandate to not favour any party above another.
The @Our_DA itself, has already cast aspersions on Solly Msimanga's leadership of City of Tshwane by making him the candidate for Premiership of Gauteng. Technically, @Our_DA wants Msimanga out as a mayor of Tshwane, but not now, and not through the inititives of other parties! pic.twitter.com/uGJvMUa1mt
— Dumisani Hlophe (@KunjaloD) August 30, 2018
Van Damme also said Hlope’s tweets revealed his dislike for what he refers to as the “liberal media”:
“In his tweets, Hlophe says: ‘The mainstream liberal media is a key player in South Africa’s politics. It is not an independent observer’.”
Phathiswa Magopeni, SABC news and current affairs group executive, described Hlophe’s appointment as “yet another step taken by the public broadcaster towards consolidating its position as an independent and impartial news provider”.
She said the appointment was made with one eye on the looming 2019 elections since Hlophe’s experience and political expertise would add value to the broadcaster’s coverage.
Concluded Van Damme: “We truly hope Mr Hlophe will prove our misgivings about him wrong, and fulfil the SABC’s mandate to be impartial, independent and provide a reasonable, balanced opportunity for the public to receive a variety of points of view on matters of public concern, especially during an election year.
“His appointment is a step backwards for the SABC, and it is discouraging given the excellent appointments it has made of late.”
Contacted for comment on Saturday, Hlope said, “I am now an employee of the SABC and I don’t think that commenting without consulting the company would be wise.”
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