Hlaudi Motsoeneng has disappeared in the middle of a live interview… apparently because he was just following his new censorship rule.
General Motsoeneng, as he is being called on social media, has implemented some pretty hefty rules within the SABC over the past few weeks. What started out as 90% content on radio and TV has turned into a censorship on public protests, a ban on outside commentators and newspaper headlines and now apparently all SABC employees are going to have to wear a uniform.
Motsoeneng was invited into the SAfm studios to chat about his new rules and regulations but listeners calling in were furious…. they vented their anger at him with several calling him a “dictator”.
The controversial boss struggled to answer the most basic of questions and disappeared during a break.
Motsoeneng’s disastrous SAfm interview is his latest cringeworthy live interview. This comes after he was attacked three weeks ago by LotusFM listeners, made shocking remarks on eNCA’s Maggs on Media on Sunday where he slammed media experts for knowing nothing about journalism, and appearing on JacarandaFM on Monday in another mind-boggling interview with Rian van Heerden.
The chief operating officer (COO) of the SABC who banned visuals of public protests on SABC TV News was supposed to be the guest on SAfm for an hour on The Forum at 8, but was gone after a few callers voiced hefty criticism to suddenly attend to an “emergency” according to presenter Sakina Kamwendo.
As he did on LotusFM, Motsoeneng suddenly berated Kamwendo live on-air when she asked him basic questions regarding his SABC News censorship decisions that he struggled to answer.
When Kamwendo asked Hlaudi Motsoeneng if his new censorship decision meant that the SABC has always been contravening the Broadcasting Act, he berated her on-air for her questions.
“Sakina, when you talk there, you need to talk like a SABC employee. You as SABC people need to know what the SABC policy is saying. It is important for you as journalists of the SABC to represent the public, to represent the SABC.
“In any editorial newsroom in South Africa, when journalists sit down and discuss stories, they just discuss negative stories. Even at the SABC. I said ‘That can’t happen’ and I’m not apologetic about it.”
A listener slammed Hlaudi for his “autocratic style”, another one said “our Sesotho radio, LesediFM, has been turned into a clown. It’s only clowning there”.
By 08:35, after a barrage of caller criticism and probing questions by Sakina Kamwendo, Hlaudi was suddenly gone.
It may seem that the leader of the SABC doesn’t have the backing in his decision making, but luckily South Africa has many other broadcasting mediums that don’t involve the SABC at all where you can the full story without any censorship or banned content.
From private radio stations which you can pick up for free too, to internet sensations like Cliffcentral where there are controversial topics being discussed daily… you have the right to see and hear it all, even if the General doesn’t want you too!
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