Our Opinion

Same strokes for all folks?

APART from leaving the entire nation confused as to why the well-publicised interview with President Thabo Mbeki on fifteen SABC radio stations on Wednesday night fizzled out in just over an hour – despite having been punted as scheduled for at least two – the lack of probing questions or illuminating answers, fuels suspicion that this was nothing more than a cheap public relations exercise to aid the Mbeki camp in the run-up to the ANC’s national conference in Polokwane.

SABC Radio News’ political editor Abbey Makoe’s interview with Mbeki, shortly after it became public knowledge following the recent nominations to the ANC presidency in the various regions that Jacob Zuma had mustered the majority support to become the governing party’s next leader, was more like a chat in a pub than a political interview. Makoe initially encouraged Mbeki to elaborate on the successes of the ANC under his leadership, then asked him to talk about the tri-partite alliance’s proud history and to reminisce on the racial divides he encountered when building the economy of South Africa. Only then did the seemingly reluctant Makoe begin probing the president on the succession race and the apparent support for Zuma which “does not reflect the excellent work you have been doing”.

For the SABC to abandon normal programming for 15 of its 18 radio stations in an attempt to give the president airtime to a potential 20 million listeners, is not in accordance with proper media principles. But, to then allow the interview to descend into an outright propaganda exercise is simply unforgivable. Then after the telephone lines were “thrown open”for questions from the public and more than one listener asked Mbeki why he did not want to stand down to give “somebody else” the opportunity to lead the ANC, the plug was pulled on the interview – a full 45 minutes earlier than for the duration it was advertised.

The abrupt end took some presenters by surprise. One out-of-breath woman presenter admitted to being “confused” and suggested to listeners that Mbeki had decided to make way for the next programme. SABC spokesman Kaizer Kganyago was less convincing claiming, Mbeki “had another engagement to attend to”.

But the president was given the “option that he might continue up to 9pm”. Earlier in the day he said other contenders for the ANC leadership position would receive “the same treatment”.

It will be interesting to see if Kganyago and SABC management keep their promise to afford Zuma the opportunity to be interviewed as part of the SABC’s “fair coverage of the run-up to the Polokwane conference”.

And in so doing, whether normal programming on all 15 stations will also be tossed out to make way for the nation to listen to Zuma being “grilled” by the SABC’s political editor?