Snl24 | Zuma vs SABC showdown delay!

Former president Jacob Zuma wants the SABC to stop using the GNU phrase in its programmes and reporting.

FORMER president Jacob Zuma’s urgent application to stop the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) from using the phrase “Government of National Unity” (GNU) has been postponed.

It will now be heard on Thursday, 15 August.

The matter was set down for Tuesday, 13 August, but Zuma’s lawyer, Advocate Dali Mpofu SC, asked for the hearing to be stood down. Both parties are expected to have filed their heads of arguments by 6pm on Wednesday, 14 August, to allow the presiding judge to read through them.

The uMkhonto Wesizwe Party (MK) president wants the public broadcaster to stop referring to the current majority government as a GNU in its TV programmes and reporting. MK spokesman Nhlamulo Ndhlela said the current government arrangement is a DA and ANC coalition and not a GNU.

“The SABC should not serve as a conduit for the Democratic Alliance and the ANC of Cyril Ramaphosa, as this misrepresentation undermines the integrity of Section 3(1a) of the Broadcasting Act 4 of 1999 and the principles outlined in the SABC Charter regarding Editorial Independence,” he said.

He pointed out that even DA Federal chairwoman Helen Zille has acknowledged this coalition as a partnership between the DA and the ANC rather than a genuine GNU, revealing “the deceptive nature” of the arrangement.

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He appealed with the public broadcaster to uphold its duty to accurately represent political alliances without serving as a mouthpiece for biased agendas.

“Despite the uMkhonto Wesizwe Party’s request for an opposing affidavit, the SABC has not responded, reinforcing the need for the court to grant the relief sought by uMkhonto Wesizwe. We remain committed to defending the editorial independence of the SABC and ensuring that the South African public is not misled by state-affiliated entities,” Ndhlela said.

SABC Group CEO Nomsa Chabeli filed her answering affidavits on Monday night, 12 August, opposing the application, stating it was without merit and an abuse of court process.

“The order the applicants seek would violate the SABC’s rights to freedom of expression enshrined in section 16 of the Constitution,” she said.

She further said that the application should be dismissed.

“There’s no basis for the applicants or this court to instruct the SABC on how it should report on matters relating to the politics of the current majority government,” said Chabeli.

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