South African Broadcasting Corporation Top Executive Suspended

The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) on Tuesday suspended its group executive of news and current affairs, Snuki Zikalala, with immediate effect.

In a statement on Tuesday evening, the public broadcaster said Zikalala had been suspended by chief executive Dali Mpofu pending the outcome of a probe into allegations of misconduct. “The outcome of the investigation is likely to result in a formal disciplinary inquiry,” the statement said.

“In order to protect the rights of all parties involved, there will be no public discussion of the details surrounding this issue at this stage.”

Mpofu is said to have told the SABC employees that the misconduct had to do with the leaking of sensitive documents, but denied that it was connected to news reports regarding an internal SABC memorandum about rifts between the board and Mpofu.

“No, it’s actually unrelated to the media speculation around this issue so the timing in that sense was quite strangely unfortunate, but no this is a matter that has to do with information that was received about sensitive documents of the organisation.”

He said he would not discuss the merits of the matter as the investigation was underway. “…in fairness to the employee [Zikalala] he must be given a chance to defend himself if and when we do have a disciplinary inquiry,” Mpofu said.

Source African Press Agency

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