SOUTH AFRICAN BANS SONG!
Anger as Zuma song taken off air.
Zuma's supporters believe he is the victim of a political vendetta. Supporters of South African ex-deputy president Jacob Zuma have threatened protests after the national broadcaster decided not to play a pro-Zuma song. The South African Broadcasting Corporation says the words of the song "Msholozi" could be read as incitement.
Mr Zuma, a popular leader once seen as heir apparent to the presidency, was sacked as deputy president last year amid allegations of corruption. He was later charged with corruption and with rape. He denies both charges. Msholozi, the title of the song by the group Ingane Zoma, isMr Zuma's clan name, which in South Africa is used as a respectful way of addressing a leader.
A statement on the Friends of Jacob Zuma website speaks of plans for a march on the SABC studios in Durban, in Mr Zuma's home province, KwaZulu-Natal. "These events will take place within the next two weeks as we believe same will be about the protection of SABC as a public broadcaster," says the statement, which was published in the name of KwaZulu-Natal structures of the South African Communist Party and the Congress of South African Trade Unions. "We can not justify the payment of TV licences, if such institutions are to be use as private tools for political campaigns and factional agendas," the statement says.
SABC spokeswoman Lesego Mncwango rejected the idea that the SABC banned the song. "If you use the word 'ban' you presuppose we are engaging in censorship. What happened was the station management decided the words were strong and would be excluded from the playlist at this time." She added that some of the lyrics of the song could be read as "indirect incitement".
"We are trying to uphold the principle of responsible public broadcasting," Ms Mncwango said.
Zuma's supporters believe he is the victim of a political vendetta. Supporters of South African ex-deputy president Jacob Zuma have threatened protests after the national broadcaster decided not to play a pro-Zuma song. The South African Broadcasting Corporation says the words of the song "Msholozi" could be read as incitement.
Mr Zuma, a popular leader once seen as heir apparent to the presidency, was sacked as deputy president last year amid allegations of corruption. He was later charged with corruption and with rape. He denies both charges. Msholozi, the title of the song by the group Ingane Zoma, isMr Zuma's clan name, which in South Africa is used as a respectful way of addressing a leader.
A statement on the Friends of Jacob Zuma website speaks of plans for a march on the SABC studios in Durban, in Mr Zuma's home province, KwaZulu-Natal. "These events will take place within the next two weeks as we believe same will be about the protection of SABC as a public broadcaster," says the statement, which was published in the name of KwaZulu-Natal structures of the South African Communist Party and the Congress of South African Trade Unions. "We can not justify the payment of TV licences, if such institutions are to be use as private tools for political campaigns and factional agendas," the statement says.
SABC spokeswoman Lesego Mncwango rejected the idea that the SABC banned the song. "If you use the word 'ban' you presuppose we are engaging in censorship. What happened was the station management decided the words were strong and would be excluded from the playlist at this time." She added that some of the lyrics of the song could be read as "indirect incitement".
"We are trying to uphold the principle of responsible public broadcasting," Ms Mncwango said.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
posted by jackaranda at 9:19 am
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