Former President Jacob Zuma’s MK Party has filed court papers with the Johannesburg High Court demanding that the SABC stop using the phrase “Government of National Unity” (GNU), claiming it is misleading.
MKP wants the court to declare the public broadcaster’s use of the term unconstitutional.
In its papers, MKP mentioned that the SABC, being the primary public broadcaster relied upon by South Africans for news, should refrain from using the term “GNU.”
“The SABC as a first respondent national public broadcaster is supposed to operate under the guidance of principles such as respect for the constitution, obedience to the statutory and other regular framework governing its operations, independence, accuracy, and impartiality, to mention a few,” the papers state.
According to the party, the current government does not qualify to be called a GNU, and therefore they want the term scrapped from the broadcaster.
In a media briefing last month, Zuma said that the party’s legal counsel had written a letter of demand to the SABC to stop deliberately misleading South Africans by referring to present “sellout coalitions” as GNU or Government of “Provincial Unity.”
He said failure to do so would result in them marching to the SABC to demand the truth.
“We know that the private media has to serve its masters. But the SABC belongs to us.
“It has no right to feed our people with lies and to pursue narrow agendas at our expense.
“We shall seek an urgent meeting with the SABC Board and management to raise this issue and, if necessary, educate them on the correct political terms that are appropriate.
“If they do not listen, the people will march to the SABC offices to demand the truth. If there is a Government of National Unity, why are its founding documents only signed by Mr Mbalula and Helen Zille?” he said.
The SABC recently responded to MKP’s complaint, saying the allegations were unarguable.
It stressed that the letter of demand was an irregular action and without validity and that the correct processes should be followed for filing a complaint.
IOL Politics