In 2006, SABC radio anchor John Perlman publicly contradicted spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago’s denial that the broadcaster maintained an editorial blacklist. Perlman said the disclosure followed three months of internal discussions with concerned staff. An SABC commission of inquiry chaired by Zwelakhe Sisulu and Gilbert Marcus issued a damning report in October 2006, finding that staff had been instructed not to consult prominent commentators including Karima Brown, Aubrey Matshiqi, William Gumede, Paula Slier, Sipho Seepe, Moeletsi Mbeki, Elinor Sisulu, and Trevor Ncube. The commissioners said the practice was arbitrary, violated the broadcaster’s public mandate, and created a climate of fear in the newsroom; they sharply criticised SABC News chief Snuki Zikalala’s management style.
SABC CEO Dali Mpofu declined to publish the full report, initially releasing excerpts and unsuccessfully seeking a court interdict against the Mail & Guardian after it published the document online. The broadcaster threatened Perlman with disciplinary action for bringing SABC into disrepute, while taking no comparable action against Zikalala or addressing the commission’s findings. Perlman announced his resignation on 30 January 2007 after nine years at SABC and hosted his final programme on 2 March. The Freedom of Expression Institute complained to ICASA on 6 February, while political parties and media organisations warned that the episode endangered South African media freedom.
